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Heritage and Traditions
As the first college established at New Zealand's oldest university, Selwyn College has a unique and rich heritage. The College enjoys traditions that go back generations and enjoy wide recognition.
Foundation
Selwyn College was the first University hostel in Dunedin. Named after Bishop Selwyn, the College was founded by Bishop Nevill in 1893 and began as a Theological Residential Hall. Bishop Nevill fought for funding in the UK to make this a place to remember the work of Bishop Selwyn. Selwyn College, Cambridge won the funding battle, but we nevertheless still maintain a strong connection with our English namesake. The annual College Record has been kept since 1930 and produced by SCSA for the residents. The admission of women began in 1983, and their numbers have grown over the years.
Culture
The College has a strong "returning" culture: like other independent colleges, we accept many students for a second or third year in residence. Returners are important to collegiate life because they pass on college values, organise social, sporting and cultural events, and provide essential peer support. The College accommodates 100 first year residents and about 60 returners. Its smallness makes Selwyn an intimate place: residents know each other's business! A strong sense of ownership and shared identity shines through in the College's culture.
College House Exchange
Selwyn College v. College House rugby, 2009
In 1930 Selwyn College and College House (a University of Canterbury hall of residence) began an annual sporting and cultural exchange. This tradition continues to the present day, with the Principal's and Warden's Cup being added to the prizes on offer after the 1980s.
The Selwyn Ballet
The Selwyn Ballet / More photos >
Having been first convened in 1928, the Selwyn Ballet is the second oldest amateur ballet troupe in the world, and certainly the oldest all-male one! It began as a capping show performance intended to take-off popular London musicals of the time; but by 1937, the ballet had become a tradition of the College and more of a spoof of classical ballet.
The Leith Run
The Leith Run / More photos >
The Run was inaugurated in 1935 as part of college initiation. Dressed in football gear and carrying a flaming torch, students were taken to the Leith footbridge before running down the Leith River to the Dundas St bridge, being pelted with flour and eggs by ex-residents for the duration. The flaming torch has since been replaced by a "borrowed" bath from Knox College. The Run is a tradition which has evolved over time to reflect the changing needs and identity of the College; in recent decades it has become traditional for the daughters of alumni to carry the bath for the first stretch, followed by the sons of alumni. Finally, everybody shares the effort of bringing it home. The symbolism of this event — the community bearing a shared load — is made all the richer for the fact that it is a tradition new residents each year rekindle, modify and own.
The Cameron Shield
The Shield was established in 1932, to commemorate the life of the Very Rev. Dr Andrew Cameron, who is recognized as the founder of Knox College. The members of both Knox and Selwyn Colleges' Students' Associations' agreed to fulfil his ideals, by devoting a memorial fund to purchase the shield. It is competed for during the year, and the College who has reached the highest standard of sporting achievements holds the shield for the next year. Selwyn currently holds the Cameron Shield.
Nevill Cup
The Nevill Cup was introduced in 1997, and presented by the Selwyn College Board. It takes its name from Bishop Samuel Tarrat Nevill, founder of Selwyn College and the first Bishop of Dunedin (1871-1919). The Cup is for cultural contests held between Knox College and Selwyn College.