Mike the Juggler
Michael Eric Wahrlich, better known as Mike the Juggler, was a New Zealand busker who juggled tennis balls in the streets of Te Aro, Wellington, for about three decades. He was killed in the Loafers Lodge fire, which occurred in the hostel he lived in. A man was subsequently charged with arson and murder.
Early life
Wahrlich was born in Wellington Hospital on 27 June 1955 and grew up in Porirua. He had four siblings: an older brother and three younger sisters. He learned to juggle as a child with oranges and lemons from the kitchen.For some time Wahrlich attended Epuni Boys' Home in Lower Hutt near the start of its history, when it was run by the Ministry of Education.
Career
After moving to Wellington, Wahrlich became a lawnmower for the Wellington City Council in the 1980s, and was later made redundant.In the late 90s, Wahrlich met a man playing the guitar in Manners Mall, and after seeing him succeed, Wahrlich decided that he would also entertain the public in Manners Mall, by juggling tennis balls. He would often do this wearing a tracksuit, or what RNZ described as a "Signature blue jumper and baggy pants". When Manners Mall was closed he started juggling on Lambton Quay outside a Westpac bank, and also in Cuba Street.
Wahrlich was hospitalised in 2022 after being badly assaulted at his hostel, and was discharged from hospital about a month later. As a result of the assault, a 39-year-old was arrested and charged with intent to do bodily harm, and was remanded in custody.
In 2022 Wellington City councillor Nicola Young described him as a "city institution", and another councillor, Laurie Foon, said "Mike has been on the streets of Wellington since most of us Wellingtonians can remember".