The first issue of White Fungus was published in Wellington, New Zealand, in October 2004. The publication was an intended one-off political zine protesting the building of an inner-city “bypass,” which would subsequently rip through the heart of the city’s arts district, forcing evictions of artists from their studios and demolishing or removing heritage buildings. The issue was released in the leadup to Wellington’s 2004 local-body election. It was produced on a photocopier, and copies were wrapped in Christmas paper and hurled anonymously through the entrances of businesses and cultural organizations throughout the city. The issue is now on permanent display at Wellington Museum.
- The History of Cuba Street, history of the iconic Wellington street through which the bypass would cut through
- Kerry the Incorruptible, article about the Wellington mayor, married to property Rex Nicholls, who stood to profit directly from the building of the bypass
- If Le Corbusier Couldn’t Do It, satirical piece about the perils of urban planning
- Kicking out the Local Talent, profile of artist studios and collectives in Wellington that were being displaced due to the inner-city development
- Resisting the Bypass, history of resistance to the building of the bypass that had successfully blocked the project for forty years