All things astronomical
With Mr.Ware and Mr F.Morshead of New Plymouth, Monty was able to discuss all things astronomical. Soon he ground an eight inch (2.4cm) reflector and polished it to increase his viewing field. He mounted this, too, on the dome.
Later, he altered the mount to take a three inch (7.6cm) refractor telescope complete with equatorial mount he had Wood of London make, so he could make special observations.
Monty thought the three inch refractor was superb. It offered exceptionally good viewing in certain conditions, and because he liked to study the sun, he had a solar diagonal and filter fitted so he could view the sun directly.
The eight inch (2.4cm) telescope was eventually removed and a special cradle cast to fit on a steel base. He used this for open air viewing and removed the telescope when not in use.
Not content with the instruments he had, Monty built microscopes, a spectroscope and other pieces of equipment, including a micrometer with a powered eyepiece for better speed control. During his lifetime, he took exceptionally good photos of the moon.
A new society
Monty called a special meeting at his house and on 29th September, 1926, the Hāwera Astronomical Society was born. It was his idea to share the knowledge he had.
The subscription was one guinea per year (£1.1s.00).
His notion to form a society was a popular one and there was no shortage of officers for election, with Dr.W.A.Thomson as President, Dr A.M.Young as Vice Present and 10 keen committee members. Monty himself took on the role of Director. Mr O'Dea, who also had his own telescope, was proclaimed Patron of the Society.
From then on, a meeting was held every week at Monty's observatory, with a programme drawn up to inform members of astronomical events, and to welcome in an assortment of guest speakers.
Monty's son, Ian, well remembers being allowed to stay up to watch his father work the equatorial clockwork and reset the weight every 45 minutes.
"I could stay up for an hour and a half while he reset the weight twice," he once said.
He recalled how his father used real spider's web to make the cross-hairs for the eye piece of his micrometer. "He tried various spiders to get the finest web for the purpose and carefully glued it to the eyepiece."
Something big occurs!
Monty's work with variable stars put him in touch with Dr. Frank Bateson who, assisted by Mr E.J.Booth of Hāwera, recorded the results of observations made in other parts of the country.
On 27 June, 1927, Comet Gale was logged in Norway and Sydney. But it was Monty's calculations of the position of the comet when it was first discovered that helped compute its course across the heavens.
His measurements allowed Mr.Gennesscat of Denmark and Dr Crommelin, the great authority on comets to precisely plot the comet's journey.
Recognition of this valuable contribution won Monty praise and recognition in the journal Nature and other astronomical journals.
Because of his observations of Comets Gale and Pons Winnecke and his wide and exception knowledge of the universe, Monty Townsend was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in London.
Monty also tracked the transit of Mercury in November 1940, reflecting its trajectory onto a screen for better viewing.
He was also involved in the first sighting of Comet Cunningham, which was discovered in 1941, along with the brighter Comet Paraskevopontos.
His sighting resolved some historic controversy over Cunningham's identity, because both comets were clearly visible at the same time.
What the papers had to say
From the Hawera Star, Tuesday 28 January, 1941:
CUNNINGHAM'S COMET OBSERVED LOCALLY
Discovery by Mr.J.M.Townsend, of Hawera
LARGER ONE ALSO PRESENT
Visible to the naked eye
Hawera residents energetic to rise as early as 3am, may see with the naked eye a large comet in the southern sky which was first discovered on Saturday last, but was not observed by Mr.G.M.Townsend, a well known Hawera Astronomical Observer through a cloud on Sunday evening.
Mr Townsend also saw the comet which is understood to be the brightest observed here since Halley's Comet in 1910, between 2.30 and 3.00am this morning.
A more important discovery, however, was his observation of the smaller Cunningham's Comet which is definitely located in its correct position.
Thus the suppositions that the larger comet was Cunningham's can no longer be valid in view of Mr.Townsend's observation this morning. Cunningham's Comet, which may be observed by watchers with a keen eye is located about 15 degrees from its larger companion, well down towards the horizon at a position of about 7 o'clock on the clock face.
For the purpose of gauging its position, it may be helpful to readers that the diameter of the moon measures about ½ degree and Cunningham's Comet will thus be found at 30 times the diameter of the moon from its more brilliant companion.
From now on, until it disappears, Mr Townsend anticipates that the larger comet will grow much brighter and its tail even lengthen.
This comet is an entirely new and unheralded one and its discovery at present seems to be to the credit of Mr R.A.McIntosh of Auckland. Cunningham's Comet should be observed in early evening low down in the south-west sky and in the morning down in the south-east sky.
Seen From Ohawe
Mr and Mrs M.J.Squire, of Hawera, are at present visiting Ohawe Beach and were up until a late hour last night sharing in the vigil for two persons swept out to sea on a raft. As there were retiring at about 2.45am, Mr and Mrs Squire saw through their window a brilliant object in the sky and went outside to investigate.
Dazzlingly brighter than the stars and with a long, straight, upright tail, the comet was easily discerned and watched for some time by Mr And Mrs Squire.
Neighbours at Ohawe also saw the comet on Saturday night, when conditions were not so good, though the lengthy luminous tail could be seen through the storm clouds.
Ohawe Beach as it looks in the daytime in 2005. The 1927 comet caused quite a stir in the small community.
From the Hawera Star, Thursday 30 January, 1941:
IMPOSING SPECTACLE COMET IN SOUTHERN SKY
The strange comet first noticed in New Zealand by an Aucklander last Saturday night was clearly visible fairly high up in the southern sky from Hawera last evening.
It could be faintly discovered shortly after 9 o'clock, but residents returning from the theatre were able to observe it much more clearly.
The sweeping luminous tail leading down to the comet itself provided an impressive spectacle. Some people who have observed the comet have confused it with Cunningham's Comet, a much smaller one observed by Mr.Townsend of Hawera.
Cunningham's Comet is located about 15 degrees below the larger companion and its position is about 15 degrees below the larger companion and its position well down towards the horizon at about 7 o'clock on the clock face.
Cunningham's Comet is the smaller comet by far and can only be seen by the persons with a keen eye at 3 o'clock on a clear morning. At that hour, the larger comet presents an imposing sight.
In tune with cosmic forces
Monty Townsend was a man in tune with the cosmic forces. He kept his feet on the ground and his head in the stars. A keen alpinist, he was an unofficial guide on the mountain, Taranaki, and worked closely with Mr J.P.Murphy of Dawson Falls.
He also painted in pastel and oil and taught art for a number of years. A room of his house was kept for his model railway and because of his artistic skills, the track surroundings looked very realistic.
His name appears in the early records of the Hāwera Electric Light Company, as he served some time there as a station operator.
In 1953, a decision was made to revitalise the Hāwera's Astronomical society, and an observatory was built on top of the band rotunda, a Jack Duffill designed building in Hāwera's King Edward Park.
A five inch (12.7cm) Thos. Cooke refractor telescope, originally owned by Mr A.W.Burrell, was mounted on a specially added dome and the new observatory opened in 1953.
Monty Townsend lived long enough to see it but after a very active life, he died in 1954.
(From information supplied by Don Glass and Ian Townsend.)