The Wizard of New Zealand

Last updated

The Wizard of New Zealand
QSM
Christchurchwizard.jpg
The Wizard speaking in Cathedral Square in December 2006
Birth nameIan Brackenbury Channell
Born (1932-12-04) 4 December 1932 (age 91)
London, England
NationalityNew Zealand, British
Education Framlingham College
Bromley Grammar School for Boys
Alma mater University of Leeds
Partner(s)Alice Flett [1]
Website wizard.gen.nz

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.

Contents

Life and career

England

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]

Australia

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]

New Zealand

The Wizard in front of Christchurch Cathedral in January 2007 Wizard of Christchurch.JPG
The Wizard in front of Christchurch Cathedral in January 2007
The Wizard of New Zealand escorted by members of Alf's Imperial Army at his investiture with the Queen's Service Medal, 2009 The Wizard of New Zealand and Alf's Imperial Army.jpg
The Wizard of New Zealand escorted by members of Alf's Imperial Army at his investiture with the Queen's Service Medal, 2009
The Wizard in December 2012 Wizard's wishes.jpg
The Wizard in December 2012

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.

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 New Zealand 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]

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".

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 $16000. 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]

Public speaking

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. He was present at the official reopening of Oamaru Airport on 6 August 2006, where he claimed to have successfully cast a spell to disperse the fog that was preventing the first flight from landing. [22]

Autobiography

In 1998, an autobiography titled My Life as a Miracle was published. [23]

Cartography

The Wizard produced an upside-down map using the Hobo–Dyer projection which placed New Zealand and Australia top-centre. [24] [25]

Documentaries

The Wizard of New Zealand QSM, directed by Grant John Neville [26] and Director of Photography Karlos Filipov includes interviews with The Wizard, Mike Moore and many others. [27] 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, [28] and Best Film about Real People at the Official Best of Fest 2010. [29] [30]

The Wizard and the Commodore – Chathams Islands/New Zealand, directed by Samuel A. Miller [31] 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. [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canterbury Region</span> Region of New Zealand

Canterbury is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of 44,503.88 square kilometres (17,183.04 sq mi), making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of 666,300.

Sir Thomas Kerry Burke is a former New Zealand politician and Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives. He was a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party from 1972 to 1975 and again from 1978 to 1990, and later served twelve years on Canterbury Regional Council from 1998 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch</span> City in Canterbury, New Zealand

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River (Ōtākaro) flows through the centre of the city, with an urban park along its banks.

Alexander George Neill is a former New Zealand politician. He was a Member of Parliament for the National Party on three non-consecutive occasions between 1990 and 2002 and was later a member of the Canterbury Regional Council from 2003 until 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ChristChurch Cathedral</span> Church in Christchurch Central City, New Zealand

ChristChurch Cathedral, also called Christ Church Cathedral and (rarely) Cathedral Church of Christ, is a deconsecrated Anglican cathedral in the 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaac Luck</span> New Zealand builder, architect and politician (1817–1881)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David McPhail</span> New Zealand actor and writer (1945–2021)

David Alexander McPhail was a New Zealand comedic actor and writer whose television career spanned four decades. McPhail first won fame on sketch comedy show A Week of It, partly thanks to his impressions of New Zealand prime minister Robert Muldoon. He went on to appear in multiple series of sketch show McPhail and Gadsby, and hit comedy Letter to Blanchy. All three shows featured his longtime friend Jon Gadsby.

Architecture of New Zealand is the built environment of regions, cities and towns of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alf's Imperial Army</span>

Alf's Imperial Army is an organisation in Aotearoa 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Parker (mayor)</span> 45th Mayor of Christchurch

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch City Libraries</span> Library system for Christchurch, 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.

John Wilson Sutherland was a New Zealand sprinter who won a bronze medal representing his country at the 1950 British Empire Games

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch Central City</span> Central area of Christchurch, New Zealand

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.

William Barnett Armson was an architect, surveyor, engineer in colonial New Zealand. A co-founder of the Canterbury Association of Architects, and an architect to the provincial government, he established the architectural firm of Armson, Collins and Harman in 1870, which remained active until 1993. It was one of the two oldest architectural firms in New Zealand. His most important work was the Bank of New Zealand building in Dunedin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denis O'Rourke</span> New Zealand politician

Denis John O'Rourke is a former New Zealand politician. He served fifteen years as a councillor on Christchurch City Council, and served six years as a Member of Parliament representing New Zealand First.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deon Swiggs</span> New Zealand activist and politician

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Christchurch mayoral election</span> New Zealand mayoral election

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coralie Winn</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Kesha</span>

Misa Emma Kesha is a Samoan master weaver based in Dunedin, New Zealand, who has received awards for her contribution to the arts, Pacific communities and weaving in New Zealand.

References

  1. 1 2 Hollingsworth, Julia (8 August 2020). "This New Zealand man gets paid $10,000 a year to be a city's official wizard".
  2. ↑ "The Wizard". my.christchurchcitylibraries.com. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Wizard, The (1998). My Life as a Miracle. Christhcurch: Canterbury University Press. pp. 7–47. ISBN   0908812736.
  4. ↑ Granada TV's "University Challenge" 1962/3 on YouTube
  5. ↑ Wizard 1998, pp. 44–50.
  6. ↑ Wizard 1998, pp. 51–74.
  7. ↑ "Commonwealth of Australia Legislative Election of 25 October 1969". Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  8. ↑ "Commonwealth of Australia Legislative Election of 2 December 1972". Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Commonwealth of Australia Legislative Election of 18 May 1974". Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  10. ↑ Wizard 1998, pp. 74–79.
  11. ↑ Wizard 1998, pp. 160–162.
  12. ↑ "NZ wizard seeks charms of normal life". BBC News . London: BBC. 24 August 2002. Retrieved 23 October 2015. But even wizards must eat. This one has long been supported by his Australian fiancée, Alice Flett.
  13. ↑ "Mystery fire ravages iconic Wizard's historic home". NZ Herald. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "The Queen's Birthday Honours 2009" (PDF). New Zealand Gazette (89): 1965–1968. 17 June 2009.
  15. ↑ Ensor, Blair (24 February 2011). "Damaged city too much for Wizard". The Marlborough Express . Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  16. ↑ Gates, Charlie (10 March 2012). "Wizard in 'save cathedral' bid". The Press . Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  17. ↑ Corlett, Eva (15 October 2021). "New Zealand council ends contract with wizard after two decades of service". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  18. ↑ "Christchurch: New Zealand city parts ways with its wizard". BBC News. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  19. ↑ Gates, Charlie (9 October 2021). "Council to stop paying The Wizard $16,000 a year after 23 years on the payroll". The Press . Stuff. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  20. ↑ "Christchurch City Council 2022 Elections Candidate Contact List" (PDF). Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  21. ↑ "Christchurch City Council – 2022 Triennial Elections – Declaration of Result" (PDF). Christchurch City Council. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  22. ↑ Oamaru back on the flight radar Archived video footage accompanying news item by TVNZ, 6 August 2006, TV ONE New Zealand
  23. ↑ My Life as a Miracle Canterbury University Press, November 1998 ( ISBN   0-908812-73-6)
  24. ↑ "Wizard says goodbye to Christchurch". 3news.co.nz. 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  25. ↑ "NZ wizard seeks charms of normal life". BBC News . London: BBC. 24 August 2002. Retrieved 15 February 2012. He is best known for his rain dances and upside down map, which puts New Zealand at the top of the world.
  26. ↑ "Grant Neville – IMDb". IMDb .
  27. ↑ "The Wizard of New Zealand QSM". newfilmmakersonline.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  28. ↑ "Best Short Documentary".
  29. ↑ "The Official Best of Fest Award Winners, October 2010". officialbestoffest.com. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  30. ↑ http://www.wizarddocumentary.com Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  31. ↑ "Samuel Miller – IMDb". IMDb .
  32. ↑ The Wizard and the Commodore: Rekohu Chathams Islands and Old New Zealand (2016) – IMDb , retrieved 27 October 2021
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.