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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 15, No. 6. April 24, 1952

Wooden It? A Potted History

Wooden It? A Potted History

Since the Wooden Spoon will be resting in the trophy there is no need for us to publish a photograph of it. Suffice to say that it has been called a trophy of "unusual quality and design." This may explain Victoria's affection for it.

It was made for our association (yes we started it and apparently a boomerang would have been more suitable) by Mr F. W. Brodrick of Lower Hutt and has the approval of Mr Oliver of the Dominion Museum.

In 1803 a Mention

The custom of presenting wooden spoons appears to have arisen in 1803 at Cambridge and was begun in New Zealand Universities tournaments in 1927. Canterbury were awarded a wooden jam spoon. Byron the poet records this tradition in Don Juan (1820)—a poem most students have or should have read.

"Sure my invention must down at zero,
And I grown one of many wooden spoons'
Of verse (the name with which we Cantabs please
To dub the last of honours in degrees)"

When the trophy was first presented it was placed on show for a week in James Smiths' window. For almost ever afterwards it appears to have come to display in our trophy case.

"Where"—we can hear someone saying—"is the trophy case?" On the left wall near the main stairs. Your attention and interest is invited.