In Welcome Week the newly arrived members of Graduate House sign the College Register and they officially become Paulines like their undergraduate brothers and sisters did earlier this week.
In welcoming them to Paul’s the Warden noted the Anglican foundations of the College, the rigours of academic excellence and the respect for each other as they enter this community of high achievers.
2023 Freshers
Signing the College Register
The Warden’s remarks
Welcome Service in the College Chapel
On the first day of Welcome Week the College saw the arrival of 120 freshers including 60 women undergrads making history.
St Paul’s seeks your generous support to make this important new facility a reality, thereby honouring one of our most distinguished Paulines.
To see the Waddy Performance Centre brochure in full click HERE.
To see the Waddy Performance Centre presentation in full click HERE.
Donations can be made via the College website at: www.stpauls.edu.au/online-giving.
Please nominate “New performing arts, lecture, & gym facilities” when selecting a fund in the dropdown box.
If you would like to discuss making a gift of any size, please contact either the Warden, Rev’d Dr Ed Loane, or Richard Morgan, Director of Community Development, at community@stpauls.edu.au or phone (02) 9550 7472.
The College appreciates your generosity.
Old Pauline Ben Franklin, in College 1990-96, has been a member of the NSW Legislative Council since 2015. He has held a number of ministerial and other senior appointments in the government under Premier Berejiklian and Premier Perrottet.
In August he has added NSW tourism to his ministerial responsibilities and is now Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Regional Youth and Minister for Tourism. The College joins the community in congratulating him on his latest appointment.
Ben follows in a long line of Paulines who have served in the NSW Parliament. These include: John Booth (1969-74, Fellow 1984-2011), Sir Michael Bruxner KBE DSO (1901-03), Clive Evatt (1924-26), Andrew Gee (1987-90), Sir John Peden (1891-99), Dr Peter Phelps (1990-93), Andrew Refshauge (1968-70), Ewan Robinson CBE (1924-25) and Sir Vernon Treatt KBE (1915-16, 1920, Sub-Warden 1925-29).
Graduate House now has 32 students studying medicine or allied health degrees at the University of Sydney. St Paul’s has become THE address to live when completing one of the toughest programmes on offer at the University of Sydney because of the collegiality, tutorial support and proximity to labs and lectures. Those Doctor of Medicine students in their 4th year need to undertake placements and we are calling on any Paulines in the healthcare system who may have a place of interest for internships to make contact with Katie Allan (Senior tutor) or Richard Morgan at the College. The students would love remote, regional or unique experiences.
After the COVID hiatus the first ‘Faculty Dinner’ was for the students of Law. The tradition of the faculty dinners has been an enduring one at Paul’s. It will be of interest to Paulines that the University has now has the following academic structure:
The Law Dinner was held on 2 May and after dinner the address was given by Mr Richard Beasley SC a Sydney Barrister and author. His topic centred on corruption and politics, corruption and public life and the critical importance of the Murray-Darling Basin to the future of the Australian economy. His 2021 book Dead in the Water concerns the illegality and maladministration of Australia’s most important environmental law, the Commonwealth Water Act, and the Murray Darling Basin Plan. His address generated a large number of questions and it was particularly good to have Pauline Prof Nick Cowdery AO QC in the room, a former NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, whose questions added to discussion of corrupt conduct in public office.
During the dinner ‘Die Nebensonnen’ from ‘Winterreise’ by Franz Schubert was performed by two undergraduate Paulines Mr Isander Mesimeris (Voice) and Mr Alexander Back (Piano) which was greatly appreciated by the 31 guests and over 150 current students in attendance.
Power for the Sydney University Campus is provided through the University’s contract supply arrangements and St Paul’s has chosen to be one of the colleges benefitting from renewable energy optimisation. From July the University will be purchasing its electricity from Red Energy and 100% of its electricity in NSW originates from renewable sources, backed by Snowy Hydro.
Under the contract the University’s and College’s activities will be powered by solar energy. The positive impact will be in excess of removing 31,200 cars from the road. It also brings the University, with some of the colleges, a step closer to implementing zero emissions by 2030.
An interesting Pauline connection to the early years of hydro-electric power generation in Australia was Mr J Russell Ashton CB (in College 1943-46) who studied Civil Engineering and was the Commissioner of the Tasmanian Hydro-Electric Commission between 1977 and 1987. He led the commission during the most controversial time in Tasmanian hydro history following the flooding of Lake Pedder and parts of the Tasmanian wilderness!
Current student, Mr Joseph Scopas, (BE(Hons)/BComm 3) has a passion for renewable energy and is working as a research intern at the University of Sydney School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering exploring the production of green fuels through electrolysis. Joseph is thrilled to see the progressive change which reduces the footprint, both in his University workplace and at College.
The College is delighted to be supporting the University through the ongoing purchasing of renewable energy and looks forward to participating in more science-based decarbonisation initiatives.
St Paul’s College Union was founded in 1892, on the joint initiative of resident members of the College and of former students. In its efforts to unite past and present Paulines it organises and supports events and reunions to promote the interests of the College.
On 18 June the Union revived its annual dinner after a break of a few years. The guest of honour was a Pauline from the mid-80s, the new Chief Justice of NSW, Justice Andrew Bell. He used the portraits in the dining hall to ‘frame’ his address about the contributions made by so many during their time at College for its good and after College for the good of the nation, beginning with our two prime ministers, from each side of the House, Sir William McMahon and Gough Whitlam.
The Acknowledgement of Country was given by current Graduate House student Mr Siupeli Haukoloa-Paea (MD 1) who is a Sydney University Gadigal Scholar from Thursday Island (Waiben), traditionally the land of the Kaurareg.
The evening was filled with great company from across the generations of Paulines from the current Senior Student, Mr Henry Hughes (BPM 3) to octogenarian Prof John Chalmers AC. Music also filled the hall when the ensemble-in-residence Tarsus Chamber Collective performed the first movement from Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 6 in F minor. The Albert Grand Piano in the JCR also had a workout after dinner!
Before the celebrations the Union held its AGM and the executive and committee were re-elected.
For more information about St Paul’s college Union CLICK HERE
Emeritus Professor Frank William Nicholas has been recognised in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours for significant service to animal genetics, and to tertiary education.
Frank was at College 1967-71, and completed BScAgr in 1970 and at Edinburgh University a PhD in 1974.
Frank has had an academic career in Animal Genetics and is Emeritus Professor Genetics Laboratory at the University. The fascinating book, written with his wife Jan, Charles Darwin in Australia, chronicles the impact Darwin’s visit to the colonies of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land had on his theory of evolution.
To find out more about Frank’s academic career CLICK HERE.
The College community congratulates Frank on his appointment as AM for his impressive contribution to the worldwide study of animal genetics.
