St. Paul's College, Sydney

St. Paul's College in Sydney, Australia, is a Protestant Anglican residential college for men located within the grounds of the University of Sydney. Founded in 1856, it is Australia's oldest University College.

The College has 197 members, of whom approximately 150 are undergraduates, with the remainder undertaking graduate study or holding teaching positions at the University.It is the only men's college in Australia that still celebrates formal dinner five nights per week, to which College members wear tie, jacket and academic gown. The Reverend Canon Dr Ivan Head has governed the College as Warden since 1995.

History

The building was designed by the English-born architect, Edmund Blacket, who also supervised the construction of the Catholic St John's College.

Facilities

Breakfast and lunch are informal meals provided on a self-service basis. Each room has its own telephone extension with voicemail facility. Phones operate on a pre-paid system. All rooms contain a LAN port, enabling connection to the College network, the College printers and the internet.

Cultural Life

Mummers

Mummers is the St. Paul's College Dramatic Society, and is one of the longest continuously-running University drama groups in Australia. College men are involved as actors, producers, directors and stage hands to create a theatrical production that can be enjoyed by the wider University community.

porting Life

Rather than being at odds with the academic culture, sport is integral to the St Paul's experience.

Rawson Cup

The Rawson Cup was donated by Sir Harry Rawson in 1906, and is now affectionately known by many college men as "Harry". Each year, St Paul's College competes for the Rawson Cup with the other men's Colleges located within the University of Sydney - Wesley, St Andrew's College and St. John's College. The Rawson sports are played throughout the university year, including: Cricket, Rowing, Rugby, Swimming and Diving, Soccer, Tennis, Basketball and Athletics.

St Paul's has won the Rawson Cup for three consecutive years and is on track to make it four in 2008.

ocial Sport

Informal touch football is also played by gentlemen every weeknight at 5pm on the College's oval. Touch is not elitist. All are welcome and many are academics taking a study break, heeding Juvenal's advice: "Mens sana in corpore sano".

ocial Life

alisbury Bar

St Paul's is the only College within Sydney University to have its own fully licensed bar. The liquor licence has been closely guarded for years by licencee DJ Drury. The "Salisbury" is located within the sandstone walls of the College and usually opens Sunday to Thursday from 8pm. Sundays and Wednesdays are the busiest nights, with the Bar and beer garden populated by men and their guests. Most patrons are current collegians or guests of Paul's residents.

Each year the Salisbury is run by a student syndicate committed to the legacy of Charles V. Salisbury, whose generous donation turned a dream into reality. The Salisbury has offered a safe and scholarly environment to meet other men of the same like of mind. The syndicate for 2008 consists of Tom Cooper, George Downing, John Ketelbey, Johnny Wilkinson and Tyson "Titty" Smith. This years syndicate is the tightest in living memory. According to those who have been around long enough to remember, Salibury set a condition requiring the establishment of a bar for the residents. He reportedly declared that "no man should have to walk more than 50 metres for a beer".

Wine Cellar

St Paul's also has a fully stocked wine cellar, providing gentlemen of the college with reduced priced entry level wines, as well as a large collection of stored vintages. This is also usually run by a few senior men of the college. The 2008 cellar is run by Robert Vickers and Oliver Johnson.

Annual events

During the year, the college holds a number of large events, of which the largest are Victoriana!, the Informal, Jazz Dinner Dance, and the College Formal.

Victoriana!

College informal

Jazz Dinner Dance

The Jazz Dinner Dance ('JDD') is an intimate black tie occasion for Paulines and their guests. The evening is perhaps the most formal of the year, with attendees enjoying a 3 course feast, followed by the opportunity to dance the night away to a live jazz band in the Quadrangle.

College formal

The College Formal is an annual spectacular, organised and run by a select committee of convenors, usually from amongst the more senior of the gentlemen. Up to 500 guests attend the black tie function, which combines a dance floor ruled by some of the prime artists of the day with a themed evening of extravagance. Usually held in the Quadrangle, recent themes have included School of Rock (2007), Neon Mirage (2005 - Las Vegas) and Circus Royale (2004). The 2004 Formal took the event out on to the College Oval, with Dodgem Cars, a Jumping Castle, fire breathers and the largest travelling ferris wheel in Australia. Previous years have also allowed gentlemen to enjoy their evening bathing in hot tubs, riding hot air balloons, taking motorbike rides around the oval and being dazzled by fireworks displays.

Notable Paulines

Politicians and Justices

*Former Australian Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam
*Former Australian Prime Minister, William McMahon
*Former Australian Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson
*Justice of the High Court of Australia, Dyson Heydon
*Former New South Wales Deputy Premier, Andrew Refshauge
*Former New South Wales Leader of the Opposition, Ewan Murray Robson
*Former National Convenor, Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, Justice Lloyd Waddy

portsmen

*Current Wallaby, Al Baxter
*Former Wallaby Captain Michael Hawker
*Current NSW Waratah, Daniel Halangahu
*Current Western Force back rower, Tim Davidson
*Current NSW Cricketer, Ed Cowan
*Former Rugby League player, John Hopoate
*Australian Commonwealth games Rugby 7s Player, Luke Inman

Arts

*Journalist Tony Jones
*Radio personality Adam Spencer
*Lead singer of The Whitlams, Tim Freedman
*Journalist, David Marr
* Morgan O'Neill, Director of Solo - Winner of Project Greenlight Australia
* Comedian Chris Taylor of The Chaser
* Actor of stage, musical theatre, television & recording artist, Peter Cousens
*L.M. Bagg

Gallery

External links

*Official website http://www.stpauls.edu.au