Frank Maine Bateson OBE (1909 - 2007)

Born 31 Oct 1909 in Wellington, New Zealand

Husband of Doris (McGoldrick) Bateson — married 1931 in New Zealand

Died 16 Apr 2007 at age 97 in Tauranga, New Zealand

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Biography

Frank Bateson OBE is Notable.

Frank Maine Bateson OBE is regarded as the Father of New Zealand astronomy.

Born on 31st October 1909 at Wellington, New Zealand, Frank was the younger son of Charles Bateson, a company manager from England, and Welsh-born Alice Lowe née Rossiter.^[1] Bateson studied in Australia and New Zealand.^[2]

He married Doris McGoldrick in 1931 at New Zealand.^[2] They had two daughters:

• June, married surname Nunan
• Audrey, married surname Walsh

His interest in astronomy developed during his school years in Sydney, Australia when he read Robert Stawell Ball's Great Astronomers. In 1927, at the age of 18, he founded the Variable Star Section (VSS) of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand. He remained as director of the VSS until 2004. Under his lead, the VSS observed variable stars and collated reports on stars from both professional and amateur observers throughout the world and was known worldwide for its work in the field of variable stars. He was associated with the VSS until his death. Bateson was instrumental in the founding of the Mount John University Observatory near Lake Tekapo, assisting the University of Canterbury in finding an appropriate location for the observatory. He was appointed astronomer-in-charge of the observatory after it opened in 1963; holding that position until his retirement in 1969. He and his wife, Doris, formed a non-profit organisation called Astronomical Research Ltd, which administers the over 1,000,000 observations which have been delivered to the VSS by amateur and professional astronomers worldwide since the onset of the programme.^[2]

He served in the Second World War with New Zealand's Home Naval Service, attaining the senior non-commissioned rank of Chief Petty Officer.^[3]

After the war he moved to Rarotonga, Cook Islands where he worked until 1960. In 1957 he was elected to the Parliament of the Cook Islands, the first person of European heritage to be so elected.^[2]

Frank Bateson was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand (RASNZ) in 1963. He received the Jackson-Gwilt Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1960 and an honorary doctorate from the University of Waikato in 1979. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1970 New Year Honours for services to astronomy, and the Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in 1980. The asteroid 2434 Bateson was named in his honour.^[2]

His personal reminisciences were published in 1989 by Heritage Press as Paradise Beckons.^[4] He also authored or co-authored over 300 scientific papers.^[2]

Frank passed away, aged 97 years, on 16th April 2007 at Tauranga, New Zealand. He is buried in St John's Church of England (Anglican) churchyard, Moonshine Road, Upper Hutt, New Zealand.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Search https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search Registration Number | Family Name | Given Name(s) | Mother's Given Name(s) | Father's Given Name(s)
   1909/13306 | Bateson | Frank Maine | Alice | Charles
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Wikipedia profile: Frank Bateson
3. ↑ Online Cenotaph: 5097 CPO Frank Maine Bateson
4. ↑ Bateson, Frank M. Paradise Beckons. Heritage Press, 1989. ISBN 0 908708 13 0
5. ↑ Death Search ( Father, and BillionGraves Index )
   Registration Number | Family Name | Given Name(s) | Date of Birth/ Age at Death
   1912/6267 | Bateson | Charles | 48Y|