Tagged: student flats

Community voice : society through the ages

On Wednesday 24 October I’ll be part of a panel presenting and discussing this topic. My talk will be looking at the community of named student flats in Dunedin.

If you’d like a taster, here’s a selection of images I’ll be showing as part of the presentation which is entitled: a unique community in the north end of Dunedin: 80 years in 10 minutes.

If you’re interested in attending – please check out the link below and register.

Community voice : society through the ages

Three new flats

The Ski Lodge (Warrender St), Tipsy Tiger (North Road) and Permafrost Cottage (Pentland St).

See more photos and stories on the Facebook Group.

Need to tidy student ‘ghetto’ / ODT

I sincerely hope that any moves to tidy the ghetto are weighed in favour of preservation of the Victorian and Edwardian homes, and particularly the precarious and debilitated workers houses in Hyde and Grange Street areas.

In her thesis, Authentic scarfie flats : perceptions of student housing and cultural heritage in North Dunedin Amy Spurdle discusses the need to ensure the balance of Victorian and Edwardian homes is carefully monitored to preserve the character value of the North Dunedin area.

The character and environment of North Dunedin has a strong influence on prospective students coming to Dunedin.

Need to tidy student ‘ghetto’ / ODT

STARS scheme launched today

The Student Tenancy Accommodation Rating Scheme [STARS], a voluntary scheme to rate student housing, was launched today in Dunedin. It’s a collaboration between the DCC, University and Polytech – it’s a Tertiary Precinct Planning Group project.

The aim is to provide students with some qualitative information about available housing so they can make a more informed choice when choosing a flat.

Landlords can create listings for their flats, these need to be revised annually, and are provide a 5 star rating on a number of topics: fire safety, security, insulation, heating and ventilation, and general amenities. Feedback can be made about ratings.

Read the DCC press release.

Go to the STARS website.

Under Flagstaff / Law & Murray

In Visions of Dundas Street through student coloured glasses, Hamish Mckenzie recalls Dundas Street, pater familias of  local scarfies, bridging the Water of Leith and slowing speeding cars with its double dose of hemorrhoids. A more gentile work referencing Dundas Street is Bernadette Hall’s Lacework, recalling the iron lace on the verandah of her childhood home at number 118.

Just around the corner from Dundas Street, Castle Street is refered to, infamously, in Baxter’s A Small Ode on Mixed Flatting, where he says he dipped his wick back in the day where mixed flatting was a social no no.

Joanna Preston recalls “… scarfie flats with names and legends passed down from pisspot to pisspot …” up the Valley, in A visit to Nicky’s place. I particularly enjoy the later, and what this infers in terms of the project I’m working on.

jacket design of Under Flagstaff

View the OUP page about Under Flagstaff