Generous bequest received

St Paul’s College is the recent beneficiary of the distribution of assets in accordance with the will of Rev’d Peter Blackburn who died in 2018. Peter’s estate was across multiple jurisdictions which led to additional time to complete probate and property sales. Rev’d Peter James Whittaker Blackburn, in College 1968-69, was born on 9 January 1947 and lived in Maroubra and Carringbah as a child. In 1965 he came to Sydney University from Woolooware High School to study for a Bachelor of Arts. At that time Peter found he enjoyed participation in services at Christ Church St Lawrence and for a year he was President of the Sydney University Anglican Society. He moved in to Paul’s for his honours year and in 1969 commenced a Law degree. He was a Chapel Warden, member of Mummers and according to his uni friend Robert Tunbridge was a fabulous entertainer in his room

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Girdlestone gets bronzed in Tokyo

The College community congratulates the Australian Rowing Quad Sculls crew of Cameron Girdlestone (in College 2007-09) Jack Cleary, Caleb Antill and Luke Letcher on winning Bronze on 28 July in Tokyo. A day after the 25th anniversary of the original Oarsome Foursome’s gold, Australia delivered an awesome day from a quartet of crews in the most spectacular hour of rowing the nation has ever witnessed. Two gold and two bronze medals were won by Australia’s rowers in four successive races in a breathtaking 60 minutes on the water in Tokyo. First came the women’s four, holding off the fast-finishing Dutch to claim gold in six minutes, 15.37 seconds. They were barely out of the water when the men’s four surged down the Sea Forest Waterway with a stiff wind at their backs, and held off the closing Romanians to win gold in an Olympic record time of 5:42.76. With the

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Med tutes don’t stop for Lockdown

Sydney may be in lockdown, but the academic year continues at St Paul’s. Our first year medical students attended their first tutorial of the new semester at the end of July, an introduction to endocrinology. The tutorial was led by MCR Middle Prefect Mr Meheer Zaveri (GH Year 2 MD). The students are determined to keep each other safe in lockdown and use the collegial environment to work through the Pandemic restrictions together using online audio-visual technology. Despite this, the first year of running the Paul’s Med Tute programme now feels part of the normal rhythm of College life for MD and other post-graduate medical students. This programme is being managed by the Assistant Senior Tutor Hayden Randall. The tutorials are ‘blocked’ for the Stage 1 and Stage 2 medical students and include, amongst others, endocrinology, gastroenterology, oncology, sexual health, urology and renal tutes, as well as anatomy revisions for

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Oxford Paulines – Patrick Hall and Codey Swadling

Patrick Hall (2013-16) and Codey Swadling (2016-20; Sem 2 2021) have just finished up at Oxford after a long nine months intensive study nearly overshadowed by the UK’s issues with the Pandemic. Patrick studied for a Bachelor of Civil Law (the Oxford Law Faculty’s taught masters programme) which he says was one of the most rewarding yet challenging academic experiences because of COVID. “I found that my educational grounding at Paul’s and the University enabled me to respond and grow in this environment”. When not in lockdown, Patrick rowed for Wolfson College, joined the Real Tennis Club, and attended various speeches at the Oxford Union. He will be starting in September as a solicitor in litigation at Slaughter & May. Codey used his time at Oxford to undertake a combined Master of Studies and Master of Philosophy programme focussing on Classical Greek and Latin. Codey returns to College to resume his

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Paul’s success in international law comp

Mr Tim Berney-Gibson (GH Year 3) and alumna Ms Aoife Hogan (2020), representing Sydney University, were placed 2nd in Negotiation in an international legal negotiation competition in July. This amazing achievement was the result of being chosen to participate in Consensual Dispute Resolution – the Dispute Resolution of a New Generation competition conducted by the Vienna International Arbitral Centre and the International Bar Association online out of Vienna. The competition is an innovative type of educational competition combining the arts and skills of mediation and negotiation held over five days with mock mediations, educational programs and social events. University teams from around the world are selected on competitive entry and compete in mediation and negotiation with professionals from law, academia, business and governments over more than 50 competition sessions. The 2021 event involved student from 22 universities from around the world. Tim and Aoife had an outstanding coach, Ms Emily Knoblanche, a senior

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COVID-19 impact on the College this July-August

YOUR CO-OPERATION IS APPRECIATED The Sydney Lockdown is affecting the whole College community in different ways. Thanks to everyone for their co-operation and support during these difficult times. In particular, a special mention: the incredible job being done by the College’s contract catering and housekeeping staff from Spotless who are coming in to provide the essential services to support the residents. We also acknowledge that many of the ‘familiar faces’ are those people who live in Western Sydney and are prevented from travelling to work at this time. STUDENTS The Students Club Committee and Middle Common Room Committee are providing wonderful support and leadership to the students who are in residence, as well to the many who are in contact but staying at home. The tutorial program is being managed entirely online and fitness activities are being arranged utilizing all the wonderful outdoor spaces of the College. Extended meal times

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Pauline joins the Morrison Cabinet

Out of recent ministerial changes in the National Party of Australia, The Hon Andrew Gee MP, in College 1987-90, has been elevated to Federal Cabinet as the soon to be sworn-in Minister for Veterans Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel.  From February 2020 Andrew was Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education in the Morrison Government and has been the Member for Calare in Central NSW since 2016 after serving in the NSW Legislative Assembly as Member for Orange between 2011 and 2016. Andrew joins a long list of Pauline federal ministers that includes: Joseph Abbott (1910-13) Country Party; Donald Cameron (1918-27) Liberal Party; Prime Minister Sir William McMahon (1927-31) Liberal; Sir Nigel Bowen (1928-30) Liberal; Prime Minister Gough Whitlam (1935-42) Labor Party; Moss Cass, (1945) Labor; Robert Tickner (1970-71) Labor; John Anderson (1975-77) Nationals; and Sandy Macdonald (1972-73) Nationals.