The downfall of the Parramatta Observatory during the 1840s led the British Government to reconsider the funding it provided to observatories. George Biddell Airy—the Astronomer Royal at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich—recommended the establishment of a central Colonial Board of Visitors (based in London) to oversee the management of observatories within the British Empire. The recommendation ultimately never materialized, but it showcased the support of the astronomical community and the British Government for centralizing the management of the vast network of observatories. This centralized vision continued to influence the founding of new observatories and the organization of their work. The article examines Airy's vision of a centralized organization of division of labour among observatories through his involvement in the discussions about the Colonial Board of Visitors. It also examines how he continued supporting the same vision through articles about the work of observatories, and through written advice about establishing observatories. The article demonstrates how he envisioned the grand strategy of an observatory to encompass public utility while also fitting it within the general policy of observatories in relation to the division of astronomical labour.

1840 年代帕拉马塔天文台的垮台导致英国政府重新考虑向天文台提供的资金。格林威治皇家天文台的皇家天文学家乔治·比德尔·艾里 (George Biddell Airy) 建议建立中央殖民地访客委员会（总部设在伦敦），以监督大英帝国境内天文台的管理。该建议最终没有实现，但它显示了天文学界和英国政府对集中管理庞大的天文台网络的支持。这种集中的愿景继续影响着新天文台的建立和他们的工作组织。文章考察了 Airy' 通过参与关于殖民地访客委员会的讨论，他提出了天文台之间集中组织分工的愿景。它还考察了他如何通过有关天文台工作的文章以及关于建立天文台的书面建议继续支持相同的愿景。这篇文章展示了他如何设想天文台的宏伟战略，以涵盖公共事业，同时将其纳入天文台与天文分工相关的一般政策。