University of Auckland Winter Lecture Series recordings

In June 1958 Dr Keith Sinclair proposed the University of Auckland follow the University of Canterbury’s lead in establishing a series of lunch-hour lectures on topics that lend themselves to discussion, by speakers from a range of different departments and faculties. The concept of the series was to introduce students to the points of view of academic disciplines other than their own.

In his later work, A history of the University of Auckland, Sinclair claimed the series was really established to give students somewhere dry to sit during a wet, wintery lunchtime.

The proposal was rapidly approved, with the first Winter Lectures series commencing in 1959 with the topic ‘Man’.

By the 1980s the scope of the series had grown. The target audience had expanded to include the general public, and the lectures were seen as an opportunity to express a university point of view on subjects of topical interest. Lecturers from other institutions and industries were also invited to participate.

The Winter Lectures series continues to be held on an annual basis, with the exception of the 2021/22 series which were cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.