Reference NumberEph-Gp-0047Date1894-2020History / BiographyGraduation, also known as capping, was for many years the 'major student festival' at the University of Otago. The first ceremony took place in 1879. From 1894-1898 ceremonies were banned by university authorities because they disapproved of students using them to voice their grievances publicly. Otago students still celebrated with separate social events that were organised by the Otago University Students' Association, and continued to do so when the formal public ceremony was reinstated in 1899. These events included a capping show (earlier known as a 'capping carnival') and from 1899 extended to a capping ball and procession with floats through Dunedin streets. From 1926-1997 students also produced an annual capping magazine. The proceeds from these activities were contributed to local charities. The capping show continues to be held annually, but the last procession was held in 2000 and the ball ceased in the 1980s.
(From Alison Clarke 'Otago 150 Years of New Zealand's First University', Dunedin, Otago University Press, 2018, pages 66-71) TypePoster
University of Otago - Graduation: Ephemera (1894-2020). Hocken Digital Collections, accessed 30/11/2023, https://hocken.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/63437