A Lasting Tribute to Sir Vincent O’Sullivan in the Dunedin Writers’ Walk

The City of Literature team was proud to work with writer Tony Eyre and Swan’s to honour the late Sir Vincent O’Sullivan with a plaque in the Dunedin Writers’ Walk. Next time you walk past the Robbie Burns statue in the Octagon, pause to notice the newest plaque commemorating the New Zealand Poet Laureate, who also wrote award-winning short stories, novels and plays. Beautifully positioned near the statue, the plaque was installed the DCC Transport team.

The plaque was unveiled at a public ceremony at the statue in November. The crowd heard moving reflections on Sir Vincent’s life and work, including from his wife, Helen, Lady O’Sullivan who noted that references to Ōtepoti appeared more frequently in his poems and stories the longer he lived here.

They moved from the capital to Ōtepoti in 2012 after Sir Vincent retired. He spent the final 12 years of his life in Ōtepoti — a city he described as both his physical and emotional home. In a 2015 interview with the Otago Daily Times, he said it was the place he most preferred to be and could not imagine leaving.

After initially settling in Tainui, Sir Vincent and Lady O’Sullivan later moved to Port Chalmers, a place he deeply loved.

“He hated pretentiousness and insincerity as much as he loved mixing with real people,” Lady O’Sullivan said, “and he found those in abundance in Dunedin.”

Lady O’Sullivan shared that the plaque would have meant a great deal to her husband, as it formally acknowledged Ōtepoti as his home. Afterwards everyone was invited to share stories about Sir Vincent, who was known for his generosity and sense of humour, over refreshments at the New Athenaeum Library.

Special thanks go to the DCC Transport team for identifying such a fitting location and installing the plaque on the Writers’ Walk. The plaque was fully funded through a grant from the Alexander McMillan Trust.