Located on Wajarri Yamaji country at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) has been in operation since 2013. It is made up of 8,192 antennas spread across more than 30 square kilometres, about 300 kilometres north-east of Geraldton.
The $5.4 million upgrade known as Phase III has doubled the telescope’s sensitivity and quadrupled the volume of data it produces. Researchers say the improvements will help answer fundamental questions about the origins of the universe, including how the first stars and galaxies formed after the Big Bang.
Curtin University vice-chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne said the MWA highlighted the power of international collaboration and local investment.
“The MWA is giving researchers across the globe an unprecedented window into the first stars and galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago,” Hayne said.
“Beyond its startling scientific discoveries, the MWA will continue to create opportunities for students and early career researchers, support local industry and deliver tangible economic benefits for Western Australia and Australia as a whole.”
The MWA is the first fully operational precursor to the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), the world’s largest radio telescope which is now under construction on the same site in the MWA.
MWA Director, John Curtin Distinguished Professor Steven Tingay, said the upgrade marked a turning point for the telescope, “With Phase III complete, the MWA is better equipped than ever to explore the universe and to prepare researchers for the upcoming SKAO.”
Tingay added, “We’ve even added a little ‘secret sauce’ to the design of the upgraded system, which is exciting for future prospects. The upgrade ensures the MWA remains a globally significant facility, producing world-leading science while training the next generation of astronomers and engineers.”
Since operations began, the MWA has produced around 400 scientific papers and trained hundreds of PhD candidates and early career researchers. Its discoveries include long-period transients a previously unknown class of astronomical objects along with studies that have directly shaped SKA-Low technology and operations.
The Phase III upgrade was supported by members of the MWA’s international consortium from Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Switzerland and the United States. Shanghai Astronomical Observatory provided key electronic components, working closely with engineers at the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy. State and federal government backing, alongside partnerships with WA industry, were also critical to delivering the project.
To celebrate the milestone, the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) – Curtin hosted MWA’s annual conference from 27–29 August 2025 and brought together international collaborators to reflect on the telescope’s achievements and future.
The MWA’s operations continue to deepen cultural and community engagement with the Wajarri Yamaji, traditional owners of the land, through long-term partnerships that underpin the observatory’s work.