From the “Bach” of the 1930s to “Gran’s Place” of the 2010s, Otago students have developed quite a tradition of naming their flats. For the past ten years or so, Sarah Gallagher has been recording and researching this phenomenon, and has a book about it planned. Sarah, who is a librarian at the Health Sciences Library in her other life, runs a blog, a facebook page and a twitter account about the Dunedin Flat Names Project, and you can read much more about it there.
Sarah says that the naming of flats, though not peculiar to Dunedin, doesn’t occur on such a large scale anywhere else in New Zealand. Perhaps it is a self-perpetuating phenomenon! Some names have persisted for decades, while others come and go and their origins have been lost.
The Bach, at 208 Leith Street, was established by a group of bachelor divinity students in the 1930s. Flatting was rare in that period, and students from out of town who couldn’t afford to live in a residential college generally lived in some sort of boarding situation, often a cheap room provided by a local landlady. The Bach provided a home to some university students alongside men studying at the Presbyterian Theological Hall, Knox College. It was a well organised community, but it was pretty crowded, with a dozen or so people squashed in three to a bedroom. It had a name plate, and also a crest and Greek motto, which translates to “because of poverty”.
As flatting became more common in the 1950s and 1960s, new flat names appeared on the scene. As remains the case today, some of these reflected the standard of the accommodation or the lifestyle of the residents. The Shambles was a well-known 1950s and 1960s party flat on the corner of St David and Great King Streets, where Scribes Bookshop is today. Among the many named flats of the 1970s were the Hobbit’s Hovel, the Slagg Heep (158 Dundas Street) and the Spanish Slum (16-18 London Street). In the 1990s Sarah herself lived in the Mouse House (888 Cumberland Street), a rundown flat so named because of all its vermin. The Shit House Chateau (47 London Street) was voted the worst flat in Dunedin in the students’ association’s 2012 awards. In an innovative project, the Chateau (as the Otago Daily Times politely names it), was rented by a group of students belonging to environmental group Generation Zero in 2013. Their goal was to tidy up the house and turn it into a healthy home as an inspiration to both landlords and students.
Of course, not all Dunedin student flats are rundown dives and there are many modern or renovated places on the rental market. But it is the older “character” buildings that tend to attract names. Many include subtle, or not so subtle, sexual references, such as the Cock and Swallow, while some refer to drinking exploits, such as the DSIR (Department of Student Inebriation Research). Others are more cultural or esoteric in origin. Pink Flat The Door at 3 Clyde Street, named in 1988 by a group of students including broadcaster Wallace Chapman, was a “freedom flat” inspired by Skinner’s philosophy of a free society. The door design refers to Pink Floyd’s classic album The Wall. Some names reflect the history of the building. From the late 1990s comes Bruce’s Beenjamin’ Butchery, located at 15 Ethel Benjamin Place and clearly visible from State Highway 1. The house used to be a butcher’s shop, and Bruce was the landlord. Others reflect the identity of the flatmates. The house at 40 Dundas Street, once upon a time known as the Greasy Beaver Lodge, has recently become the Embassy, complete with Samoan flag.
Ironically, one of today’s most famous Otago flats has no name. In 2006 a group of friends from Unicol moved into a flat at 660 Castle Street and became known as “the boys from 660”. When the band they formed made its first recording and needed a name, they selected Six60. The band has since gone on to great success, and recently returned to Otago to perform at 2014 orientation, attracting what is claimed as the biggest crowd in O-week history.
Sarah’s project is clearly shedding new light on the fascinating cultural history of Otago student life. Have you got any stories of named flats to share, either with her or here?
You forgot Husband house! (Huband House – donated to St Matthews Anglican Church) The sneaky feelings even wrote a song about it… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVCHn7-qBB8
Thanks Bronwyn. There are of course many other great names that couldn’t fit into this blog post … but I’m delighted to hear about any more!
Thanks Bronwyn, I didn’t know the house had been donated to the Anglucan Church. Did you know the guys that lived there? Sarah
Hi Sarah, this house is important to us. The Sneaky Feelings wrote about it (held the NZ charts at #2 for quite some time) because, living in the house were a number of lads. It seemed that every time girls went around there, they ended up getting married. Prior to my husband living there, three couples from the house ended up getting married off. We were the fourth, marrying in 2005 – long after the Sneaky Feelings. Since then, St Matts has demolished the house; it was not structurally sound.
Bronwyn, I’m interested to know if you remember the address of Huband House, or how close it was to St Matts? How was it that Sneaky Feelings came to write about the house, were members of the band friends of yours, or the flatmates at Huband House? You’re welcome to email me at flatnames@gmail.com if you’d prefer.
Sarah
The Virgins Retreat was a skinny 2 storied house in Forth St. I lived there in the 70’s .
Thanks Kathy, do you remember the number and what the sign was like if you had one?
Pingback: Dr Ali Clarke, historian, blogs about the project | Dunedin Flat Names Project
Hopefully the Siftarosa is still on Clyde St? Had a great year living there in the early 90’s. Remember playing hack out the front and being asked to turn the music down so students in the Commerce Building could concentrate on their exams 😉
Hi Jon, Yes it is still there 🙂 Were you involved in making the sign and can you confirm how it got it’s name? I heard a rumor it may have some connection to Sola Rosa by the Pixies. The flat sign did change over time and for a while it was renamed The Drunken Clam. It’s now back to being called Sifta Rosa and I think the sign was remade based on photos I’d taken back in 2000. Sarah
I am an original Sifta Rosa and it was named that because four sifty guys lived there and one woman which was me,
Pingback: Husband House | Dunedin Flat Names Project
I remember Stagger Inn (@1978), and also Fred the House (named Fred the House in the telephone directory as well !!) @ 1982. Can’t remember their addresses though!
Thanks Louise! I don;t suppose you remember the streets these flats were on?
Pingback: Huband / Husband House on Hope Street #flatnames | Dunedin Flat Names Project
22 hyde street was my auntys house now a student flat do you have any photos of it loved visiting black coal range always going .she kept a clean spotless house .
So many old family homes have now ended up housing students! Sarah at the Dunedin Flat Names Project might be able to help – she’s at flatnames@gmail.com 🙂
Hi Ethel, Your Aunty’s house has had many names over the years (being on the top party street in town!) including: Mile Hyde Club / Cops and Robbers / Carnival / Mello Yello / Hyde-Ro Slide. Here’s what it looks like currently https://dunedinflatnames.co.nz/2016/07/03/mello-yello-on-hyde-street/
Pingback: 2014 in blog posts | University of Otago 1869-2019
Alison, thanks for including information and photos about the practice of naming flats in your wonderful book. Thanks also for writing a chapter for “Scarfie Flats of Dunedin”, it’s brilliant to have your account of the mixed flatting incident included.
Thanks Sarah, it’s been a pleasure working with you. I’m grateful for your excellent research on flat-naming, which really adds to the Otago history!
Fred the House (high on a hill) possibly between 118 and 148 Dundas Street (big white wooden house), Stagger Inn – possibly Duke Street facing the Leith River – sorry for vagueness…….
Thanks for that Louise – I’ll pass it on to Sarah Gallagher, the Flat Names expert!
Sad to see no mention of Toad Works, which was in Great King St if I remember correctly
Kia ora James, The Dunedin Flat Names project has posted about Toad Hall in Pitt Street? Is this the place you remember? https://dunedinflatnames.co.nz/2020/03/08/toad-hall-addendum-to-scarfie-flats-of-dunedin/
Anna Blackman