Stonehenge - the Invercargill Connection

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.







  

New Zealand: Stonehenge Awarua, Southenge. Aotearoa.

Before Anyone thought of Building a Plywood Stonehenge near Masterton NZ
there was a plan in Southland at the very bottom of the South Island to build a perfect working Replica of the Ancient British Stone Circle known as "Stonehenge" which is in fact in a semi ruined state.

There where many good reasons for picking Awarua South of Invercargill firstly the Latitude was near perfect for the Alignments the Grey and Blue Stone Natural Slabs for Construction exist in quantity in the surrounding area, The Awarua Plains are as flat as Salisbury and though the Ground is not chalk it is tight packed white quartz shingle and would make a perfect recreation of original Stonehenge ditch-works and Avenue.

This Project was conceived by Mr Aaron Nicholson of Manapouri who helped set up a fully functional incorporated society to promote the Idea called the Stonehenge Society of New Zealand.

For a time the project was very promising with endorsements from not only prominent Southlanders and New Zealand media but also English Heritage in the UK.

However when it was time for a TV interview the Project Spokesman had to cancel due to a parental bereavement on the very same day.

Then things started going wrong,  a meeting with English Heritage Head at Stonehenge England and our Benefactor went wrong through bad luck.

and then The People from the North Island that had been approached to advise The Stonehenge Society
on astronomical Alignments announce to the world they where Going to build their own Stonehenge.

Meanwhile the Invercargill City Council found that they had enough to deal with setting up their now famous Zero Fees Polytechnic scheme.  and the Window of opportunity closed for Neolithic Monuments.

The Society Drifted apart and the story has become a mere memory.