Wednesday 18 September 2019 9:55am
The first professors at the University: John Shand, George Sale, Duncan Macgregor, James Gow Black, Frederick W. Hutton and George H. F. Ulrich - one of many displays in the upcoming exhibition 1869 The Year That Was at Special Collections.
A new exhibition opening at the University this week explores what was happening in the world the year the University of Otago was established.
On 3 June 1869, the University of Otago Ordinance 1869 became law, meaning the newly established University became a corporate body with power to grant degrees.
The new exhibition, 1869 The Year That Was, explores the establishment and legacy of the University, as well as what was happening nationally and internationally through 1869.
The exhibition delves into who the first University Council was, as well as the first professors appointed, including: John Shand (Natural Philosophy), George Sale (Classics), and Duncan Macgregor (Mental and Moral Philosophy and Political Economy).
Some of the wider events which feature in the exhibition include the formation of the Otago Institute, the first Fine Arts Exhibition in New Zealand, the first royal visit to New Zealand, the introduction of the New Zealand Cross, the births of Rasputin, Emma Goldman, and Gandhi, the opening of the Suez Canal, and the formation of Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev’s periodic table. Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace was published in 1869, as well as Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.
Special Collections Librarian Dr Donald Kerr says the exhibition is a fitting celebration in the University’s 150th year.
“We welcome people to come in and not only look at the exhibition but also use materials here.”
Check it out:
The exhibition is being held in the de Beer Gallery, Special Collections, on the first floor of the Central University Library from 20 September to 31 January 2020.
Opening night on Friday at 5.30pm will feature chemistry Professor Lyall Hanton speaking on Mendeleev’s contributions to science.
Opening hours for 1869 The Year That Was are 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday.