Burt Munro artist remembered
The man behind one of land’s icons has died.
Roddy McMillan, the artist who created the larger-than-life sculpture of Burt Munro, died on Thursday morning.
Family and friends farewelled McMillan at a service at the Invercargill Workingmen’s Club yesterday.
McMillan was well-known in Southland for his sculpture of Burt Munro’s 1920 Indian.
The 4.5m-long sculpture is about 7 per cent larger than real life and sits near the Feldwick Gates at the Gala St reserve.
When the sculpture
South-
was unveiled in 2011, McMillan said it represented a memorial to the life and achievements of Burt Munro.
Burt Munro Challenge chairman Wayne Affleck said the loss of McMillan would be felt deeply at the event, but his legacy would live on.
‘‘Roddy is a big loss full stop and we’re all going to miss him.
‘‘He was an artist in the full sense of the word, an absolute perfectionist and very talented and dedicated to his vocation.’’
McMillan spent two years working on his bronze masterpiece of Burt Munro, Affleck said.
McMillan also made the trophies for the Burt Munro Challenge for a number of years, something that Affleck said was very special to the event. ‘‘Every one of them was unique and they were made with pride.
‘‘For the people that received them they will be the most treasured prizes you can get in motorsports in New Zealand.’’
The prizes for the year’s event will be made from moulds McMillan had already created, Affleck said.
For Burt Munro committee member Garry Jamieson, McMillan will be remembered as an honest man who loved Southland and brought people together.
‘‘We’ve lost a treasure, there’s no doubt about it. He really cared about his friends and his family and he would help if you needed a hand or an ear to listen to your grumbling.’’
There were similarities between McMillan and his famous subject, Jamieson said.
‘‘Roddy was eccentric in a wonderful way and Burt Munro was, too. I think they were kindred spirits.’’
In early 2013, McMillan was commissioned by the Invercargill City Council to make two similar panels to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the InvercargillKumagaya sister-city relationship.