Click photo to enlarge
Photo by Gerard O'Brien
The Castle is one of dozens of named student flats in
North Dunedin which are the subject of a page set up on
internet social networking site Facebook and could also feature
in a book by former Otago student Sarah Gallagher.
The second-year University of Otago students - (from left)
Stacey Ryan, Amy Stent and Anna McWilliam (all 20) - admit
they and five other flatmates had to fight back about 20
groups of boys to take over the rental of the flat
traditionally rented by males at the start of the year, but
the group wouldn't give it up for anything.
"We just say 'The Castle' and everyone knows where you mean,"
Miss McWilliam said.
The Leith St North flat came with a piano in the hallway,
which has been there for as long as anyone can remember, and
the top of which has been used for "stair surfing" on many
occasions.
Another long-term feature of the flat is a poster from the
Australian movie The Castle, which takes pride of place in
the kitchen.
The turret which gives the flat its name is a small bedroom
at the top of a grand staircase, complete with bed on beer
crates.
I lived at 467 Leith St
I lived at 467 Leith St North in 1999 and 2000 - before we moved in the house was known simply as "467". Sophie Guthrie painted the sign for The Castle in February 1999. We named the house The Castle after the movie (there were then 7 bedrooms in the house and 7 main characters in The Castle and the boys the year before us had put the poster up in the sitting room) - the turret (which wasn't a bedroom then) was just coincidental. There was a flat-sign competition that year and we painted the sign as our entry. We also painted the door pink and stenciled stars on it - I cannot believe it's still there 10 years later.