In the 19th century shearers were seen as characters of ill repute, but they have since become admired as sporting heroes. This change in attitude is shown by this 6-metre-tall statue of a shearer, which adorns Te Kūiti’s main street. Te Kūiti is the home of one of the great champions of shearing, David Fagan, who by 2008 had won the Golden Shears 15 times, the New Zealand open title 16 times, and the world championship five times.