Men admit digging up historic site

Two men have agreed to make a "significant" donation to the Historic Places Trust (HPT) after digging up items at an archaeological site in Central Otago.

Campbell Munro Withington, 46, a journalist, and Alexander John McLean, 69, a teacher, pleaded guilty in Queenstown District Court yesterday to damaging or modifying a site without HPT approval, the Otago Daily Times reported.

They, and a third man against whom charges were dropped, accompanied a TV3 camera crew to Coal Creek in the Nevis Valley in 2007 in hope of discovering an old mining village known as the North Pole.

The court was told that about 400m from Coal Creek they reached a site which was they did not believe was pre-1900.

The camera crew wanted some action footage so the men dug up a shovel and bottle.

Judge Michael Crosbie said the proper action would have been to record the site and wait for a professional to examine it.

"You should have known better. There was every chance this was an archaeological site.

"I think your hearts were in the right place, but your heads weren't."

Withington was convicted and discharged while McLean was discharged without conviction.

The HPT said their prosecution sent a strong message that New Zealand's heritage had legal protection.

"Hopefully this will deter others from damaging heritage sites," HPT senior archaeologist Dr Rick McGovern-Wilson said.

- NZPA