Grisp mentor program continues to grow

Mentors of current students gathered at the College on 21 October to celebrate the growth of the Grisp program. The program has grown to facilitate the partnering of 32 mentors and students in their penultimate or final year of university. The mentors are old Paulines and their work colleagues, with experience in their respective fields, who are keen to help third or fourth years with the often difficult transition from academia to practice. Mentors and their students joined formal dinner to socialise and to hear from the Sub-Warden, Dr Mark Schembri, on the mutual benefits of developing relationships built on practical work place skills. The Sub-Warden emphasised the importance of community and belonging which accompanies a mentoring relationship. The Grisp program endeavours to support the provision of ongoing professional mentoring and advice for students of St Paul’s College. It offers a platform where past and present residents of the College

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Inaugural Outreach Dinner a huge success

In early October, St Paul’s held its inaugural Outreach Dinner with volunteers from some of the charitable organisations in which our students are involved. Some of the initiatives include support at the Newtown Mission, service at the overnight shelter for homeless men at Christ Church St Laurence, assistance at the Berkeley Centre in Wollongong, help at Lou’s Place which provides refuge for women in crisis, and student mentoring through the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience and Profecta. The student-led initiatives at charitable organisations are exemplary of the College’s commitment to foster outward-looking and community-minded students. Undergraduate student, Mr Ned Lindsay, summed up his thoughts on the positive role of outreach: “As you can tell with nine different groups of people coming together, outreach creates a powerful connection with communities. It connects communities through a sense of respect and understanding, and it connects communities through hardship, and the humbling experience of life

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The Reverend Dr Ed Loane appointed the 12th Warden of St Paul’s College

The St Paul’s College Council is delighted to announce the appointment of the Rev Dr Ed Loane as the 12th Warden of St Paul’s College.  Following an extensive and thorough search, which yielded many high quality applications, we have found the right candidate to lead this exciting next chapter at St Paul’s.  Dr Loane was raised in Wollongong and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Sydney, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science. He went on to complete his graduate studies at Moore College, followed by a PhD at Cambridge University.  As an Old Pauline, he has a firm commitment to collegiate education, and was appointed as a Council Member in May 2017. Since his election to Council, he has been instrumental in governance matters such as our new Act, and in leading the cultural renewal process at St Paul’s, taking the initiative in the implementation of

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Graduate House scholarship winners say “thank you” for life-changing opportunity

Yet more students whose membership of St Paul’s College, including Graduate House, has been made possible by scholarships and bursaries have been thanking their donors for these life-changing opportunities. The last e-news reported on the many undergraduate scholarship and bursary winners who have written letters of thanks. This month we report on members of Graduate House who are doing so. Several students have been enabled to enter Graduate House and thus become members of St Paul’s College through scholarships or bursaries provided by the College and the St Paul’s College Foundation. They have recently been writing to the Chair of the College Council and the Chair of the Foundation to express their gratitude. One of the themes of their letters of thanks is a commitment to do what they can to ensure that future students have opportunities at least as good as the opportunities that scholarships have now given them.

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Grisp mentoring program delivers for students

Old Paulines mentoring current students brings a direct gain which is being realised through the St Paul’s College Union Grisp initiative. A successful pilot during the 2018/19 summer break has led to an expanded program in 2019.  Present students meet and share scholarly progress and life experiences with alumni providing effective mentoring that can generate positive social and professional outcomes.  The Grisp initiative is creating avenues for old Paulines and their professional colleagues to have a meaningful and on-going relationship with current members of the College community. The students in the initiative, usually in their third year of study, receive advice and coaching to kick-start and guide a career path. It is an opportunity for Pauline mentors to give back to their old College and they are inspiring some of their friends and colleagues to join them. They become facilitators of business learning and the shapers of tomorrow’s leaders. Currently the

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Robert Albert’s portrait hung, marking 20th anniversary of Albert Wing

The College has celebrated the 20thanniversary of the official opening of the Albert Wing with the hanging of a portrait in Hall of Robert Otto Albert AO RFD RD, the College’s most generous benefactor in living memory.  The portrait of Robert Albert hangs near the High Table adjacent to the portrait of the College’s principal 19th century founder, Sir Alfred Stephen. Its hanging and the 20thanniversary were marked by the Warden in dinner in Hall on the 20thanniversary of the official opening of the Albert Wing on 12 September 1999 by the then Chancellor of the University, Emeritus Professor Dame Leone Kramer. The Albert Wing was also dedicated on that day by the then Archbishop of Sydney, the Most Rev’d Harry Goodhew.  The Warden referred to the magnificent generosity of the Albert family, and especially of Robert Albert, who was in College from 1953 to 1957, which not only made

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Thomas Sutcliffe Mort – largest 19th century benefactor to help found the College

A photographic portrait of the 19thcentury benefactor and one of the early Fellows of the College, Thomas Sutcliffe Mort, now hangs proudly in the Senior Common Room – thanks to the recent generous donation of the picture by David and Clarissa Mort. In the mid-1850s subscription to fund the creation of St Paul’s College, the largest single donation was one of 500 guineas, from Thomas Sutcliffe Mort (1816-78) and his first wife, Theresa Shepheard Mort (nee Laidley) (1820-69). Thomas Sutcliffe Mort later served as a Fellow of the College from 1862 to 1866. Thomas Sutcliffe Mort has been described by College historian Alan Atkinson as an “ingenious entrepreneur” who, as one of the most prominent Anglican lay people in Sydney in his time, also believed in “the sublime social purposes of the Church”.  As well as supporting the creation of St Paul’s, his philanthropy included funding Church work among the

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St Paul’s students boost Legacy fundraising – a highlight of a vibrant semester

The involvement of over 100 St Paul’s undergraduates in helping to boost fundraising for Legacy in the Sydney CBD and highly entertaining Graduate House theatrical performances are some of the highlights of a vibrant semester so far at College. During Legacy week, at the start of September, over 100 of our undergraduate students sold badges and other Legacy items and received donations throughout the Sydney CBD in support of Legacy’s work to help the widows and children of Australian Defence personnel who have served their country. The chief executive officer of Legacy, Mr John Hutcheson AM, who had earlier addressed students in formal hall to explain the important work of Legacy, thanked them after Legacy Week for “the fantastic efforts of students of St Paul’s College who raised funds for Legacy”. Mr Hutcheson said that the increase in funds raised for Legacy in the CBD this year would not have been achieved

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College community thanks Dr Markwell

The Warden’s close and effective work with student leaders to improve the College was among the aspects of his leadership that were highlighted at the recent farewell dinner for Dr Markwell. In a moving speech of thanks at the dinner in Hall on 19 September, the Senior Student, Mr Max Glanville, said that the Students’ Club Committees of 2018 and 2019 have “had the pleasure of working closely alongside the Warden to help improve our beloved college”.  “In what was a period of high scrutiny of and pressure on the College, the Warden guided us through a journey of cultural renewal and helped us appreciate the importance of the cultural renewal process. Importantly, he made it our journey. “The Warden built a synergetic relationship between the staff and the students to the benefit of the College as a whole and that is the mark of a great leader.” Max continued:

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Justice Andrew Bell speaks on the Judge who never sat

St Paul’s College was thrilled to welcome back Old Pauline and recently appointed President of the NSW Court of Appeal, Justice Andrew Bell, for our annual Law Faculty Dinner, where he gave an engaging presentation on another distinguished Pauline and the only High Court appointee never to sit on the Bench, Albert Bathurst Piddington KC.  Students and distinguished visitors were enthralled by Justice Bell’s learned address on What Albert did and What Albert did next: Albert Bathurst Piddington – the High Court Judge who never sat.  Piddington (1862-1945) was at St Paul’s as a student in 1880-83, and was Vice-Warden in 1883-84. He was appointed to the High Court in 1913, but after a hostile and controversial response to his appointment, never sat on the High Court. He resigned a month after his appointment came into effect. Nearly a decade later, it became public knowledge that, while being considered for appointment

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