The origin of the British enclave and the 48-inch Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring

A review of the proceedings of the Southern Hemisphere Committee, which was established to advise on the future of the Southern African Observatories and the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT), is presented. The concerns of the committee regarding the size of the British staff at the AAT facility are discussed; the recommendation of the committee to establish a British supported unit for the ATT at Siding Spring was implemented. The problems with the development of the 48 inch Schmidt telescope including cost and project priority are described; the Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring was operational by the spring of 1974.