Astronomer. Sidney Charles Bartholomew (Ben) Gascoigne was born in New Zealand in 1915 and graduated as a PhD. from the University of Bristol in 1941. In August 1941 Gascoigne moved to Australia to contribute to the optical munitions work being undertaken at the Commonwealth Solar Observatory. After the War, he played a significant role in the development of Mt Stromlo Observatory and in the training of astronomers at the Australian National University where he was Professor in Astronomy, 1964-1980. Gascoigne was a key figure in the establishment of the Anglo-Australian Telescope. He was married to Australian sculptor Rosalie Gascoigne. He retired in 1980 and in 1996 was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to observational astronomy and for his contribution to the Anglo-Australian Telescope. Gascoigne died in Canberra in March 2010.
From the description of Papers of Ben Gascoigne, 1938-2007 [manuscript]. [1938-2007] (Libraries Australia). WorldCat record id: 590992196
