152--year-old telescope to return to Arts Centre
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A piece of stargazing Christchurch history will return to the Arts Centre thanks to a restoration project by the University of Canterbury.
The Townsend Telescope sat in the Arts Centre Observatory Tower for 114 years before it was badly damaged in the February 2011 earthquake.
Miraculously, the lens was found in tact, and the telescope will now undergo a three-year restoration before taking up residence at the Arts Centre again.
Associate Professor Karen Pollard, Director of the University of Canterbury’s Mt John Observatory said for many Cantabrians, the Townsend Telescope was their first introduction to astronomy and the wonders of the night sky.
“The telescope is a very useful vehicle for introducing science to children and getting them interested in asking questions about how the world (and the universe) works. This is the reason that the Townsend Observatory was so useful as an outreach tool for the Department of Physics and Astronomy – it was very accessible and was a way of bringing astronomy and science to children and the wider public.
“That astronomy allows us to think about our place in the universe and is particularly fascinating for children.”
The donation to repair the telescope had come from UC alumnus Professor David Teece, his wife Leigh Teece and their family. It would now be renamed the Townsend Teece Telescope, and returned to a rebuilt Observatory Tower in the Christchurch Arts Centre.
The Observatory Tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. Home to the Townsend Telescope.
Chris Whitty, site manager at the Arts Centre at the time of the earthquakes, said it took a week to sift through 35 tonnes of rubble to find the remains of the telescope.
“Having worked at the Arts Centre for 23 years, I was absolutely gutted when the Observatory Tower collapsed, burying the telescope. Finding the telescope lens intact was a miracle and means that it can be reconstructed. With the salvaged stones from the rubble, we can also rebuild the tower, bringing Townsend’s legacy back to life.”
The University of Canterbury Astronomy Department is holding an exhibition of the Townsend Teece Telescope pieces, including a look into the upcoming restoration project. This is on display to the public in the gallery space on the ground floor of the Matariki building at UC’s Ilam campus until 6 July.