Burt Munro - Invercargill, New Zealand
Posted by: 
BruceS
S 46° 24.352 E 168° 21.381
59G E 296801 N 4857459
Sculpture of motorcycle racing and world speed record holder in Invercargill, New Zealand.
Waymark Code: WMG792
Location: South Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 01/23/2013
Views: 4
"Herbert James "Burt" Munro (Bert in his youth) (25 March 1899 – 6 January 1978) was a New Zealand motorcycle racer, famous for setting an under-1,000 cc world record, at Bonneville, 26 August 1967. This record still stands today. Munro was 68 and was riding a 47-year-old machine when he set his last record.
Working from his home in Invercargill, he worked for 20 years to highly modify the 1920 Indian motorcycle that he had bought that same year. Munro set his first New Zealand speed record in 1938 and later set seven more. He travelled to compete at the Bonneville Salt Flats, attempting to set world speed records. During his ten visits to the salt flats, he set three speed records, one of which still stands today.
His efforts, and success, are the basis of the motion picture The World's Fastest Indian (2005), starring Anthony Hopkins, and an earlier 1971 short documentary film Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed, both directed by Roger Donaldson." - Wikipedia
The sculpture featuring Burt Munro crouching down in his 1920 Indian motorcyle was unveiled November 19, 2011 in conjunction with the 2011 Burt Munro Challenge. The bronze sculpture is slightly larger than lifesized (7% larger) and measures 4.5 meters long. It was created by sculptor Roddy McMillan and took two years of work. It is located at the Gala Street entrance to Queens Park.