Author: Richard Morgan

This year’s Students’ Club Committee decided to give added meaning to our final Formal Hall for the year which was a Christmas themed dinner.  The Hon Treasurer, Jack Holt formed a small group of planners which included general committee members Zoe Renowden, Tom Green and the Chaplain to plan a Chapel Service and Dinner which would lift the spirits of others this Christmas by supporting the Barnardos Gifts for Kids Christmas appeal.  The undergraduates got together in their ANZAC Day groups to buy Christmas presents to place under the empty tree in Hall as they arrived for the dinner.

The Chapel Choir entertained a full hall who joined in the singing of carols culminating in the Dean of Graduate House Antone Martinho-Truswell leading a very participative version of The Twelve Days of Christmas. 

At the end of the night, a pile of toys and gifts were ready to be loaded into the back of House Committee member Zoe Renowden’s car to be taken to the local Barnardos centre at Marrickville.

Thank you to all the members of the College who went out and bought a gift and placed it under the our empty tree.

Director of Community Engagement Richard Morgan reflected: “one of the greatest benefits of being a Pauline is that we learn about service and sacrifice and giving as we journey through our years as residents of the College. Whether this was a couple of generations ago or in 2023 the tradition is firmly in place.”

Trippas White Group (TWG) provide all catering and housekeeping services at St Paul’s College. They manage over 35 restaurants, bars, cafes, and event spaces located in some of Australia’s most iconic locations, including the Sydney Opera House. Visiting alumni often mention how good the food is and that is a reflection of the care and quality of the TWG staff who have been supporting the College since the contract was won 2 years ago. Many of the staff of the previous contractors were retained by TWG so there are many familiar faces in the permanent staff team. TWG provides meal and beverage service in the Dining Hall and Refectory as well as management, food and beverages in the Salisbury Café and Bar.

Our TWG Site Manager Cameron Blake and our Head Chef Robert Sgroi represented TWG Hospitality Services at St Paul’s College at the recent 2023 Awards for Excellence of Restaurant & Catering Australia. The TWG Paul’s team were entered in the Site/Industrial Caterer division and were the winners out of the five finalists. TWG goes on to the National awards.

Restaurant & Catering Australia is the peak industry body representing over 57,000 restaurants, cafes and catering businesses across Australia.  St Paul’s is proud of its association with TWG and the support we give to the hospitality sector which is vitally important to the national economy, generating over $40.4 billion in retail turnover each year as well as employing 350,000 people.

From everyone who enjoys the food and beverage services at Paul’s: Congratulations TWG Hospitality Services at St Paul’s College for your award.

From Harry Croker, Dean of Undergraduates

The Rawson Cup and Rosebowl competitions have finished for another year.

All those who were lucky enough to don the gold and gules throughout 2023 did the College proud in what was an historic year. The College placed second in the final standings for the Rawson Cup, and sixth for Rosebowl. Some of the College’s sportswomen represented upwards of three sports throughout the year. As the subsequent generations of women filter through the College over the next few years, the sporting talent pool will only become bigger. This will take the pressure off the 70-odd maiden female members to commit to multiple sports throughout the year, despite having never played some of them. The future is certainly bright.

Rawson Cup final scores: ST ANDREW’S – 30; ST PAUL’S – 24; WESLEY – 15.5; ST JOHN’S – 2.5

Rosebowl final scores: ST ANDREW’S – 69; WESLEY – 49; ST JOHN’S – 30; WOMEN’S – 24.5; SANCTA – 19.5; ST PAUL’S – 8.

St Paul’s results in each sport were:

• 1st: Men’s Rowing; Men’s Soccer
• 2nd: Men’s Cricket; Men’s Rugby; Men’s Basketball; Men’s Athletics
• 3rd: Men’s Swimming; Men’s Tennis; Women’s Soccer (eq)
• 5th Women’s Netball; Women’s Rowing; Women’s Tennis; Women’s Athletics
• 6th Women’s Swimming; Women’s Hockey; Women’s Basketball

Athletics: The Rosebowl Athletics team finished in fifth place on the day, while the Rawson team fell just shy of a third consecutive victory at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre, finishing behind old foes, St Andrew’s. A great show of morale and support was on display, as expected.

Congratulations to those receiving 2023 Awards:

Fresher Sportswoman of the Year: Maddy Freeman

Fresher Sportsman of the Year: Henry Murray

Sportswoman of the Year: Brooke Elliott

Sportsman of the Year: Jack Craig

The College community congratulates those elected to the Students Club Committee and the Middle Common Room Executive for 2024. The College recognises the great work of the 2023 leaders and the efforts throughout the year to plan and implement many outstanding events.

New Students Club Committee: Senior Student – Ed Taylor; Hon Secretary – Alex Robinson; Hon Treasurer – Mitchell Arcus; Rawson Rep – Banjo Cole; Rosebowl Rep – Ami Naito; Palladian Rep – Nick Stack; House Committee – Natalie McRory; House Committee and Palladian Rep: Charles Weston.

New Middle Common Room Executive:  Middle Prefect – Jim Wong; Hon Treasurer – Samuel Zagame; Hon Secretary – Vered Lalrinpuii Chhakchhuak; Calendar Officer – Lauren Lim; House Officer – Patrick Golemo.

College thanks the 2023 office-holders:  Senior Student – Simon Toscan; Hon Secretary – Dillon Fernando; Hon Treasurer – Jack Holt; Committee – Tom Green, Sophie Jeffries, Zoe Renowden, Jonah O’Sullivan, Ollie Thorne and Toby Weston; Middle Prefect – Patrick Campbell; Hon Treasurer – Alexander Siouthas; Hon Secretary – Jim Wong; Calendar Officer – Vered Lalrinpuii Chhakchhuak; House Officer – Campbell Wilson.

by Katie Newcombe, Senior Tutor

Our seminar series for students’ future and career planning continued at the end of Semester 2 with our Careers in Government panel. Having held careers nights for students interested in medicine, engineering, law, and further study, we were delighted to share with our students the rewarding career opportunities to be found in the public service. 

On 3 October in the JCR, after our first Formal Dinner back after the mid-sem break, we welcomed a panel of dedicated NSW public servants, each from different stages of their public service careers. On the panel were: Alison Morgan, Executive Director in the Premier’s Department and long-term career public servant with over 30 years experience across multiple agencies; Emma Martinho-Truswell, Director of Strategy and Projects in the NSW Department of Education, who has worked with government agencies in both the public and private sectors for the last 20 years; and Lizzie Miller, a solicitor with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, who entered the public service as a Graduate Policy Officer, working for the Department of Education, the Minister for Education and Early Learning, before joining the Legal Development Programme. 

Discussion ranged from the type of creative and team-driven work to be found in the public service, to the flexibility working in government provides to experience a variety of projects and teams, to, crucially, the rewarding nature of government work – helping members of our broader community in direct and tangible ways. As our hope for all St Paul’s students is for them to be outward looking and servant-hearted leaders, this was an inspiring message for our young people. Students from both St Paul’s and Sancta Sophia College attended the seminar, with many students staying on after to chat to our panellists and more lively discussions and questions followed! 

The Senior Tutor, together with the Community and Development Office, are looking forward to continuing our careers panel series in 2024. They are an important educational offering for our students, whether in their 1st or final year of university study, as they think about where to take their degrees and their university and St Paul’s education. 

Shortly information will be provided to alumni who may be willing to assist in these panels and as mentors for senior students. Please contact Richard Morgan at the College if you would like to volunteer.

To conclude the social calendar of Graduate House 120 members and friends converged on Pier One Darling Harbour for a glittering formal ball on Saturday 21 October. The MCR Executive in 2023 have made a huge effort to ensure the social life of Graduate House is very much alive. From cultural and national celebrations; to gaming; to late night around-the-fire-pit or the Roof Top Terrace, ‘the house’ has been a very happy home-away-from-home for all its members who live elsewhere in Australia or have come to us from overseas.  

I count myself in nothing else so happy, as a soul remembering my good friends (Shakespeare, Richard III) 

On 25 October the members of the Undergraduate College gathered to acknowledge the 69 Paulines departing after three or more years at St Paul’s. Tributes or ‘valetes’ were made by Henry Blackwell, James Camilleri, Lucy Eyres, Fin Hancock, Alex Johnston, Hugh Kennedy, Mikey Mingay, Mathu Pushpakumar and Oliver Thorne. Alex Back proposed the Loyal Toast and Ed Taylor proposed the Toast to the Valedictorians. The Senior Student Simon Toscan proposed the Toast to the College and in doing so reminded the community of its obligations to do well in the world when they emerge from their time at Paul’s, and as future alumni, continue to take an active interest in the life of the College.