Twelve Local Heroes facts for kids

The Twelve Local Heroes sculptures

The Twelve Local Heroes are a special collection of bronze statues, called busts, in Christchurch, New Zealand. You can find them on Worcester Boulevard, right outside the Arts Centre. These busts celebrate twelve amazing people from Christchurch who did great things in the late 1900s.

How the Heroes Were Chosen

The idea for these sculptures came from a group called the Twelve Local Heroes charitable trust. It took four years to plan and create them! The beautiful bronze busts were finally shown to the public on March 18, 2009. A talented artist named Mark Whyte made all the sculptures.

Meet the Local Heroes

The twelve heroes are grouped by whether they were still alive when the project started or if they had already passed away.

Heroes Who Passed Away Before the Project Started

These heroes were chosen because of their amazing contributions, even though they were no longer with us when the idea for the sculptures began.

	Name	Years Lived	What They Were Known For
	Bill Sutton	1917 – 2000	A famous artist.
	Elsie Locke	1912 – 2001	A writer, a strong supporter of women's rights, and a social activist.

Heroes Who Passed Away After the Project Started

These heroes agreed to be part of the project, but they passed away before the sculptures were finished or shortly after.

	Name	Years Lived	What They Were Known For
	Charles Luney	1905 – 2006	A leader in the building industry.
	Sir Angus Tait	1919 – 2007	A pioneer in electronics and a successful businessman.
	Sir Robertson Stewart	1913 – 2007	An industrialist and exporter.
	Professor Sir Don Beaven	1924 – 2009	A medical researcher who worked on diabetes treatment.
	Margaret Mahy	1936 – 2012	A beloved author of children's and young adult books.
	Diana, Lady Isaac	1921 – 2012	A kind supporter of conservation, arts, and architecture.

Heroes Who Are Still Living

These heroes agreed to be included in the project and are still alive today.

	Name	Born	What They Are Known For
	Frank Dickson	around 1932	The former chief executive of Canterbury Savings Bank.
	Sir Richard Hadlee	1951	A famous former cricketer.
	Sir Tipene O'Regan	1939	An important Māori leader.
	Sir Miles Warren	1929	A well-known architect.

Where Are the Sculptures Now?

The sculptures were moved from Worcester Boulevard for a while. This was to allow for the repair work on the Arts Centre's Engineering block after the earthquakes. The plan is for them to return to their spot once the restoration is complete.

See also

In Spanish: Doce Héroes Locales para niños