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Story: South Canterbury places

Roadside Stories: Timaru's heroes

Statues in Timaru commemorate several New Zealand heroes with local connections. Bob Fitzsimmons was a world champion boxer; athletics star Jack Lovelock won Olympic gold and broke the world record for the 1500 metres. Racehorse Phar Lap had a glittering career, mostly in Australia, while inventor Richard Pearse developed an early aeroplane.

Listen to a Roadside Story about Timaru and its heroes. Roadside Stories is a series of audio guides to places around New Zealand.

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How to cite this page

John Wilson, South Canterbury places – Timaru, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/35344/roadside-stories-timarus-heroes (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by John Wilson, published 12 January 2012, updated 17 August 2015.