The World's Fastest Indian
Born in Gore in 1936, Munro's birth name was John Baldwin. Having had poliomyelitis as a baby, he was a state ward and raised as a foster child. At the age of nine he was adopted by his foster parents, the Munro family in Invercargill, and his name was changed to John Baldwin Munro. His adoptive father was William Munro and his adoptive brother was Burt Munro, a New Zealand motorcycle racer who was the subject of "The World's Fastest Indian".