The items stolen from Trajko Mitrob's Tees St flat included two cameras, a stereo, watches and a laptop computer, along with valuable coins from his silver coin collection, but he was desperate to get back photographs of his dead wife and son.
They were killed in 1992 during the war in Bosnia.
Speaking after his release from hospital yesterday, Mr Mitrob said he collapsed outside his flat as he went to collect his mail about 9am on Sunday.
He said he lay on the street for about 15 minutes before someone called an ambulance.
He believed he had been burgled while he was in hospital.
Mr Mitrob said he had lost $30,000 earlier this year when a finance company went into receivership and had previously lost many possessions in a hurricane in Florida, where he lived for 12 years.
He has resided in Oamaru for a month and intended moving to Invercargill.
Police are investigating the burglary and Constable Paul Alden yesterday appealed to the public for any information about it.
