Dead wallaby thrown onto couch fire during St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Dunedin
Monday, 17 March 2025
St Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17.
That day is named after Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, and who died on that date.
Celebrations include people wearing green attire, and in Dunedin it was one of the biggest social events on the student calendar.
Visiting students threw a dead wallaby carcass onto a burning couch on St Patrick’s day in Dunedin.
A source said the pest had been shot in the South Canterbury area, before it was brought south and “dumped on the couch fire” on Monday morning.
Wallabies were introduced to South Canterbury in 1874, and have became a significant pest to both production and biodiversity values.
Jamie Hancock, SPCA Southern Inspectorate team leader, said it had not received a complaint about the matter, but anyone with information was urged to make contact
University of Otago Student Services director Claire Gallop said the issue of interlopers in the student area during St Patrick’s Day celebrations “continues to be a significant concern and this year has proven no exception”.
“Some of the behaviour in North Dunedin is incredibly disappointing and it is unfortunate that the actions of a few individuals have led to the association of this behaviour with all University of Otago students.”
Police were currently making enquiries about the couch fires and one which allegedly involved the wallaby.
“The Student Code of Conduct outlines expectations and potential penalties for breaches but the university has no jurisdiction over those who are not enrolled at Otago who join gatherings,“ she said.
The couch fire featuring the wallaby was one of several lit in the student quarter on Monday morning, and comes after no couch fires were lit during Orientation Week.
A large number of green clad students, from Otago and further afield, were on the streets early to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, with a unique Dunedin twist.
Some flats partook in a “six before six”, involving drinking six alcohol beverages before 6am.
Two female flatmates, one from Wellington and the other from Tauranga, were relaxing outside their Castle St flat, after starting drinking at 4am.
By 8.30am, they had already visited several flat parties before returning home for “a break”.
The pair said they had lectures, but planned to catch-up on their studies later.
On Friday, University of Otago Vice Chancellor Grant Robertson sent an email to students, which said: “St Paddy’s Day has become a day of fun and celebration for students – but for some the day doesn’t end with the best of stories to share”.
He urged students to show up to lectures, labs and tutorials on St Patrick’s Day, just like the thousands of staff at the tertiary institution would be doing.
Those who intended to celebrate, were urged to be safe.
That included students not to go on climb on any roof.
In 2022, two people were seriously injured after falls, one from a roof and another from a balcony.
The Proctor’s annual report noted large events, such as Flo Week (the week before Orientation Week), and St Patrick’s Day “continue to attract students from other New Zealand universities and non-students from around the country to the North Dunedin area”.
Those visitors to the Dunedin student quarter were not covered by the student conduct statute and “can occasionally behave unreasonably without consequence,” the report noted.