Attempts to fix an incorrect date on an Alexandra entranceway sign have made things worse and more research should have been done to prevent the situation, two Alexandra businessmen say.
John Breen, who is also a writer and local historian, and Laurence van der Eb, of Clutha River Cruises, who is also a keen historian, said the incorrect date put on the sign was embarrassing and there should have been proper consultation to prevent the situation occurring.
The sign at the Clyde/SH8 entrance to Alexandra, another similar one, also with the incorrect date, at the Roxburgh/SH8 entrance to Alexandra, and a third one at the Omakau/SH85 entrance, without any date, were erected about two years ago.
But when Mr van der Eb and Mr Breen pointed out the 1868 date on the sign was not when Alexandra was established, Karin Bowen, who chaired the community group that developed the signs, last year acknowledged an error had been made.
The sign has the year 1868 in it, but Alexandra was established during the 1862 gold rush and formally named Alexandra in 1863, Mr van der Eb said.
Mrs Bowen said an "unfortunate mistake" led to 1868 being put on the signs.
The group had discussed whether to put 1863, the year the town was named Alexandra, or 1868, the year the Alexandra borough was recognised, on the signs, and decided on 1863. However, when a group member visited the sign maker to order the signs, the member mistakenly told the sign maker to use the 1868 date.
The group only realised the error when they met on site after the signs had been made and were about to be installed. Group members were extremely upset about the error, especially as they had put so much volunteer effort into organising the signs, Mrs Bowen said.
She said the sign had been altered last summer, the "8" being turned into a "3".
But Mr Breen and Mr van der Eb said work made the sign look worse. Discolouration around the date on the sign at the Clyde/SH8 entrance to Alexandra can be clearly seen from the highway.
Mr Breen said it had been an "amateur attempt" and "they’ve made a right hash of it". Mr van der Eb said "it is disappointing. It really lets what is a potentially very nice sign down".
And both men said 1863 was still the wrong date anyway. Historic records clearly showed Alexandra was established in 1862, during the Gold Rush, they said.
The group that developed the signs should have done more research and consultation, and the pair wanted the date changed to 1862. Mr Breen said the best way to do this would be to put a new plate over the top of the date.
"It’s [the sign] still wrong, and it’s doing the town a historic disservice," Mr Breen said.
Mrs Bowen acknowledged the debate between proponents of the 1862 and 1863 dates could continue, but said the community group had chosen the "legal point" of Alexandra’s official naming in 1863 as the correct altered date.
"It seemed to be a good solution ... and it would have been too difficult to turn a 3 into a 2."
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Comments
Terrible example of signwriting. Difficult to read, as the name Alexandra just fades into the background--it needs to stand out!
It doesn't matter what date is on it, looking at the whole sign you can't even see the date. I doubt anyone traveling past in a vehicle will either.