Tim Calder

Reading through the Otago Daily Times this weekend I was presently supprised to see pictures of two of my student rental properties on the front page! My first thought was, “Shit, what has happened now!”, but as I read on I found that a former student and staff of the Otago University, Sarah Gallagher, was attempting to put together a book of great Dunedin named student flats. After reading these articles I decided to join her Facebook group ‘Dunedin (NZ) student flats’ where I found several of my old varsity friends and loads of other great Dunedin named student flats.  

Dunedin’s population is about 115,000 and around 20,000 of those people are students at Otago University,

Most of them come from other places which creates a campus, unique in New Zealand, based round residential halls and flats centred on the University.

Otago’s student culture usually hits the headlines because of alcohol fuelled stupidity. But between those, relatively few, episodes of anti-social behaviour most of the students attend to their studies, sport and social activities without annoying other people or damaging property.

While doing so they forge friendships which last a lifetime.

Sarah Gallagher

Forsyth Barr today announced the appointment of David Kirk to the Board of Forsyth Barr.

David Kirk is appointed as an independent director to the company.

Forsyth Barr Chairman Eion Edgar said, “We are delighted to be able to announce David’s appointment to our Board. David is well-known to most New Zealanders from being captain of the successful 1987 World Cup winning All Black team. He brings to our Board considerable experience and business acumen gained from a wide range of professional roles and public activities. David has enjoyed many achievements in his professional career and we are delighted that he has accepted the invitation to join our Board.”

David Kirk said, “I am delighted to be joining the Board of New Zealand’s pre-eminent locally-based financial services company and I very much look forward to working with a highly regarded Board and management team.”

David Kirk was most recently Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Fairfax Media Ltd for 3 years. Fairfax Media is the largest media business in New Zealand and is the owner of Trade Me. Prior to that David had been Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of PMP Ltd, Regional President Australasia for Norske Skog and in senior executive roles with Fletcher Challenge Paper and Fletcher Challenge Energy. David was also Chief Policy Advisor to the Rt Hon Jim Bolger, Prime Minster of New Zealand for 3 years.

Amongst his many other achievements, David enjoyed a highly successful rugby career playing for Otago and Auckland and captaining the All Blacks in 1986-87, before heading to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He has been President of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association since 1999.

He was awarded an MBE for services to rugby in 1987.

This excellent news comes as Boys Club Limited agrees to conmence trading with Forsyth Barr, the new stadium in Dunedin recieves its new name (Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza), and the Otago University Rugby Football Club Inc. prepare for their 125th Jubilee celebrations over Queens Birthday weekend this year.

John Gardener has today launched his new ‘Dance Dunedin‘ Ballroom Dancing School website. John is a first class, certified ballroom dancing teacher and has been teaching Dancing in Dunedin for over 30 years. John’s new website will now take over the old (and inadequate) Finda.co.nz and with the ability to offer more photo images his new site will be far more interesting. I am now into my third year of dancing under John’s guidance and have learnt far more types and styles of dances than I ever thought possible.

Boys Club Limited has just been launched! Although the official shareholding of this investment company will not take affect until the new financial year next month the wheels are in motion. Boys Club was originally formed by Terry Metcalfe and Luke Bache back in 2005 with the purpose of bringing together a group of friends of a common interest. All of us started the University of Otago back in 2002 and have since graduated and started different careers round the country. Boys Club Limited is a way to continue the legacy, keep in touch, and pool knowledge to speculate on the shock exchange.

The Department of Economics in conjunction with the newly established Visiting Executive Programme present John McDermott, Assistant Governor and Head of Economics at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand as he presents “Conducting Monetary Policy in Turbulent Times”. This seminar will be held on Friday 13 March at 12noon in room CO2.03.

Dunedin’s strongest rugby football club marks its 125^th anniversary on Queen’s Birthday Weekend this year – celebrating a distinguished history full of premierships and All Blacks.

The Otago University Rugby Football Club was begun in a Professor’s office in May 1884, and lost its first game two tries to one. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength, however, producing indisputably the most All Blacks of any New Zealand club, and winning 49 premierships – the most of any Dunedin club by far.

In 1905 it became the first New Zealand club to travel overseas, sending 18 players to Sydney. And in 2002 it became the first New Zealand club to tour China.

Among many outstanding “A” teams, the 1993 University A team played 18 matches, scored 841 points, conceded 200, scored 128 tries and conceded only 15 tries.

Robert McNab, later an acting Prime Minister and historian who bequeathed a priceless collection of books to the Dunedin Public Library, was the first secretary of the club. He played in the first inter-university club match in 1886, between Otago and Canterbury, scoring a try.

His is one of many famous names to be associated with the club over the years, not just the 65 All Blacks who have come from the club (44 of them to be capped while playing for the OURFC team).

So there will be plenty of happy memories and games to relive for attendees of the Queen’s Birthday reunion celebrations.

After registration on Friday evening, May 29, the reunion will feature three rugby matches and a Jubilee dinner.

University Women’s Blues will play a curtain raiser on Saturday afternoon, followed by University A versus Dunedin in the BNZ Trophy Match.

A Golden Oldies match on the Sunday afternoon will round out the weekend’s events.

Nine farmers, one kiwifruit grower and three lifestyle block owners have been recognised for their sustainable environmental practices and community involvement in the 2009 Ballance Farm Environment Awards announced at Te Puke yesterday.

Supreme winners are Paul and Joanna McCarthy of Galatea, who also won the PGG Wrightson Land and Life Award, LIC Dairy Farm Award and Fish and Game New Zealand, Eastern Region Water Management/Conservation Award.

Bruce and Tessa Calder, Pikowai Farms, Whakatane, won the Ballance Nutrient Management Award, the Silver Fern Farms Livestock Farm Award and the Gallagher Innovation Award.

by Elaine Fisher of the Bay Of Plenty Times

My father was slightly gutted that he didn’t take home the big one but was pleased that he was recognised with four of the best category prizes. My father still works on the family farm he purchased close to 40 years ago with the assistance of our farm manager Tama Murray.

This is the 33rd year of the Otago MBA and my second year as a student on this course. The Otago MBA is a boutique MBA programme with just 10 full time students and with another 7 part time dBA students. This is my second and final year on the programme with only one other paper to complete externally in 2010, which is the Consulting Project - BUSI 540 - which I have already comenced. 

The central feature of the Otago MBA course is the management consulting project and research dissertation. The paper has two components, Firstly, students act as consultants to the senior management of a client organisation, identify and resolve issues confronting their clients and so add value to the clients’ operations. The theoretical underpinning of the management project is contained in a major research dissertaion, which comprises the second component. The Otago MBA

It was a great choice to take the Otago MBA over two years as I have been able to meet a wider range of people each with experience in different industries. As the class is small we are also able to get to know each other and lecturers more than if the class was larger. This module I am taking Economics with Dr Paul Hanson, Business Law with Stephen Baird, Marketing with Dr Rob Hamlin, and Statistics with Dr Lynn McAlevey.