The opening of the Parkes radio telescope in October 1961 placed Australia at the forefront of international research in radio astronomy and ushered in an era of rapid developments in our understanding of the origin and nature of the Universe and our place within it. Thirty years later, the scientists, engineers and technical staff involved in the establishment, operation and subsequent development of this most successful of Australian research instruments gathered to review and reflect on their achievements, and to recount many of the human stories that were so intimately bound up with this extraordinarily productive period in Australia's scientific history.

This book presents their accounts of the work and life at Parkes, and provides a fresh perspective on the growth of Australian science over the past three decades.