The Wizard of New Zealand

The Wizard of New Zealand is also the Archwizard of Canterbury,

Related Topics:
New Zealand - Canterbury

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

a "living work of art" at the National Gallery of Victoria and the Robert MacDougall Art Gallery,

Related Topics:
National Gallery of Victoria - Robert MacDougall Art Gallery

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

and "Cosmologer" at the University of Melbourne. He is also the founder of the Imperial British Conservative Party, and Alf's Imperial Army.

Related Topics:
Cosmologer - University of Melbourne - Imperial British Conservative Party - Alf's Imperial Army

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Born in 1932 in London, England as Ian Brackenbury Channell, he was appointed Wizard of the University of New South Wales by the Vice Chancellor and Students' Union in 1969.

Related Topics:
1932 - London - England - University of New South Wales - 1969

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His maiden speech in Cathedral Square in Christchurch, New Zealand on September 17, 1974 was greeted with derision and eggs, later ones by objections from the City Council, but after many battles with bureaucracy he is now an institution and tourist attraction. Some allege that he even receives state money for bringing in tourist revenue.

Related Topics:
Maiden speech - Cathedral Square - Christchurch, New Zealand - September 17 - 1974 - Bureaucracy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One of his pet peeves is filling out census forms, which he has tried to escape by such means as travelling off-shore in a small boat or by "magically disappearing" at the time of the census. He remains the only New Zealander ever prosecuted for failing to fill out a census form. He also claims that the traditional world views are incorrect and borealocentric, proposing the Upside-Down World, with Antarctica and South at the top of the map, and the Inside-Out Universe, which inverts all dimensions and measurements.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He occasionally came under heavy criticism from Barry Smith, the New Zealand eschatologist and born again preacher. In particular, Smith blamed the Wizard for an infestation of insects in one area, after he had performed a native American raindance in an aeroplane over said area.

Related Topics:
Barry Smith - Eschatologist - Raindance

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On October 6, 1990 he was proclaimed Wizard of New Zealand by the then Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mike Moore. He has also been known as The Wizard of Christchurch or simply The Wizard.

Related Topics:
October 6 - 1990 - Prime Minister of New Zealand - Mike Moore

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On September 8, 2003 the Wizard's large wooden house was destroyed by a fire which Christchurch police are treating as arson. The Wizard, his partner and two boarders were lucky to escape with their lives, and the wizard's extensive book and video collections were destroyed. The Wizardmobile, constructed from the front halves of two VW Beetles, was also attacked and damaged.

Related Topics:
September 8 - 2003 - Arson - VW Beetle

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~