▁a ▁Mil ne - Sh aw ▁se ism ograph ▁was ▁util ised ▁between ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁for ▁the ▁recording ▁of ▁earth qu akes ▁in ▁Western ▁Australia . ▁After ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁the ▁earth qu ake ▁monitoring ▁was ▁taken ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁M und aring ▁Ge oph ys ical ▁Observ atory . ▁ ▁New ▁observ atory ▁at ▁B ick ley ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁light ▁poll ution ▁from ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Per th ▁and ▁a ▁small ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁implementation ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁plan ▁by ▁Steph enson - H ep burn ▁Report ▁saw ▁the ▁land ▁where ▁the ▁Per th ▁Observ atory ▁res ided ▁make ▁way ▁for ▁what ▁was ▁to ▁initially ▁be ▁five ▁government ▁office ▁blocks , ▁however ▁there ▁was ▁only ▁one ▁ever ▁built , ▁Dum as ▁House . ▁After ▁nearly ▁being ▁closed ▁by ▁the ▁State ▁Government , ▁the ▁Observ atory ▁was ▁moved ▁to ▁its ▁current ▁site ▁at ▁B ick ley ▁near ▁Mount ▁G ung in ▁in ▁the ▁Dar ling ▁Range . ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁observ atory ▁cost ▁$ 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁opened ▁by ▁the ▁Premier ▁Sir ▁David ▁Brand ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁September ▁ 1 9 6 6 . ▁ ▁Rec ent ▁history ▁The ▁Observ atory ▁has ▁fought ▁off ▁several ▁attempts ▁to ▁close ▁the ▁facility ▁by ▁the ▁State ▁Government , ▁the ▁most ▁serious ▁being ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁part ▁of