The solar events of August/September 1859 – Surviving Australian observations

Australian observations of geophysical phenomena related to the “Carrington/Hodgson” solar events of August/September 1859 are summarized. Bright aurora were seen at least as far north as Brisbane. Telegraph services were disrupted in more southern regions, the magnetometer at Melbourne was greatly disturbed, and newspapers of the day carried useful information. No information has yet been uncovered from the more northern areas of the continent, which at that time had few sizeable European communities.