Gingin Observatory has been announced as a finalist in the Tourist Attractions category of the 2010 Western Australian Tourism Awards. The Tourism Council WA announced all the finalists at the Finals Fever Functions held simultaneously in Perth and Margaret River on 19 October 2010. 

All Observatory staff attended the event to hear the exciting news. Gingin Observatory’s Head Astronomer, Mr Grant Thornett (AKA Mr Universe!), said “This is a great achievement for the Observatory. We’re a great team of science communicators at Gingin Observatory and it’s a wonderful reward to be recognised as one of the top attractions in the WA tourism industry.”

Gingin Observatory now plan for 2013 to enter again for the Tourism Awards  in WA.  We  truly think that this time we have a good chance of winning an award as we believe that the Gingin Observatory is the only one of its kind in Australia. And now the Gingin Observatory is recognised by over 8 million viewers when we  did the u streem broadcast in America, it apparently eclipsed the previous title holder - the landing of Mars Science Lab. There were 1.4million viewers during the live commentary surrounding the closest approach of the Asteroid 2012 DA 14.  Thankyou to NASA JPL Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the California Institute of Technology for letting us have the privalige of being involved in this historic event and thankyou to our Team for without them we could not of done it !!