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Outback Astronomer: The extraordinary story of how an amateur astronomer's unwavering passion for the cosmos propelled him from the mines of Broken Hill to working with NASA
Born and raised in remote Broken Hill, Trevor Barry left school after year ten to work in the mines. Years later, a single glimpse of Saturn through a colleague's telescope knocked Trevor's world completely off its axis, turning his whole life upside down.
With his newfound passion and armed with decades of outback know-how, Trevor set about building an observatory in his backyard using bits and pieces from his shed, a second-hand washing machine motor, rainwater tank parts and an old catamaran wire. It took some canny negotiations with his wife, Cheryl, 'the Gorgeous and Adorable', whose prized garden took a battering - especially when he decided to add a second storey - but before long Trevor was not just gazing at the stars but capturing extraordinary images of the planets.
Over the years, Trevor's love affair with Saturn, 'the ringed jewel of the solar system', only grew more passionate, and in his early fifties he did a degree in astronomy, topping his class. When he recorded a massive storm on Saturn from his backyard observatory, he alerted NASA. The world's greatest space agency took note and invited Trevor to contribute to its interplanetary research - leading to opportunities far beyond Broken Hill and even Trevor's wildest dreams.
Today, when he's not tending the greens at his local bowls club, Trevor can usually be found in his backyard, collecting data for international research projects. His work is held in high regard by professional astronomers, and his observations are published in peer-reviewed scientific journals around the world.
With his newfound passion and armed with decades of outback know-how, Trevor set about building an observatory in his backyard using bits and pieces from his shed, a second-hand washing machine motor, rainwater tank parts and an old catamaran wire. It took some canny negotiations with his wife, Cheryl, 'the Gorgeous and Adorable', whose prized garden took a battering - especially when he decided to add a second storey - but before long Trevor was not just gazing at the stars but capturing extraordinary images of the planets.
Over the years, Trevor's love affair with Saturn, 'the ringed jewel of the solar system', only grew more passionate, and in his early fifties he did a degree in astronomy, topping his class. When he recorded a massive storm on Saturn from his backyard observatory, he alerted NASA. The world's greatest space agency took note and invited Trevor to contribute to its interplanetary research - leading to opportunities far beyond Broken Hill and even Trevor's wildest dreams.
Today, when he's not tending the greens at his local bowls club, Trevor can usually be found in his backyard, collecting data for international research projects. His work is held in high regard by professional astronomers, and his observations are published in peer-reviewed scientific journals around the world.
- GenresNonfiction
385 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2025
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32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 25, 2025
A fascinating memoir.
December 13, 2025
I adored this book. Trevor along with his wife are such incredibly fun people with such an excellent story. Told with good humour about their beautiful life in Broken Hill and what Trevor has achieved in his backyard astronomy centre.
December 31, 2025
He seems like a lovely guy and what he has achieved is impressive but I do not feel like there was actually a story here that needed to be told and it lacked any real momentum - because it was building towards nothing.
November 28, 2025
Pretty interesting story!
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January 26, 2026A real page-turner, I couldn't put it down!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews