Multitude of milestones marked
History 100th Anniversary | Rolleston House 90th Anniversary | Event Photos
The University of Canterbury welcomed more than 650 alumni, staff and friends to its doors over 9-11 October for its second annual Alumni Reunion Weekend.
Hailing from a myriad of destinations including Canada, the USA, UK, Dubai, Fiji and Australia, and ranging in age from 21 to 92, guests turned out to celebrate a host of significant anniversaries: the graduating classes of 1969, 1979, 1989 and 1999 celebrated the 40th, 30th, 20th and 10th anniversaries of receiving their degrees, while History celebrated its 100th anniversary, the MBA programme its 25th, Gateway Antarctica its 10th and Physical Education and Sport Coaching, 20th and 10th anniversaries respectively. Alumni of former residential hall Rolleston House, which closed its doors in 1974, also celebrated 90 years since the hall's founding.
With such a multitude of milestones, the weekend's programme was highly diverse in breadth and scope. More than 40 events and activities filled the three days of festivities, covering each of the faculties and most of the residential halls, and including sporting events, cocktail receptions, dinners, seminars, a Vice-Chancellor's Forum, exhibitions, tours, picnics and field trips.
While Physical Education and Sports Coaching alumni showcased their sporting prowess at a Games Extravaganza put on by current students, Antarctic Studies alumni sat spell-bound on Quail Island listening to Canterbury Museum Emeritus Curator (Antarctic) Baden Norris recount the historic connections between the island and Robert Falcon Scott's Discovery expedition of 1901.
Arts alumni, meanwhile, breakfasted in the School of Fine Arts, amidst an exhibition of current postgraduate work and entertained by a string trio from the School of Music. Each took away a gift bag including several postgraduate and academic publications and a DVD of performances from the College of Arts' biennial Platform Arts Festival.
Those with an historical inclination then went on to the second biennial Festival of History, which this year marked the 100th anniversary of Sir James Hight's appointment as the first Chair in that subject at Canterbury College in 1909. More than 100 alumni, staff and friends attended the day-long seminar programme, which featured a variety of speakers who either graduated from or taught in the UC History Department. Subjects covered spanned the globe, from China and World History, to a panel discussion on Ngāi Tahu History and Reshaping Europe After World War II .
The Rolleston House celebrations attracted the largest turn-out over the weekend, with 130 housemen and their partners gathering to reconnect and reminisce. At the Rolleston House 90th Anniversary Dinner at the Wigram Air Force Museum, distinguished guest speakers Sir John Ingram, Norman Kingsbury, Clive Matthewson and Phil McGoldrick — representing the decades from the 1940s to the 1970s — sang the praises of the self-governing men's hostel and how its unique environment and character had significantly influenced their lives.
For many graduates attending the reunion, it was their first visit to the Ilam campus, which was built between 1968 and 1974, and a great opportunity to see how teaching and research facilities have significantly developed since their own student days. This was illustrated visually at the College of Engineering and Forestry Breakfast where photos from the 1960s through to the present day were displayed on a large screen in the University's newest state-of-the-art facility, the NZi3 building, showcasing the immense technological advancements that have taken place in research and laboratories over the past 40 years.
This year's reunion also included a stream of events for the general public. As well as the Festival of History, the local community had the opportunity to participate in campus tours and exhibitions showcasing some of the University's nationally and internationally significant collections — the archival materials of the Macmillan Brown Library, the James Logie Memorial Collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, rare books and manuscripts, and a sculpture trail of works by prominent local and national artists.
Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr said it was exciting to see how the annual event had grown in just two years, from 430 guests in 2008 to 658 in 2009. In his closing address at the Ilam Homestead picnic he said: “We are delighted to see that so many alumni still care deeply about their alma mater and the connections you made while studying here. We encourage you to keep up those connections and look forward to welcoming you back to many future events.”
For details of the next Alumni Reunion Weekend make sure your contact details are up to date with the UC Alumni Office, ph: 0800 UC ALUMNI (0800 822 586) or +64 3 364 2344, email: alumni@canterbury.ac.nz, or see Update Your Details .
Thank you to our sponsors and supporters for Alumni Reunion Weekend 2008:
Mt Beautiful Wines (Official Wine Supplier); Canterbury University Press;
The Chateau on the Park;
Teasme; UBS; UC Rec Centre; Westfield - Riccarton
Anniversary Reports
- See more on the History 100th Anniversary celebrations
- See more on the Rolleston House 90th Anniversary celebrations
Event Photos
- Welcome Reception
- School of Law Cocktail Reception (Order Photos)
- UC Antarctic Alumni: Cocktail Reception
- MBA 25th Anniversary Dinner (Order Photos)
- Engineering and Forestry Breakfast
- Rolleston House 90th Anniversary Cocktail Reception (Order photos)
- Rolleston House Decade Photos (Order Photos)
- History 100th Anniversary Dinner
- Tour of James Logie Memorial Collection
- Physical Education & Sport Coaching 20th & 10th Games Extravaganza
- Rolleston House 90th Anniversary Dinner (Order Photos)
- Picnic in Ilam Homestead
- Chapel Service, College House