Set within an inspiring environment modelled on the traditions of Oxford and Cambridge, Graduate House provides a vibrant and intellectually rich setting where postgraduate students and academics live and work together. Members of the House engage in communal meals, attend seminars with distinguished scholars, participate in a variety of recreational and cultural activities, and build a lasting network of peers and mentors.
Postgraduate study can be demanding and all-consuming. We believe that college life enhances this experience—offering personal support, academic inspiration, and a community that nurtures the whole person.
Meals are at the heart of life at Graduate House. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are eaten together throughout the week. On Thursday nights, the postgraduate community comes together for Formal Dinner.
Throughout the year, students and the College host a variety of social events, from black-tie feasts and networking functions to karaoke nights, cheese tastings, football matches and rooftop BBQs. There’s something for everyone.
Graduate House is home to postgraduate students and academics from the University of Sydney, joined throughout the year by visiting scholars from some of the world’s leading universities.
Postgraduate study can be demanding. St Paul’s extensive extracurricular programme, including music, the arts, debating, sport and theatre, offers a creative outlet and a chance to make friends.
Shared meals—particularly breakfast and dinner—are central to daily life. These are times for genuine human connection, where conversations range from the everyday to the profound. We believe that eating together nourishes both mind and soul, and that focusing on one another is essential to building community—which is why mobile phones are not permitted in the Refectory.
The highlight of the week is the Formal Dinner on Thursday evenings. Though formal in appearance, it is above all our weekly family meal—a time for the entire House to come together and enjoy an unhurried evening of good food and good company.
A few times each year, a Feast is declared to mark a significant occasion or celebrate a shared achievement. These festive evenings are among the most memorable of the year, often featuring poetry, music, speeches, and sometimes dancing or communal singing—moments that bring the House to life in celebration.
It is home to postgraduate students enrolled in degree programmes at the University of Sydney, as well as Senior Members—career academics at the University or its affiliated teaching hospitals—who serve as mentors and leaders within the House.
Senior Members belong to the College’s Senior Common Room and contribute actively to the academic life of Graduate House, fostering a culture of critical inquiry and collegial exchange.
As part of the academically selective St Paul’s College, Graduate House upholds a long-standing tradition of peer-to-peer learning. Senior students contribute to the College’s renowned tutorial programme, gaining valuable teaching experience while supporting the academic success of their peers across both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
This includes tutorials tailored to first- and second-year MD and JD students, as well as a dedicated programme for Honours students.
A range of academic support initiatives is also available, including study groups, subject-based sessions, and workshops in writing and study skills.
The Rawson Cup (for intercollegiate men’s sport) and Rosebowl (for intercollegiate women’s sport) are both fiercely contested.
Paul’s is renowned for its sporting prowess and the large attendance and enthusiastic support given by its members at fixtures. Internal social matches – including the time-honoured tradition of ‘Tip’ (touch football) before Formal Dinner – also take place.
Outreach activities are opportunities for students to give back by engaging directly with those in need beyond these walls and fundraising. A significant number of Paulines feed and care for the homeless through agencies such as the Cana Foundation and raise money for ‘FundsFest’ which supports causes such as drought relief.
Entrepreneurship initiatives launched by Paulines in recent years include AIME, a mentoring programme for marginalised Indigenous youth and ‘threeorfourfive’, a pre-tertiary mentoring programme for Year 12 students.
Creative expression is a vital part of Graduate House and the wider College community. Each year, the House stages a theatrical production and a concert, in addition to regular performances at Formal Dinners. The annual Deans’ Writing Competition awards prizes in prose and poetry, while art competitions and gallery visits encourage both participation and appreciation of the visual arts.
St Paul’s has a proud tradition of excellence in the Palladian Cup, the intercollegiate cultural competition, which includes events in Oration, Solo and Ensemble Music, Drama, Dance, Debating, and Visual Art. You are warmly encouraged to audition and represent the College across these disciplines.
Graduate House also presents an annual play, open to both experienced performers and first-timers. Debates are held with other colleges, alumni, and faculty, and mooting has become an increasingly popular part of the academic and cultural calendar.
Music has long occupied an important place in the life of the College. Singers and instrumentalists perform throughout the year at dinners, in the Bar, in the Palladian Cup competition, and in the long-running music hall-style production of Victoriana!
Singing by all students at celebratory events is both stirring and emblematic of the spirit of the College!
The Chapel Choir, conducted by the Director of Music and accompanied by the College Organist, performs traditional and modern repertoire to the highest standards. Its principal role is to sing Choral Evensong each Tuesday evening and at other significant chapel services such as the ANZAC Day service and the Carol Service. The Choir has also presented operas and recitals at the College and toured regional NSW and the ACT.
Recently, the choir has sung at services or given recitals in churches in the UK and France, including Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, St Eustache and La Madeleine.
St Paul’s created a warm and welcoming atmosphere where I felt supported throughout my degree. As an interstate student, Graduate House made the move from Western Australia much easier and provided me with the support network I needed to thrive in my postgraduate studies.
Graduate House places you at the heart of the University, with everything you need close at hand and the freedom to focus on your work. It is also a close-knit collegiate community in which shared meals, seminars and everyday college life foster lasting friendships and a network of peers and mentors.
It has both! Every day, postgraduates share breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining hall for an informal meal. On Thursday evenings, the postgraduate community come together over a three-course meal at our weekly Formal Dinner. A highlight of the week, this centuries-old tradition is a dedicated moment for the House to come together, take a break from their work and studies, and deepen friendships.
Yes, absolutely. The mix of domestic and international students and academics is a significant part of what makes our postgraduate community so rich. Members come from all over Australia and the world, offering residents the opportunity to live and learn alongside people with different worldviews and perspectives.
We celebrate this diversity regularly through cultural dinners and events.
