More than 30 fellows attended the unveiling at the Robert Burns statue in the Octagon, in what Otago Festival of the Arts organisers say was the largest gathering of New Zealand literary talent.
Even the Octagon seagulls were good enough to keep away from their favourite perch during the ceremony.
The earliest Burns Fellow present, 1964 Fellow Maurice Gee, had the honour of unveiling the plaque with Deputy Mayor Syd Brown.
"Ian Cross, the very first Burns Fellow, was supposed to do this. I'm sure he would have had a very interesting and informative talk for you," Gee said.
"But I don't do those."
Mr Brown said the fellowship "has enhanced our city's reputation for culture".
The 2008 fellow, Sue Wootton, told the gathering of the importance of the fellowship to writers.
"For 50 years, the Robert Burns Fellowship has provided New Zealand writers with that most unwriterly thing - a salary," she said.
University of Otago Emeritus Prof Colin Gibson also recited a humorous poem he had written about Robert Burns' difficult relationship with the Octagon seagulls.
The Burns Festival starts at 10am today with Nurse to the Imagination in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
