"Christchurch Heroes" Top 5 Page for this destination Christchurch Local Custom Tip by Kakapo2

Although those twelve bronze busts are perfectly executed - despite Margaret Mahy looking like a man, well, she might look like a man... - I find this display of Christchurch Heroes a bit odd.

They are rather a new addition to the not always lucky hand Christchurch has with displays of street art, and were unveiled on 18 March 2009 on Worcester Boulevard in front of the Art Centre.

The twelve heroes - all from the second half of the 20th century, were chosen by a steering group of former Christchurch Art Gallery Trust chairman Chris Brocket, Arts Foundation of New Zealand trustee Ros Burdon, Twelve Local Heroes charitable trust chairwoman Susan Wakefield, and Jim Wakefield. The architect Sir Miles Warren joined the steering group after he had been chosen as a hero.

To me, for a start, someone is a hero when he saves other people's lives. Hubby added he does not consider someone a hero who is a convicted drink driver, as is the case with thr great children's book author Margaret Mahy. (She was convicted in July 2008 and banned from driving for six months.)

At the time it was also a point of discussion if it is a great idea to display sculptures of people who are still alive, even if they are heroes.

But for the records:

The sculptor was Mark Whyte.

The "heroes" displayed are:

Elsie Locke, journalist and activist
Bill Sutton, artist (those two were dead before the start of the project)
Charles Luney, building industry leader
Sir Robertson Stewart, industrialist
Sir Angus Tait, electronics pioneer (they died after the start of the project)
Dr Don Beaven, diabetes treatment pioneer
Frank Dickson, former Canterbury Savings Bank chief executive
Sir Richard Hadlee, former cricket great
Diana, Lady Isaac, conservation, arts and architecture benefactor
Sir Tipene O'Regan, Maori leader
Sir Miles Warren, architect
Margaret Mahy, children's books author

Photo 2 gives the full view of the area where the bust are displayed. In the meantime real grass is growing there.

Photo 3 shows Margaret Mahy's bust. Decide yourselves...