Marking its 170th year, St Paul’s this year welcomed 151 new undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 70 schools and more than 20 countries, converging at College for what proved to be one of the most memorable Welcome Weeks yet.
Welcoming our new postgraduate community
Graduate House opened its Welcome Week on Friday 13 February with a special Commencement Feast, marking the beginning of the year for our newest postgraduate students.
From medicine to music, commerce to computer science, our 2026 postgraduate cohort brings together an extraordinary breadth of fields, backgrounds, and experience.
The Welcome Feast featured addresses from the Warden, Ed Loane, Dean of Graduates and Director of Music Jack Stephens, and Middle Prefect Isla Joyce. Students also had the opportunity to sign the College Register.
Organised by the Middle Common Room (MCR), the week that followed was packed with a enriching program of activities. Trivia nights, golf, champagne and croquet, and an Amazing Race were among the many activities that gave the cohort opportunities to connect and, for many, become acquainted with a new city.
The postgraduate Saints Cup against Sancta Sophia brought the week to a close, with St Paul’s taking the win.
Welcoming 121 new undergraduate students to College
The following Monday, 121 undergraduate first years, along with their parents, families, and caregivers, arrived through the College gates to begin their own Welcome Week.
The first day began with arrivals and a welcome from the College’s student leaders, who guided new students through their first hours on site and helped them settle in. Students toured the College, familiarising themselves with the spaces that will quickly become part of daily life, before gathering with parents to hear an address from Warden Ed Loane, Dean of Undergraduates Matthew Newcombe, and Senior Student Heidi Best.
A particularly meaningful moment followed as the newest Paulines signed the College Register, formally marking the start of their journey as members of the College community.
The day concluded with the students’ first Chapel service, dinner in the Dining Hall, and an evening at the Salisbury Bar, where new students met their peer support groups and began building connections.
The week that followed was filled with activities designed to help students find their footing both at College and across the wider campus of the University of Sydney. Orientation sessions, degree group meetings and wellbeing discussions sat alongside social events, sport and time exploring the university grounds.
Creating a Welcome Week
Throughout Welcome Week, the energy, diligence and care of the student leaders played a central role, guiding students through the traditions of the College while helping to create the welcoming and inclusive atmosphere that defines life at St Paul’s.
Building on 170 years of College tradition and history, we look forward to seeing this year’s cohort flourish, form lasting friendships, and achieve great things together.
Congratulations and welcome, class of 2026!
