Timaru’s enduring honour of famous Scottish poet

Timaru Civic Trust

There are several threads to the life of the renowned poet Robert (Robbie) Burns.

Born in 1759 and raised in western Scotland within a family of modest means, he showed a natural skill with words. As a young man Burns applied himself to farming but with limited success.

A crofter’s life was difficult, leading to his move to Edinburgh, where he was able to develop his skills as a writer. From a humble background a poet may often see beyond the mediocrity of everyday life.

Through his writing Burns invited appreciation of the world around us. His writing was fresh; at times pretty. He detested the division of rich and poor so evident at that time.

While these qualities are admirable, it was through an unprecedented event that the influence of Burns grew in scale – this was the substantial migration of Scottish people to distant lands including Australasia.

A leading New Zealand historian James Belich records that by the 1920s about one quarter of the New Zealand population had a direct link with Scotland. There are obvious signs of Scottish influence in Dunedin, including the prominent statue of Robert Burns in the Octagon.

Within the Botanic Gardens of Timaru a similar tribute to Burns commands attention. The statue was gifted in 1913 before a large crowd by the prominent Timaru citizen James Craigie, of Scottish descent and a leader within the Robert Burns World Federation.

The inscription on the plinth reads: “The largest soul of all the British lands”.

David McBride