2025 marks an extraordinary milestone for St Paul’s College: 40 years since Dr Jim Franklin first arrived as a resident member of the College community. This achievement sets a new record for continuous residence, surpassing even the legendary Miss Amy-Louise Hart, Matron during the Arnott years, who served for 36 years.
Jim’s journey to St Paul’s began in 1985 when he relocated from Armidale to take up a teaching position at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) (formerly NSW Institute of Technology). Advised to find accommodation nearby, he explored several university colleges—all of which had vacancies—but St Paul’s stood out for its proximity, reputation, and notably, its excellent food. He was appointed a resident tutor and joined High Table as a member of the academic community.
Jim arrived one quiet afternoon during the summer break, when the College was largely empty. With the College Porter, David Herd, unavailable, Business Manager Malcolm Harrison stepped in to welcome him and show him to his first room in Lower Radford, facing the Quad. Though his primary employment was with UTS, Jim quickly became a familiar and respected figure within College life.
During his early years, particularly in 1985 and 1986, Jim was a regular presence at High Table. He became affectionately known for his consistent preference for the colour brown—a trait that occasionally inspired good-natured chants of “brown, brown, brown” from the student body, sometimes with a descant added by one of the tables. Jim, ever composed, remained expressionless throughout. Catering was provided by Nationwide and, having now having experienced it, Jim found it to be “rather ordinary”. When Bishop Max Thomas was appointed Warden in mid 1985 he and Jim had extensive discussions about the poor quality of the food and alternative arrangements followed.
One of the more memorable episodes from Jim’s time at College involved his acquisition of a particularly large compactus. Then residing in Garnsey, he consulted with the College architects, who warned that the weight of the fully loaded unit could compromise the building’s structure—potentially ending up in the wine cellar. After much discussion, it was determined that only the newer Albert/Tower extensions could safely accommodate it. Jim was subsequently allocated two rooms in the former Law Library—one for living, and one for the compactus. He continues to reside there to this day.
Jim’s commitment to College operations has been both practical and enduring. He has played a key role in fire safety management, becoming the resident expert on evolving regulations, procedures, and alarm protocols. His long-standing service as Returning Officer for Council elections has been invaluable, and more recently, he has extended this support to the Union, overseeing elections at the Annual General Meeting.
Beyond College life, Jim has had a distinguished academic career at UTS, where he has taught and conducted research for four decades. His scholarly contributions include 12 patent families, one edited book, and numerous published papers reflecting his deep engagement with physics, mathematics, microbiology and philosophy. In 2009 Jim completed his PhD and in 2010 he was appointed Research Fellow at UTS in the Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster and was primarily working on improving the efficiency of photobioreactors for the production of algal biofuels. He was also working with the CSIRO to investigate microalgae in riverine and maritime systems. He has been a UTS Research Fellow Functional Biology and Climate Change since 2013.
Dr Jim Franklin’s presence at St Paul’s has been marked by dedication, intellect, and quiet humour. His contributions have enriched the College community in countless ways—and as he enters his fifth decade of residence, his legacy continues to grow.
