. ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁the ▁original ▁observ atory ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁West ▁Per th ▁on ▁Mount ▁El iza ▁over looking ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Per th ▁( obs . ▁code ▁ 3 1 9 ). ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁city ' s ▁expansion ▁the ▁observ atory ▁moved ▁to ▁B ick ley ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁The ▁new ▁Per th ▁Observ atory ▁is ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁B ick ley ▁Observ atory ▁( obs . ▁code ▁ 3 2 2 , ▁ 3 2 3 ). ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁First ▁Per th ▁Observ atory ▁The ▁original ▁Per th ▁Observ atory ▁was ▁constructed ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁and ▁was ▁officially ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁by ▁John ▁For rest , ▁the ▁first ▁premier ▁of ▁Western ▁Australia . ▁The ▁observ atory ▁was ▁located ▁at ▁Mount ▁El iza ▁over looking ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Per th . ▁Its ▁chief ▁roles ▁were ▁keeping ▁Standard ▁Time ▁for ▁Western ▁Australia ▁and ▁meteor ological ▁data ▁collection . ▁ ▁W A ▁Government ▁Astronom ers ▁ ▁William ▁Ernest ▁Co oke ▁ ▁William ▁Ernest ▁Co oke ▁was ▁appointed ▁the ▁first ▁Western ▁Australian ▁Government ▁Astronom er ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁after ▁a ▁similar ▁posting ▁at ▁the ▁Ad ela ide ▁Observ atory . ▁On ▁arrival ▁in ▁Per th , ▁his ▁first ▁task ▁was ▁to ▁determine ▁the ▁exact ▁latitude ▁and ▁longitude ▁of ▁the ▁col ony . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁able ▁to ▁determine ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁day ▁with ▁greater ▁accuracy . ▁Before ▁his ▁arrival ▁clock s ▁could ▁vary ▁by