Twelve Local Heroes

Bronze sculptures by Mark Whyte, commissioned by the Trustees of the Local Heroes Trust

• Donald Beaven
• Frank Dickson
• Sir Richard Hadlee
• Diana, Lady Isaac
• Elsie Locke
• Charles Luney
• Margaret Mahy
• Sir Tipene O'Regan
• Sir Robertson (Bob) Stewart
• William Sutton
• Sir Angus Tait
• Sir Miles Warren

These men and women are amongst those whose achievements in the second half of the twentieth century are remembered with pride and pleasure by the people of Christchurch. Many of them have links with the University of Canterbury, which occupied buildings on this site from 1877 to 1974. Details of the lives and achievements of these Twelve Local Heroes are given in the souvenir book available from the Arts Centre.

The Local Heroes Trust records its gratitude to the numerous citizens and organisations of Christchurch who readily donated the funds for this work, and to the Arts Centre in particular for providing this most accessible and fitting location.

People, as much as buildings and other works, create the heritage of a community. These Twelve Local Heroes are representative of twelve different spheres of achievement, each contributing to subsequent generations’ sense of pride in the heritage of the past, comprehension of the present and inspiration for the future.

"One sculpture of twelve people" (Mark Whyte)

18 March 2009