User:PeterJaquiery/Henry Skey

Henry Skey was born in London, England in 1836. Along with his brother William Skey Henry travelled to New Zealand in 1860.

Skey contributed a papers on a wide range of scientific and technological subjects to the Royal Society of New Zealand, extending even to a proposal for a system of decimal currency almost 60 years ahead of such a system being adopted in New Zealand.

Most notable among Skey's contribution to the science of the day was his work in relation to liquid mirrors. Although the use of a rotating liquid to use as a telescope mirror had been suggested by others (including by Sir Isaac Newton) Skey was probably the first person to construct a practical mirror using the technique and certinaly provided the first published account of constructing a liquid mirror.

Henry Skey was instrumental in the formation of the Otago Astronomical Society (later the Dunedin Astronomical Society and donated his 9.25" Browning Newtonian telescope to the society.

Henry Skey died in Dunedin in 1914 after a number of years of ill health.