Townsend Observatory, owned and administered by the University of Canterbury, was part of the Arts Centre of Christchurch, New Zealand and was open on clear Friday evenings from 8pm - 10.30pm, March to October (winter months between daylight saving).
The observatory was destroyed, and its historic Cooke 6" refractor telescope damaged when the part of the Arts Centre housing them collapsed as a result of the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The University hopes to be able to restore the telescope.[1]