Parkes Radio Telescope (The Dish)
Murriyang (Parkes Radio Telescope)
The 64-metre 'Big Dish' that relayed the Apollo 11 Moon landing, the real-life setting of the film The Dish; the visitor centre is free.
The Parkes Radio Telescope is operated by CSIRO, began operations in 1961, and is known to Indigenous Australians as Murriyang. In 1969 it received and relayed the television signal of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, a story later told in the film The Dish. The telescope itself is not open for climbing, but you can stand on the lawn and look up close at the huge dish as it turns. The visitor centre is free and has astronomy exhibits, a paid 3D cinema and a café with an excellent view. It is about 120 km from Dubbo, roughly 1.5 hours' drive, and is often combined with the Parkes Elvis Festival, held each January.
Opening hours
Visitor center approx. 08:30–16:15
Nearby sights
- Wellington Caves
- Dundullimal Homestead
- Taronga Western Plains Zoo
- Tracker Riley Cycleway
- Western Plains Cultural Centre
- Old Dubbo Gaol
- Dubbo Regional Botanic Garden & Shoyoen Japanese Garden
- Royal Flying Doctor Service Dubbo Visitor Experience