New Zealand: 87-year-old man works as the official wizard of Christchurch

An 87-year-old man in New Zealand gets paid $10,000 a year to be the official Wizard of Christchurch. Reports suggest that Ian Brackenbury Channell who is a British-born, established himself as the 'The Wizard of Christchurch' after moving to New Zealand in the 1970s. Although he says he has not officially changed his name, he held a New Zealand driver's license issued to The Wizard.

Man as 'Wizard of Christchurch'

He has become a fixture in the city, reports suggest. He is usually found at the paved square in front of Christchurch's cathedral, where he would declaim his life theories, wearing a black wizard robe. He even has a TripAdvisor rating that gives him 4 out of 5 stars. According to reports, he has been paid 16,000 New Zealand dollars annually by the Christchurch City Council for "wizardry” since the year 1998. 

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Now that he has turned 87, he prefers spending less time in the public and is looking for a successor. Reports suggest that he has found a successor who is named Ari Freeman. Ari Freeman is a 39 years old man who teaches guitar and also heads a psychedelic funk band. 

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According to reports, in the year 1990, then New Zealand Prime Minister Mike Moore wrote a letter to the wizard. It was on the official prime ministerial letterhead. The letter suggested that he should urgently consider becoming the Wizard of New Zealand, Antarctica and all the other relevant offshore areas. Eight years after this, Christchurch City Council contracted him to "provide acts of wizardry and other wizard-like-services as part of promotional work for the city of Christchurch”. According to a Council spokesperson, his services include assisting with promoting local events and tourism. He is also used for welcoming dignitaries or delegations to the city. 

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(Image Credits: Unsplash) (Representative image)