Knowledge (XXG)

Townsend Observatory

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280: 22: 109:. The historic Cooke 6" refractor telescope and its dome initially survived the collapse, but was subsequently run over by a bulldozer when rubble was being shifted. The university restored the telescope by the beginning of 2023. The restored tower opened as a hotel in 2022. Open nights with the telescope run by the University of Canterbury restarted after 12 years, on the 5th of May 2023. 84:
420 available to the college on the understanding that an observatory would be built. New Zealand was in a recession, and the college was reluctant to start a new building. Townsend died in November 1894 and did not see the observatory being started. In 1895, the decision was made to build a new
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There were maintenance problems with the roof and the original canvas and wooden dome structure had to be replaced in 1914. In the early 1940s, the same problems occurred and the telescope suffered damage, but it was not until 1950 that the roof was replaced.
439: 268: 261: 180: 454: 429: 254: 434: 246: 368: 449: 378: 333: 217: 444: 293: 89:'s last major design for the college and cost twice his estimate, but nonetheless was not lavish. In an editorial, the local newspaper, 353: 129: 403: 204: 318: 102:
The observatory was open to the public from 8pm to 10.30pm, during the non-daylight saving months from March to October.
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The observatory was destroyed when the part of the Arts Centre housing collapsed as a result of the February
388: 373: 181:"Inside the Observatory Hotel in Christchurch's Arts Centre, where the largest room can cost $ 1000 a night" 343: 408: 358: 323: 73:
to the college, as he wished to make it available to the community. Townsend's telescope was built by
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in December 1850. In his retirement, he lived on Park Terrace, just north of the site of the
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Triggered by Townsend's gift, the Astronomical Society of Christchurch made its funds of
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James Townsend was one of the Canterbury Pilgrims, having arrived on the
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Buildings and structures destroyed by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake
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biology building including a tower for the observatory. It was
168:. Christchurch, New Zealand: Clerestory Press. pp. 42f. 138:. Vol. LI, no. 8953. 17 November 1894. p. 7 95:, called it "a small but picturesque looking structure". 159: 157: 155: 153: 124: 122: 262: 166:The Arts Centre of Christchurch: Then and Now 8: 369:North Otago Astronomical Society Observatory 455:Gothic Revival architecture in New Zealand 379:Southland Astronomical Society Observatory 269: 255: 247: 430:Astronomical observatories in New Zealand 334:Hamilton Astronomical Society Observatory 284:Astronomical observatories in New Zealand 435:Buildings and structures in Christchurch 118: 294:Ashburton Astronomy Group Observatory 7: 16:Hotel in Christchurch, New Zealand 14: 450:1890s architecture in New Zealand 354:Mount John University Observatory 278: 179:Gates, Charlie (26 April 2022). 35:, owned and administered by the 404:Whakatane Astronomical Society 1: 319:Cawthron Atkinson Observatory 445:Benjamin Mountfort buildings 205:Townsend Observatory webpage 107:2011 Christchurch earthquake 49:2011 Christchurch earthquake 25:Townsend Observatory at the 349:Mount Albert Grammar School 471: 289: 69:. In 1891, he gifted his 364:New Plymouth Observatory 304:Beverly-Begg Observatory 37:University of Canterbury 27:Christchurch Arts Centre 389:Thomas King Observatory 374:R. F. Joyce Observatory 210:The Arts Centre website 344:James Cook Observatory 233:43.53183°S 172.62862°E 164:Strange, Glyn (1994). 29: 409:Whangarei Observatory 359:Nankivell Observatory 324:Farm Cove Observatory 75:Thomas Cook & Son 24: 394:Townsend Observatory 384:Stardome Observatory 238:-43.53183; 172.62862 71:equatorial telescope 33:Townsend Observatory 329:Gifford Observatory 309:Carkeek Observatory 229: /  339:Hawera Observatory 314:Carter Observatory 87:Benjamin Mountfort 67:Canterbury College 30: 417: 416: 130:"News of the Day" 39:, is part of the 462: 399:Ward Observatory 283: 282: 271: 264: 257: 248: 244: 243: 241: 240: 239: 234: 230: 227: 226: 225: 222: 192: 191: 189: 187: 176: 170: 169: 161: 148: 147: 145: 143: 126: 470: 469: 465: 464: 463: 461: 460: 459: 420: 419: 418: 413: 285: 277: 275: 237: 235: 231: 228: 223: 220: 218: 216: 215: 201: 196: 195: 185: 183: 178: 177: 173: 163: 162: 151: 141: 139: 128: 127: 120: 115: 57: 17: 12: 11: 5: 468: 466: 458: 457: 452: 447: 442: 437: 432: 422: 421: 415: 414: 412: 411: 406: 401: 396: 391: 386: 381: 376: 371: 366: 361: 356: 351: 346: 341: 336: 331: 326: 321: 316: 311: 306: 301: 296: 290: 287: 286: 276: 274: 273: 266: 259: 251: 213: 212: 207: 200: 199:External links 197: 194: 193: 171: 149: 117: 116: 114: 111: 56: 53: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 467: 456: 453: 451: 448: 446: 443: 441: 438: 436: 433: 431: 428: 427: 425: 410: 407: 405: 402: 400: 397: 395: 392: 390: 387: 385: 382: 380: 377: 375: 372: 370: 367: 365: 362: 360: 357: 355: 352: 350: 347: 345: 342: 340: 337: 335: 332: 330: 327: 325: 322: 320: 317: 315: 312: 310: 307: 305: 302: 300: 297: 295: 292: 291: 288: 281: 272: 267: 265: 260: 258: 253: 252: 249: 245: 242: 211: 208: 206: 203: 202: 198: 182: 175: 172: 167: 160: 158: 156: 154: 150: 137: 136: 131: 125: 123: 119: 112: 110: 108: 103: 100: 96: 94: 93: 88: 83: 78: 76: 72: 68: 64: 63: 54: 52: 50: 46: 42: 38: 34: 28: 23: 19: 393: 299:Benmore Peak 214: 184:. Retrieved 174: 165: 140:. Retrieved 133: 104: 101: 97: 90: 79: 60: 58: 45:Christchurch 32: 31: 18: 236: / 224:172°37′43″E 41:Arts Centre 424:Categories 221:43°31′55″S 113:References 186:18 August 135:The Press 92:The Press 77:in 1864. 142:27 March 55:History 62:Cressy 188:2022 144:2015 82:NZ£ 43:of 426:: 152:^ 132:. 121:^ 51:. 270:e 263:t 256:v 190:. 146:.

Index


Christchurch Arts Centre
University of Canterbury
Arts Centre
Christchurch
2011 Christchurch earthquake
Cressy
Canterbury College
equatorial telescope
Thomas Cook & Son
NZ£
Benjamin Mountfort
The Press
2011 Christchurch earthquake


"News of the Day"
The Press




"Inside the Observatory Hotel in Christchurch's Arts Centre, where the largest room can cost $ 1000 a night"
Townsend Observatory webpage
The Arts Centre website
43°31′55″S 172°37′43″E / 43.53183°S 172.62862°E / -43.53183; 172.62862
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New Zealand

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