New home for Timaru's Christmas star revealed
Wednesday, 4 December 2024
Two days after Timaru’s council said it had no information on where the town’s Christmas star would be put this year, it has confirmed a new permanent home for the festive decoration.
The council confirmed the star would be placed at Caroline Bay thanks to a $29,000 donation from a member of the community.
It will be positioned on a permanent 18-metre pole between the Caroline Bay Hall and the Caroline Bay Lounge, and will be installed from December 9 to January 11.
The location will come as little surprise to Timaru Herald readers, who will be aware the council was asked about the pole on Monday.
The council did not respond to questions about the pole, and whether the star would be placed there, saying “we don’t have any further information about the star at this time’’.
For the past three years, the 24m training tower at the town’s fire station had been the temporary home for the star during the festive season following the shock felling of the town’s Champagne tree in March 2022.
The council said it had been approached by a member of the public who wanted to donate a permanent home for the star.
That person was R ‘Hoodie’ Wilson, who was thanked by Timaru District mayor Nigel Bowen for his generosity.
“Hoodie has always shown a real passion for Timaru, I would describe him as a great Kiwi bloke who really cares for his community,” he said.
“He has long been invested in helping the town and district flourish and was very keen to give back to the community.
“His generous donation is his way of doing just that and bring something special to the town.”
The star was built by South Canterbury company Coombridge Industries.
It was built from stainless steel to create a 5m geodesic orb, with 45 LED light bars with a mixture of lengths. It produced a six-minute display.
The star weighed about 150kg and the cost of the pole and its installation was about $29,000.
Bowen said the council was grateful to the Timaru fire brigade for hosting the star for the past three years while a permanent home was sought.
He said the new spot would be seen by those visiting Caroline Bay, along with the tree at the Piazza and the Christmas angels lining Stafford St.
“Timaru will be shining brighter than ever.”
This year the council had also erected a Christmas tree at Pleasant Point, in the park at the corner of State Highway 8 and Halstead Rd.