The Stonehenge Society of New Zealand Inc .
In 1991 the Southand Times printed a letter of Intention that set off a little known series of events
that have largely been forgotten, but had the succeeded the Far South of New Zealand Would Have become a Very Special Place on the planet.
In 1991 it was discovered that there was only one place outside England that Stonehenge could be Rebuilt to its Original Specifications and so a group of ordinary and some extraordinary Kiwis decided to find out if it could in fact be done.
The Farthest South of New Zealand would be the equivalent opposite latitude to the Salisbury Plains in England a site South of the City of Invercargill was found to Ideal for this location.
http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-46.515524,168.344364&z=13&pin=1&lbl=Stonehenge%20Awarua%20%2F%20Southenge
Armed with this knowledge, a measure of local support and a letter of approval from English Heritage UK a charitable Society was set up to see if dramatic Southern Henge could in fact be
built using the Natural Stone Slabs and Chalky White Gravel Soil of the Awarua Plains.
In the years before its Final Demise in 2003 the Project had Supporters around the Globe
and interest from National and Local Politicians, Celebrities, Print and Television Journalists
both in New Zealand and The United Kingdom.
At its height the Southenge looked like it was almost certainly a done deal It was the objective of Tapping into the Millions offered for Millennium Projects that was to lead the project down the road to failure along with the self imposed Local Media Blackout.
One independent MP in charge of the Y2k funding got it in mind to slight the project as being a Joke of sorts thrown up quickly to grab public money.
A spate of Bad luck with key supporters didn't help and then the Phoenix Astronomical Society announced plans to put up Stonehenge Wairarapa at the same time the prime English Heritage contact retired causing an awkward moment for the visiting Southenge representative to the UK.
In May 2002 the last ever meeting was held of the Stonehenge Society of New Zealand in Invercargill
after a very effective Government culling of small Incorporated Societies of New Zealand.
In Jan 2003 Stu Oldham of the Southland Times wrote an Article about Great Tourism opportunity lost to Wairarapa after The Otago Daily Times had done a piece on the Stonehenge Society of New Zealand. and that was the first and last news ever printed in New Zealand of the Project.
By 2004 all the members & supporters moved on and where forgotten.
However in 2013 echos of the Society are evident in the New Refurbishment of the Stonehenge site in the UK which has been upgraded with a bit of gentile help from down under.
In 1991 the Southand Times printed a letter of Intention that set off a little known series of events
that have largely been forgotten, but had the succeeded the Far South of New Zealand Would Have become a Very Special Place on the planet.
In 1991 it was discovered that there was only one place outside England that Stonehenge could be Rebuilt to its Original Specifications and so a group of ordinary and some extraordinary Kiwis decided to find out if it could in fact be done.
The Farthest South of New Zealand would be the equivalent opposite latitude to the Salisbury Plains in England a site South of the City of Invercargill was found to Ideal for this location.
http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-46.515524,168.344364&z=13&pin=1&lbl=Stonehenge%20Awarua%20%2F%20Southenge
Armed with this knowledge, a measure of local support and a letter of approval from English Heritage UK a charitable Society was set up to see if dramatic Southern Henge could in fact be
built using the Natural Stone Slabs and Chalky White Gravel Soil of the Awarua Plains.
In the years before its Final Demise in 2003 the Project had Supporters around the Globe
and interest from National and Local Politicians, Celebrities, Print and Television Journalists
both in New Zealand and The United Kingdom.
At its height the Southenge looked like it was almost certainly a done deal It was the objective of Tapping into the Millions offered for Millennium Projects that was to lead the project down the road to failure along with the self imposed Local Media Blackout.
One independent MP in charge of the Y2k funding got it in mind to slight the project as being a Joke of sorts thrown up quickly to grab public money.
A spate of Bad luck with key supporters didn't help and then the Phoenix Astronomical Society announced plans to put up Stonehenge Wairarapa at the same time the prime English Heritage contact retired causing an awkward moment for the visiting Southenge representative to the UK.
In May 2002 the last ever meeting was held of the Stonehenge Society of New Zealand in Invercargill
after a very effective Government culling of small Incorporated Societies of New Zealand.
In Jan 2003 Stu Oldham of the Southland Times wrote an Article about Great Tourism opportunity lost to Wairarapa after The Otago Daily Times had done a piece on the Stonehenge Society of New Zealand. and that was the first and last news ever printed in New Zealand of the Project.
By 2004 all the members & supporters moved on and where forgotten.
However in 2013 echos of the Society are evident in the New Refurbishment of the Stonehenge site in the UK which has been upgraded with a bit of gentile help from down under.
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