atory ▁was ▁position ed ▁well ▁for ▁Hal ley ' s ▁Com et ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 / 1 9 8 7 ▁and ▁under ▁C andy ▁the ▁Per th ▁Observ atory ▁produced ▁ 1 0 % ▁of ▁all ▁Earth ▁based ▁ast rom et ric ▁positions ▁for ▁the ▁com et , ▁the ▁largest ▁contribution ▁in ▁the ▁World . ▁ ▁C andy ▁was ▁a ▁coun c ill or ▁of ▁the ▁Astronom ical ▁Society ▁of ▁Australia ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁coun c ill or ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁of ▁Western ▁Australia ▁between ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁and ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁of ▁Western ▁Australia ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁. ▁ ▁He ▁saw ▁the ▁most ▁dr astic ▁staff ▁cut s ▁to ▁the ▁Observ atory ▁by ▁the ▁Government ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁with ▁ 5 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁staff ▁re deploy ed ▁and ▁one ▁whole ▁section ▁closed ▁down . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁comp uls ory ▁ret irement ▁age ▁no ▁longer ▁in ▁place , ▁unlike ▁his ▁prede cess or , ▁C andy ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁continue ▁working ▁at ▁the ▁Per th ▁Observ atory ▁on ▁projects ▁including ▁the ▁e cli ps ing ▁binary ▁FO ▁H yd ra , ▁a ▁com et ▁h unter ▁teles cope , ▁a ▁new ▁theory ▁on ▁com et ▁orig ins ▁and ▁evolution , ▁the ▁analysis ▁of ▁the ▁lost ▁com et ▁G ale , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁comparison ▁of ▁a ▁South ▁Australian ▁com