An aurora on the 24th  - south of Ballarat

The evening of the 24th August 2005 was unusual in that the aurora continued  for over
3 hours. It is the longest aurora I have witnessed. A torus like yellow/green  shape  
was apparent for over two hours, with a clear double layer.
The SOHO website can give you information about the activity of the sun and 
the possibility of seeing an aurora.

Adcock Federation Telescope

.
 
 

 
John Dobson, the inventor of the Dobsonian telescope mount, during a visit to Ballarat  earlier this year. The tree is a Californian Redwood a native of Johns home state but growing in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.