Prosh (University of Adelaide)

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Prosh at the University of Adelaide is organised by the Adelaide University Union. [1] Prosh began in 1905, students used the occasion to poke fun at established South Australian institutions such as the horse-drawn trams. [2] Prosh began as a procession through the City of Adelaide. In recent years the prosh parade has involved live bands on the back of flatbed trucks, floats created by student clubs and various inebriated groups of students being transported by booze cruisers. [3] A prosh newspaper is published for the week. [4] Prosh week has developed into a time to raise funds for charities. [5] Many 'stunts' are registered with the organisors and are held in prosh week. The stunts are nominally undertaken to acquire funds for the official Prosh charitable cause. [1] Prosh week winds up with the Prosh After Dark social event in the Uni Bar, [1] originally a Prosh Ball was held during the week. [6]

University of Adelaide Public university in Adelaide, South Australia

The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on North Terrace in the Adelaide city centre, adjacent to the Art Gallery of South Australia, the South Australian Museum and the State Library of South Australia.

Adelaide University Union Students union at the University of Adelaide

The Adelaide University Union (AUU) is a student union at the University of Adelaide, South Australia. It provides academic advocacy, welfare, and counselling services to students free of charge, funds the student newspaper On Dit, and owns a number of commercial operations on campus. It also oversees the Student Representative Council (SRC), an organisationally separate body responsible for student political representation.

City of Adelaide Local government area in South Australia

The City of Adelaide is a local government area in the metropolitan area of Adelaide, South Australia. It covers the original Adelaide city centre,, North Adelaide, and the Adelaide Park Lands which surround North Adelaide and the city centre.

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University of Adelaide students take part in the inaugural procession (Prosh parade) 1905 Prosh1905.jpg
University of Adelaide students take part in the inaugural procession (Prosh parade) 1905

Prosh newspaper

Starting in 1954 a satirical newspaper has been published by the students of the University of Adelaide for Prosh Week. The newspaper was commonly referred to as the Prosh rag. [7] Since 1993 the newspaper has been produced as an issue of the student newspaper, On Dit. The Prosh newspaper usually contains humorous references to various well known persons of the day. [8]

On Dit is a student newspaper funded by the Adelaide University Union and advertising revenue which is published fortnightly during semester time. Founded in 1932, it is the third oldest student newspaper in Australia along with Semper Floreat. The paper replaced its precursor the Varsity Ragge which ran from 1928 to 1931 when it ended because of what On Dit described in its first edition as 'student apathy'. The Varsity Ragge returned in 1934 for a single edition as a rival to On Dit.

Famous participants

Over the years many students who were to become well known members of the South Australian community have taken part

Infamous pranks

Holden FJ

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This prank has become part of university folk lore. When one of the students, Ronald Sainsbury, returned to the University with his daughter 43 years later in 2016 he was besieged by current students who had heard rumours of the prank but not believed it to be true. He ended up spending an hour with them drawing diagrams and explaining the mechanics of it.
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See also

Prosh refers to both a calendar fundraising event and the satirical annual newspaper written by students at the University of Western Australia to raise funds for nominated charities.

University Rag societies are student-run charitable fundraising organisations that are widespread in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Most universities in the UK and Ireland, as well as some in South Africa and the Netherlands have a Rag. In some universities Rags are known as Charities Campaigns, Charity Appeals, Charity Committees, or Karnivals, but they all share many attributes.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Adelaide University Union". Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
  2. ↑ SLSA: Mortlock Pictorial Collection B 39749 [ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ St Mark's College Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Adelaide Research and Scholarship: On Dit (1975) "Prosh"
  5. ↑ Adelaidean July 2001 Vol 10 No 6
  6. ↑ Adelaide Research and Scholarship: On Dit (Aug 1970) "Prosh Ball"
  7. ↑ topology.org human test
  8. ↑ SA Memory
  9. ↑ Radio Heritage Foundation - Pirate Radio: South Australia's Pirate Radio PROSH 'Piracy on the Airwaves'
  10. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 August 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link) - Front cover of On Dit - Prosh Week 1966
  11. ↑ "Development and Alumni". Archived from the original on 27 February 2006. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
  12. ↑ Kidnapped by an elephant and a pig! :: ABC Adelaide
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