Pietro Baracchi

[1] Baracchi was born in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and took a degree in civil engineering.

He gained work as an assistant at the Melbourne Observatory and was selected to be transferred to Darwin.

After completing his task there to measure longitudes, he returned to Melbourne and became an acting government astronomer on 30 June 1895 on Robert L. J. Ellery's retirement.

[1] Baracchi was awarded the Order of Knight Commander of the Crown of Italy, 1897 and was president of the Royal Society of Victoria 1908–1909.

[1] His son Guido Baracchi (1887–1975)[2] was a founding member of the Communist Party of Australia.