A documentary following heritage advocate Mick Hesselin as he farewells central Invercargill’s demolished historic buildings will premiere at the launch of Southland Heritage Month in March.

The Last Tour: Inner City Heritage Stories was filmed, directed and produced in Southland by Pouākai Films in 2020.

Mick, a retired architect, hosted a farewell tour of Invercargill’s historic buildings just months before work began to redevelop the inner city block early last year.

The premiere of the documentary is at the heritage-listed Embassy Theatre on March 4, at 7pm.

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The public is invited to the documentary's debut, which screens alongside brief presentations by recipients of the Invercargill City Council's heritage funds.

The Last Tour was funded by Community Trust South, Invercargill City Council and Invercargill Central Ltd.

Marolyn Diver and David Dudfield, from Pouākai Films, said Mick’s passion for architectural heritage makes his stories insightful, funny, and extremely poignant.

“The Last Tour is both a celebration of the past and a reminder for the future,” Marolyn said.

Marolyn directed ‘The Last Tour’ with David producing and editing.

Heritage South Chair Rachael Egerton said Southland has a rich and diverse heritage that deserves to be celebrated, and with more than 30 events happening all around the region, Southland Heritage Month 2021 was shaping up as a fantastic showcase.

“I’m really excited about our opening event as the documentary captures particularly important memories and stories as Invercargill goes through a significant period of change. It is extra special to hold this opening event in a heritage building,” she said.

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Among the many other highlights of the month is the opening of a new exhibition Crate Expectations at He Waka Tuia in Invercargill on March 6 giving people a behind-the-scenes look into how our precious taonga are preserved and cared for.

Egerton encouraged people to keep an eye out for copies of the Southland Heritage Month brochure for a full calendar of events around the region, including historic walks, bus tours, open days, workshops, forest walks, gala days, a children’s activity, and heaps more. The Heritage South Facebook page will also be stacked with event details.  

Heritage is kept alive by many people who spend their spare time volunteering in small museums, at heritage sites, recording oral histories, researching in libraries and in other ways, she said.

“We hope everyone makes the most of the opportunity to enjoy and celebrate our heritage, and support the amazing people who keep it alive.”