Many Kiwis are paying tribute to an ‘icon’ following the death of Sir Tim Shadbolt, with messages of love and remembrance flooding social media.

The Invercargill City Council confirmed Sir Tim’s passing on Thursday, describing him as a man who “relentlessly backed his city and its people”

Sir Tim was widely credited with putting Invercargill on the map, never missing an opportunity to talk it up and defend it with pride.

He was best known for his long tenure as Invercargill mayor, serving from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1998 through to 2022, making him the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history. That legacy was formally recognised when the Invercargill Airport terminal was renamed the Sir Tim Shadbolt Terminal in 2024.

In a message shared on his social media account, Sir Tim’s family said he “loved life and he loved serving the citizens of Invercargill and the Waitematā City.” They remembered him as a poet, concreter, political activist, writer, ballroom dancer, boxer, sports lover, historian, entertainer, family man, and gifted public speaker.

“Tim loved people, and they loved him,” the family said. “Our hearts are broken.”

One person described him as a “true Kiwi legend,” while another wrote: “He was a good bugger you could have a general yarn to. A true NZ icon gone. Rest easy.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also paid tribute, saying few New Zealanders had given such dedicated public service, noting Sir Tim’s decades of work for both Southlanders and Aucklanders, always delivered with a smile and his unmistakable charm.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said, "You didn’t have to like his politics to like the guy, describing him as one of our most recognisable politicians.

Sir Tim was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2019 New Year Honours

The Invercargill City Council stated that Sir Tim’s family has requested privacy, with funeral details to be shared once confirmed.