Gifford Observatory, Astronomical facility in Mount Victoria, Wellington, New Zealand

Gifford Observatory is an astronomical facility in the Mount Victoria suburb of Wellington, operated by the Gifford Observatory Trust on land held in trust by Wellington College and Wellington East Girls' College. It houses a 130 mm Zeiss refracting telescope, fitted with a clockwork drive until a motor drive replaced it in the mid-1960s. The instrument was kept in storage during the 1980s and 1990s and returned after the restoration.

Charles Gifford, a science teacher, established the observatory in 1912; it was moved to its present site on land held in trust by Wellington College and Wellington East Girls' College in 1926. It fell into disrepair in the late 1970s, and a trust formed in 1998 restored it. William Pickering, a former student, reopened it on 25 March 2002.

The observatory serves as a gathering place for astronomy enthusiasts and students who meet to observe the night sky together. Local schools regularly bring students here to spark interest in the stars and deepen their understanding of space.

Public viewing sessions happen regularly and do not require any special knowledge or equipment. The location on Mount Victoria offers good conditions for sky watching, particularly on clear nights when visibility is at its best.

The 130 mm Zeiss refracting telescope kept in storage through the 1980s and 1990s was returned to the observatory after the 1998 trust's restoration work. Its clockwork drive had been replaced by a motor drive in the mid-1960s.