Arana College is a

residential college A residential college is a division of a university that places academic activity in a community setting of students and faculty, usually at a residence and with shared meals, the college having a degree of autonomy and a federated relationship wi ...

of the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, founded in 1943 by the Rev. William Turner and the Stuart Residence Halls Council.Turner, p. 14 The name "Arana" is a

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

transliteration Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...

of "Allen", chosen to honour Sir James Allen, a former

Vice Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor is ...

(1903–1909) and

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

(1909–1912) of the University of Otago. The current warden is Ruben Katigbak. The main administration areas of Arana are based in what was once Sir James Allen's Queen Anne-style mansion, with residents accommodated in 4 main buildings and 18 houses. The college is located immediately to the northeast of the central campus, at the top of a medium-sized but steep rise known as Piripi Hill (a corruption of "Botanic Hill", after the nearby first site of the

Dunedin Botanic Gardens The Dunedin Botanic Garden (known in local slang as the "Botans", "Botang", Botanic or Botanical Gardens) is located at the northern end of central Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand. The garden is close to the University of Otago and one ...

). It overlooks the Otago Campus only 200 metres from the Registry Clock Tower, a notable feature of the University campus. The University of Otago College of Education, Otago Polytechnic and the Dunedin Botanical Garden are all within easy walking distance.

History

Originally, Arana housed 27 male residents in a property purchased by the university but administered by the Stuart Residence Halls Council. Accommodation initially consisted of Allen's former home but, under pressure for space, former

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Nissen hut A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure for military use, especially as barracks, made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated iron. Designed during the First World War by the American-born, Canadian-British engineer and inventor Majo ...

s were soon erected. Public subscriptions and government funding, as part of the

Colombo Plan The Colombo Plan is a regional intergovernmental organization that began operations on 1 July 1951. The organization was conceived at an international conference, The Commonwealth Conference on Foreign Affairs held in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri L ...

were used to build permanent buildings, the Colombo (opened in 1964 housing 56 residents) and Bates (opened in 1968 housing 48 residents) wings.Macaulay, p. 18 The international students brought to Arana as part of the Colombo Plan have added a distinctive international flavour. Throughout the college's history houses on surrounding Clyde,Macaulay, p. 12 Dundas, Leith and St DavidMacaulay, p. 14 Sts have been purchased in order to provide extra accommodation. Arana has accepted female students since 1978. The 1980s saw a downturn in numbers of new students at the university, and the College faced challenges in attracting sufficient residents. The college survived by temporarily converting surrounding houses to self-contained accommodation.Macaulay, p. 22 Luckily, by the late 1980s the University of Otago was again in a growth phase, and Arana College truly began to develop into a residential village. Arana Hall Feb 2006 5

In 1994 Turner Wing was opened, housing 27 residents. In 2005-2006 Arana College undertook a major upgrade of the central facilities and increased the number of rooms available to students by building two new accommodation blocks, Leith View housing 60 residents and Rawiri (a transliteration of St David) housing 104 residents. The college now houses approximately 397 residents in total between its main buildings and surrounding houses.

Coat of arms

Arana and Carrington, the two colleges at Otago that were created and originally administered by the Stuart Residence Halls Council, are now fully administered by the University of Otago. The arms of Arana come from the arms of the Stuart Residence Halls Council, whose motto is ''Non tantum aedificatio sed sodalitas'' (not only education but community), with the addition of a three-pointed label (as for an eldest son). The Arana motto is: ''Takina te hoe kia rite'' (wield the paddles together). The College colours are maroon and blue.

World record attempts

In 2013, Arana College students Laurie Evans and Bryn Kerr attempted to break the world record for 'Most grapes caught in the mouth in one minute', at an event organised by the Otago University Student Association. Since then, Arana has maintained a strong culture of record attempts, with Arana College warden Jamie Gilbertson encouraging residents to 'challenge yourself academically, socially, and gastronomically'.

Notable alumni

Jon Gadsby Jonathan Ernest Gadsby (1 November 1953 – 12 December 2015) was a New Zealand television comedian and writer, most well known for his role in the comedy series ''McPhail and Gadsby'' co-starring alongside David McPhail. He died of canc ...

, 1972, television comedian and writer *

Michael Laws Michael Laws (born 1957) is a New Zealand politician, broadcaster and writer. Laws was a Member of Parliament for six years, starting in 1990, initially for the National Party. In Parliament he voted against his party on multiple occasions an ...

, politician, broadcaster, and writer *

Garrick Tremain Garrick Tremain (born 1941) is a New Zealand cartoonist and painter living in Queenstown. Biography He has been a professional painter since 1972 and a cartoonist since 1988. Tremain has produced a cartoon six or seven days a week for various ...

, cartoonist and painter * Paul Grant, rugby union player *

Phillipa Gray Phillipa Gray (born 16 February 1989 in Thames, New Zealand) is a New Zealand Paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involvin ...

paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

cyclist

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * *

External links

Arana College website
{{Coord, -45.863574, 170.517522, display=title Educational institutions established in 1943 University residences in New Zealand Buildings and structures of the University of Otago 1945 establishments in New Zealand