One of the very unique aspects to St. Margaret’s College is its Sunday Dinners. The Dining room is set elegantly with table cloths and adorned with flowers. It is a beautiful occasion. Most Sundays of the year, the students dress formally for a meal that makes even Mum’s cooking look below par. (Former students who leave to go flatting remember Sunday dinners with particular fondness and envy). The meal ends with a full cheeseboard, and voluntary Post-Dinner drinks with the guests.
Each week a selection of people from the University (Administrative Staff, Professors, Visiting Academics, Archbishops, Members of the Navy, The Dean of the Med School, etc.) join us for the Dinner. A group of students meet the guests at pre-dinner drinks, and then a general invitation is extended to post-dinner drinks where the guests answer the question “How did you get to where you are today”. It is a fantastic opportunity for students to meet favourite professors in a more social environment, and for them to have one-on-one conversations with some very interesting people from the University community and the community at large.
The following guests attended Sunday Formal Dinners between March 1st and September 27th 2009:
- Dr David & Kim Band
- Professor Ian & Judy Tucker
- Professor Tony Binns
- Dr Animesh Chatterjee
- Judy Bellingham
- Dr Anna Holmes
- Dr John Holmes
- Mr. Bruce & Gill Cowan
- Richard & Pat Allen
- Dr John & Jane Reynolds
- Professor Jules & Glynny Kieser
- Hamish and Dr Linda Wixon
- Tony & Tracey Zahari
- Sharon & David Lont
- Professor Robert Patman
- Lieutenant Commander Phil & Joanne Bradshaw
- Police Superintendent Grant O’Fee
- Detective Jenepher Glover
- Barry & Deidre McKay
- Karen Coleman
- H.Robert Wilson & Natalie Ellis-Wilson
- Dr John Adams
- Penny Field & Jim Faed
- Professor William & Afife Harris
- Detlev Mehlis
- Professor John & Margaret Tagg
- Dr John & Karilyn Canton
- Professsor Rex Ahdar from the Law Faculty and his wife Lidwina
- Mr John Ward Chancellor of the University of Otago and his wife Sue
- Barbara Duncan our Chemistry tutor and her husband Bill
- Hannah Cleland House Mistress of St Peter’s College Cambridge and her husband Selwyn
- Bishop George Connor Anglican Bishop of Dunedin and his wife Noni and his daughter Rachel
- Tony Binns from Geography
- Margaret Smith head of early childhood
- Professor Vernon Squire- Pro-Vice Chancellor, Science, accompanied by his wife, Associate Professor Patricia Langhorn- Physics.
- Professor John Garthwaite, from Classics, accompanied by his wife Melanie, a Pharmaceutical Sales Manager
- Michael Woodhouse, a National Party List MP, accompanied by his wife, Amanda.
- Jason Cushen, the Head of the International Office
- Professor Terry Doyle, a Radiologist with the hospital and the University.
- Professor Gerry Wilkins, a Cardiologist, accompanied by his wife, Barbara, a lawyer and now a full time mum.
- Jung Hee Kim, an ex resident and dentist at Christchurch Hospital.
- Dr Latika Samalia and her husband Mr K.P Samalia- Department of Anatomy
- Professor Wayne Gillet- Women and Childrens health
- Professor John Sullivan- School of Physiotherapy and his wife Marie-Michelle
- Professor Gareth Jones- Deputy Vice Chancellor and his wife Beryl
- Jody Watson and husband Craig- Physio, Med
- Dr Ruth Empson- Department of Physiology
- Alfred Tong- Ex St Margaret’s Student
- Dr David Baird- Welfare Staff member's dad
- Donna Helliwell- Otago Southland Team Leader for Canteen
- Michael Harlow- Burns Fellow
- Professor Robin Taylor- Associate Dean of the Medical School
- Profesor Andrew Bradstock and his wife Helen Professor of Teology and Public Issues