This special jubilee issue of the Journal of the Auckland Astronomical Society does not set out to be a formal history of the society. It is a story of how things happened during the first fifty years with some interesting look-backs into astronomy in New Zealand-in the words of the people involved. It has not been possible to locate everybody who has made a notable mark in the society or to interview everyone who may have something of interest or importance to contribute.

Nor has it been possible to avoid some discrepancies, because much of what is in this journal is based on the memory of people involved-and different people remember things in different ways. Thanks are due to many who have contributed to this publication, especially Tony Messenger who has spent hours bearing a tape recorder from home to home. And, as always, to our typist Margaret Caffell, who has tackled bravely the problem of setting out, with typewriter alone, a form of narrative to which a printer with a range of type would be hard put to do justice.

For more information, please visit http://www.astronomy.org.nz