vonnagy
have kiwi, will travel...
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2003
- Messages
- 3,759
- Reaction score
- 30
- Location
- -36.855339, 174.762384
- Website
- www.vonnagy.com
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos NOT OK to edit
A recent thread I saw here reminded me of this story I am about to unfold here…
Ah, Invercargill (roll them r's like yer Scottish, laddies!)
The most maligned place of inhabitance in NZ! I was there a year and a half ago and must admit that its quite a hole. Most kiwis who are not from that area would agree (and some who are from that area would agree too). Well the purpose of this jaunt is not to discuss the whether Invercargill is NZ's worst city but to point out an interesting bit of New Zealand’s history that you will not find in any books.
A friend of mine invited another friend who was formerly a government researcher for dinner. This researcher related that the government had him do a study of why Invercargill had the highest teen suicide rate in the world. Mind you he was referring to a time about 15 years ago. At first there were the common-sense factors that everyone thought caused this high suicide rate:
1. Lack of sunshine/crap weather ('SAD Syndrome' a common occurrence for those who live near the poles)
2. Vast consumption of alcohol amongst teenagers
3. Invercargill is a hole (ok so that ones mine...)
Upon doing some research into the history of this whaling village, he found something quite intriguing. Like any frontier community in those days, it was composed mostly of men. A common attribute of all men is they get quite horny and tend not to reproduce well amongst themselves. Apparently the government though that the lack of women was a truly bane to Invercargill, as there would be no growth if there were no little Invercargillians running about.
But atlas, how do you convince women to move to the arse end of the world surrounded by alot of drunk and horny men? New Zealand wasn't quite the exotic locale then as it is today. Obviously they hit a snag. Until some bureaucrat found a brilliant solution!
Within months, a whole boat load of women arrived on the somewhat golden shores of Invercargill from the British Isles. Of course the men wear delighted and several men were married straight away.
So how was this done my friends?
Apparently the solution was to empty all the women in the insane asylums and ship them straight to Invercargill!
So this researcher believes that it was neither lack or sunshine or vast intake of alcohol that was the cause Invercargill's high suicide rate, but rather genetics! So the population of Invercargill grew insanely, literally!
This researcher could never publish his findings in the official government record books, but I was happy that he could share this tidbit of NZ history with me. And by the way, my friend who invited this researcher was also from Invercargill (and he thinks it’s a hole too!)
Ah, Invercargill (roll them r's like yer Scottish, laddies!)
The most maligned place of inhabitance in NZ! I was there a year and a half ago and must admit that its quite a hole. Most kiwis who are not from that area would agree (and some who are from that area would agree too). Well the purpose of this jaunt is not to discuss the whether Invercargill is NZ's worst city but to point out an interesting bit of New Zealand’s history that you will not find in any books.
A friend of mine invited another friend who was formerly a government researcher for dinner. This researcher related that the government had him do a study of why Invercargill had the highest teen suicide rate in the world. Mind you he was referring to a time about 15 years ago. At first there were the common-sense factors that everyone thought caused this high suicide rate:
1. Lack of sunshine/crap weather ('SAD Syndrome' a common occurrence for those who live near the poles)
2. Vast consumption of alcohol amongst teenagers
3. Invercargill is a hole (ok so that ones mine...)
Upon doing some research into the history of this whaling village, he found something quite intriguing. Like any frontier community in those days, it was composed mostly of men. A common attribute of all men is they get quite horny and tend not to reproduce well amongst themselves. Apparently the government though that the lack of women was a truly bane to Invercargill, as there would be no growth if there were no little Invercargillians running about.
But atlas, how do you convince women to move to the arse end of the world surrounded by alot of drunk and horny men? New Zealand wasn't quite the exotic locale then as it is today. Obviously they hit a snag. Until some bureaucrat found a brilliant solution!
Within months, a whole boat load of women arrived on the somewhat golden shores of Invercargill from the British Isles. Of course the men wear delighted and several men were married straight away.
So how was this done my friends?
Apparently the solution was to empty all the women in the insane asylums and ship them straight to Invercargill!
So this researcher believes that it was neither lack or sunshine or vast intake of alcohol that was the cause Invercargill's high suicide rate, but rather genetics! So the population of Invercargill grew insanely, literally!
This researcher could never publish his findings in the official government record books, but I was happy that he could share this tidbit of NZ history with me. And by the way, my friend who invited this researcher was also from Invercargill (and he thinks it’s a hole too!)
.... but i've always like a man with good strong genes 
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/37/37606-3c9ffb5906173fa2aa489341967e1468.jpg?1619738148)
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/37/37605-90c8efaef5b7d1f52d4bf8e7dfd33673.jpg?1619738148)