Rochester and Rutherford is a Hall of Residence associated with the University of Canterbury

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...

. It is located in the suburb

Suburb

The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

 of Ilam

Ilam, New Zealand

Ilam is a leafy suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand about five kilometres west of the city centre. It is the location of the University of Canterbury....

 near the University. Currently it provides accommodation and meals for 176 undergraduates and graduates, although a majority of students are first-year undergraduates. Rochester and Rutherford is an ecumenical foundation on which the Baptist

Baptist

Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...

, Roman Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches are represented, although the hall is not strictly religious and is indifferent of other faiths and religious leanings. The hall is named in honour of Ernest Rutherford

Ernest Rutherford

Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson OM, FRS was a New Zealand-born British chemist and physicist who became known as the father of nuclear physics...

.

The hall is divided into 3 houses: Wilson, More and Fisher. All 3 houses are named in honour of John Fisher

John Fisher

Saint John Fisher was an English Roman Catholic scholastic, bishop, cardinal and martyr. He shares his feast day with Saint Thomas More on 22 June in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and 6 July on the Church of England calendar of saints...

, Thomas More

Thomas More

Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...

 and Malcolm Wilson. Wilson and More houses accommodates for 67 residents while Fisher house accommodates for 42 students. As of 2009, there are 4 Resident assistant

Resident assistant

A resident assistant , commonly shortened to RA is a trained peer leader who supervises those living in a residence hall or group housing facility...

s, with 2 residing in More and 1 residing in each of Wilson and Fisher.

History

Rochester and Rutherford is an amalgamation of the Rochester Hall (1956) and Rutherford Hall (1972), from which the present day hall was created when the University of Canterbury

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...

 moved from its central Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

 campus

Campus

A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...

 out to the present day Ilam campus.

Other Halls of Residence at University of Canterbury

• Bishop Julius Hall
• Ilam Apartments
• College House
• Sonoda
• University Hall