The Wizard of New Zealand QSM | |
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![]() The Wizard speaking in Cathedral Square in December 2006 | |
Birth name | Ian Brackenbury Channell |
Born | London, England | 4 December 1932
Nationality | New Zealand, British |
Education | Framlingham College Bromley Grammar School for Boys |
Alma mater | University of Leeds |
Partner(s) | Alice Flett [1] |
Website | wizard |
The Wizard of New Zealand QSM (born Ian Brackenbury Channell; 4 December 1932) is a British-born New Zealand educator, comedian, illusionist, and politician. He is also known by his shorter name, The Wizard.
The Wizard was born Ian Brackenbury Channell on 4 December 1932 in London, England. [2] He was educated at Framlingham College, Suffolk, and from 1945 to 1951 at Bromley Grammar School for Boys, now Ravensbourne School. In 1951, he was called up for national service in the Royal Air Force. Although he initially trained to be a pilot, he was later transferred to navigator training in Canada and was subsequently posted as the adjutant at RAF Duxford. He left the RAF in 1953 and became a sales representative for a paper merchant. In 1956, he married his girlfriend, Monica, and from 1958 spent two years teaching English in Iran. He then returned to England in order to attend the University of Leeds and graduated with a double honours degree in psychology and sociology in 1963. As a student at Leeds, he was a member of the institution's University Challenge team. [3] [4]
Shortly after his graduation in 1963, he was recruited by the University of Western Australia Adult Education Board to run their community arts programme. In 1967 he became a teaching fellow at the newly opened School of Sociology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He was required to study towards a PhD thesis, but was informally promised a lectureship once completed. [5]
During this time he created a direct action reform movement called Alf (Action for Love and Freedom) and implemented what he called "The Fun Revolution". In 1968 he separated from his wife and his thesis was terminated due to insufficient progress. As his position was dependent on the continuation of his studies, he was consequently dismissed as a teaching fellow. The next year he was appointed as "Wizard" (effectively an events officer) of the University of New South Wales. He would also take on another persona, when elected as dictator of the student union. In late 1969 he was made Wizard by the World University Service of Australia and toured university campuses throughout 1970. He was able to persuade the Melbourne University Union Activities Department to appoint him their unpaid "Cosmologer, Living Work of Art and Shaman" in 1971. The vice-chancellor gave him the use of the Old Pathology Lecture Theatre for his classes in synthetic cosmology and the director of the National Gallery of Victoria accepted the offer of his live body as a living work of art. At this time, shocked when the student pacifist society sent money to the Viet Cong, he founded Alf's Imperial Army devoted to sensational but non-violent warfare and regularly organised battles on campus. He founded the Imperial British Conservative Party to provide a counterbalance to international capitalism and the various forms of Nazism. [6]
The Wizard stood unsuccessfully in three Australian federal elections, contesting Sydney in 1969, [7] and Kooyong in 1972 [8] and 1974. [9]
In 1974, the Wizard migrated to Christchurch in New Zealand and began to speak on a ladder in Cathedral Square. The city council attempted to have him arrested, but he became so popular that they made the square a public speaking area. Wearing his costume as a false prophet of the Church of England, or his wizard's pointy hat, he has spoken there at lunchtimes in the summer months. [10]
He confronted Telecom over the colour of public telephone boxes, played for the local rugby team, heckled Christian evangelist Ray Comfort, evaded the compulsory New Zealand census and performed rain dances in Canterbury, Auckland and the Australian outback.
In 1982, the New Zealand Art Gallery directors association issued a statement that in their opinion the Wizard was an authentic living work of art and the city council appointed him "Wizard of Christchurch". In 1990 the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mike Moore, an old friend, appointed him the official "Wizard of New Zealand".
With the help of the mayor, Vicki Buck, the city of Christchurch hosted a wizards' conclave in 1995 when visiting colleagues gathered to help build a wizard's nest on top of the university library tower, to witness the Wizard hatching from a giant egg in the city art gallery, sky diving whilst chanting a spell for a major rugby match and performing various rituals round the city. Soon afterwards, accompanied by 49 assistant wizards, he came down by gondola from the Port Hills with tablets bearing the address of his new website. [11]
He initially provided his services free. In 1998, the Christchurch City Council signed a contract with him to "provide acts of wizardry and other wizard-like-services – as part of promotional work for the city of Christchurch" for an annual fee of $16,000. The Wizard also received financial support from his partner, Alice Flett. [12]
On 8 September 2003 the Wizard's large wooden house was destroyed by a fire, which Christchurch police treated as arson. The "Wizardmobile", constructed from the front halves of two VW Beetles, was also attacked and damaged. [13]
The Wizard was awarded the Queen's Service Medal in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours for service to the community. [14]
After the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the Wizard planned to retire and permanently leave Christchurch, saying that the town he loved had gone and that it was the end of an era. [15] After it was announced by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority and the Anglican bishop that the remains of Christchurch Cathedral would be demolished, the Wizard returned to Christchurch to oppose the demolition. [16] The Wizard continues to speak on the need to preserve Christchurch's heritage buildings.
Since 2014, Ari Freeman has been the Wizard's apprentice. [1]
In October 2021, the Christchurch City Council ended its contract with the Wizard after two decades of service. [17] [18] The Wizard said he was disappointed but will continue to appear in the city. [19]
The Wizard stood as a candidate in the 2022 Christchurch mayoral election, [20] receiving 2,474 votes and coming in fifth place. [21]
The Wizard performed in Cathedral Square on weekdays from 1–2 pm from November to Easter. He now spends a significant amount of his time in Oamaru, a place known as a centre for arts and craftsmanship.
In 1998, an autobiography titled My Life as a Miracle was published. [22]
The Wizard produced an upside-down map using the Hobo–Dyer projection which placed New Zealand and Australia top-centre. [23] [24]
The Wizard of New Zealand QSM, directed by Grant John Neville [25] and director of photography Karlos Filipov includes interviews with the Wizard, Mike Moore and many others. [26] Among other topics, the documentary details the Wizard's views that women cause wars through their shopping habits and that governments with monarchies are more stable. It was awarded Best Short Documentary at the Beijing International Film Festival 2010, [27] and Best Film about Real People at the Official Best of Fest 2010. [28] [29]
The Wizard and the Commodore – Chathams Islands/New Zealand, directed by Samuel A. Miller, [30] follows the subject on a trip to the Chatham Islands, about 900 km east of mainland New Zealand. The film premiered on 1 July 2016 in New Zealand. [31]
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island and the second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of 415,100, and a metropolitan population of over half a million. It is located in the Canterbury Region, near the centre of the east coast of the South Island, east of the Canterbury Plains. It is located near the southern end of Pegasus Bay, and is bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean and to the south by the ancient volcanic complex of the Banks Peninsula. The Avon River (Ōtākaro) winds through the centre of the city, with a large urban park along its banks. With the exception of the Port Hills, it is a relatively flat city, on an average around 20 m (66 ft) above sea level. Christchurch has a reputation for being an English city, with its architectural identity and nickname the 'Garden City' due to similarities with garden cities in England, but also has a historic Māori heritage. Christchurch has a temperate oceanic climate with regular moderate rainfall.
ChristChurch Cathedral, also called Christ Church Cathedral and (rarely) Cathedral Church of Christ, is a deconsecrated Anglican cathedral in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was built between 1864 and 1904 in the centre of the city, surrounded by Cathedral Square. It became the cathedral seat of the Bishop of Christchurch, who is in the New Zealand tikanga of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.
Isaac Luck was a New Zealand architect. A professional builder, he arrived in Lyttelton on the Steadfast in 1851. He was the third chairman of the Christchurch Town Council. He was the brother-in-law of and in partnership with Benjamin Mountfort, and was the less well-known architectural partner for the design of the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings.
The following lists events that happened during 1932 in New Zealand.
Benjamin Woolfield Mountfort was an English emigrant to New Zealand, where he became one of the country's most prominent 19th-century architects. He was instrumental in shaping the city of Christchurch's unique architectural identity and culture, and was appointed the first official Provincial Architect of the developing province of Canterbury. Heavily influenced by the Anglo-Catholic philosophy behind early Victorian architecture, he is credited with importing the Gothic revival style to New Zealand. His Gothic designs constructed in both wood and stone in the province are considered unique to New Zealand. Today, he is considered the founding architect of the province of Canterbury.
Environment Canterbury, frequently abbreviated to ECan, is the promotional name for the Canterbury Regional Council. It is the regional council for Canterbury, the largest region in the South Island of New Zealand. It is part of New Zealand's structure of local government.
Alf's Imperial Army is an organisation in New Zealand centered on the idea of "pacifist warfare", a form of mock combat. It is very loosely organised along military lines, and has or had regiments present in several towns and cities in the country. As a self-declared "army," it exists to "battle" using strictly non-harmful weapons. The group identifies their battles as akin to theatrical performances.
Sir Robert John Parker is a former New Zealand broadcaster and politician. He served as Mayor of Christchurch from 2007 to 2013.
Graham Thomas Condon was a disabled athlete who won seven medals for New Zealand competing in Paralympic swimming and athletic events and a total of 36 medals in international competition overall. He was also a local-body politician and a disability advocate.
James Gladstone Edwards was a member of parliament for Napier, in the North Island of New Zealand.
Christchurch City Libraries is a network of 21 libraries and a mobile book bus. operated by the Christchurch City Council and Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake the previous Christchurch Central Library building was demolished, and was replaced by a new central library building in Cathedral Square, Tūranga, which opened in 2018. A number of community libraries were also rebuilt post earthquake.
Christchurch Central City or Christchurch City Centre is the geographical centre and the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is defined as the area within the Four Avenues and thus includes the densely built up central city, some less dense surrounding areas of residential, educational and industrial usage, and green space including Hagley Park, the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and the Barbadoes Street Cemetery.
John Joseph Dougall was Mayor of Christchurch in 1911–1912. He was a solicitor by profession. In his later life, the Navy League was his main interest.
Edward Brenchley Bishop was the fourth chairman of the Christchurch Town Council, and seven years later the sixth Mayor of Christchurch in 1872–1873. Born in Maidstone, Kent to a wealthy family, his family lived in Belgium during his childhood. He took his father's profession as a distiller and worked in London for 21 years. His sister Susannah emigrated to New Zealand in 1849 and in the following year, many Bishop siblings followed her on the Charlotte Jane, one of the First Four Ships of organised settlement of Canterbury. With his brother Frederick, he had a large farm just south of Christchurch, and the suburb of Somerfield continues to use their farm's name. The brothers were spirit merchants in the city.
The Chief Post Office or Christchurch Central Post Office, originally known as the Government Buildings, is located in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand. The building was initially a post office with Immigration, Customs and Public Works departments. The Government Buildings were later replaced by the new Government Buildings opened in 1913, and the Chief Post Office remained on-site. In 1881, New Zealand’s first telephone exchange was installed in the building. Post services were offered from the building until 2000 when it was re-purposed to house a Christchurch tourist information centre and a restaurant, café and offices. Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake the building closed. In the early 2020s repairs and strengthening took place. The building was planned to reopen in 2023 in stages, and eventually include a restaurant, shops, and a visitor information centre, under the name "The Grand". The structure is registered with Heritage New Zealand as a Category I heritage building.
The Citizens' War Memorial in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, is one of the two major memorials in the city to World War I. It is located immediately north of ChristChurch Cathedral. The annual Anzac Day service was held there until the February 2011 earthquake; since then the memorial has been behind the fence around the cathedral. It is a Category I heritage structure registered with Heritage New Zealand. Between 2021 and 2022, the memorial was repaired and shifted 50 metres (160 ft) to the west. The Citizens' War Memorial was used for the 2023 ANZAC day dawn service in Christchurch.
Deon William Swiggs is a New Zealand politician serving as the Environment Canterbury Councillor representing the Christchurch West/Ōpuna Regional Constituency. He previously served as the Christchurch City Councillor representing the Central ward from 2016 to 2019. Prior to Swiggs being elected, he was most well known for his participation in Rebuild Christchurch, an organisation founded after the 2010 Canterbury earthquake.
The 2016 Christchurch mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held on 8 October. The incumbent mayor, former Labour MP and government Minister Lianne Dalziel, who was first elected in the 2013 mayoral election was reelected, winning a commanding 83.9% of formal votes cast in the poll. However New Zealand's local government elections in 2016 were characterized by a nationwide low participation rate which saw only 41.8% of enrolled voters cast a ballot in the election. Christchurch's turnout rate was particularly low with only 38.3% of enrolled voters actually voting, down from 52.2% in 2010.
Coralie Diane Winn is an urban arts director based in Christchurch, New Zealand. Following the 2010 Canterbury earthquake she co-founded Gapfiller, a community organisation to create arts spaces and activities in the city.
The 2022 Christchurch mayoral election was part of the 2022 New Zealand local elections that took place on 8 October 2022, with the new mayor's term lasting to 2025. There are no term limits, but the incumbent third-term mayor, Lianne Dalziel, had announced that she would not be seeking a fourth term. One of the key election issues was whether or not to build a stadium which would cost $683m.
But even wizards must eat. This one has long been supported by his Australian fiancée, Alice Flett.
He is best known for his rain dances and upside down map, which puts New Zealand at the top of the world.