International House, The University of Sydney
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International House is a
residential college A residential college is a division of a university that places academic activity in a community setting of students and faculty, usually at a residence and with shared meals, the college having a degree of autonomy and a federated relationship wi ...
owned and operated by
The University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...
. Opened in 1967, the college comprised 200 undergraduate and postgraduate students from Australia and many other countries around the world. The college has suspended all operations since January 2021 until a building redevelopment can be completed.


History

In 1954 the Secretary of the Overseas Student Bureau, Margaret Briggs, prepared a report on the need for an International House. In 1955 the SRC (
Students Representative Council {{Unreferenced, date=July 2014A students' representative council, also known as a students' administrative council, represents student interests in the government of a university, school or other educational institution. Generally the SRC forms par ...
) agreed to take on the responsibility for the fundraising campaign for an IH. It was hoped that an International House would assist both Australian and overseas students with quality accommodation and an academic environment for cultural exchange. In 1959 the university appointed Mr W Harold Maze MBE, then deputy principal of the university, to the planning committee and he worked tirelessly to establish the House. His contribution was recognised in the W. H. Maze Building in 1985. It was the involvement of Rotary International that made International House a possibility. They were tasked with raising $100,000 for the Sydney IH. From as early as 1956 Rotary had expressed a commitment to assisting in the establishment of a residential hall for foreign students. Fundraising proved to be hard going but Ian Hudson, who was district governor at the time, urged the clubs in his district and the newly emerged District 268 to finish the task. Rotary's fundraising role was vital to the establishment of International House and individual rotaries and particular clubs have continued to assist in relation to matters of governance through their membership of the council as well as through fundraising and outreach programs. The official opening of the House's main building was on 16 June 1967. Upon opening, the building had the capacity to house 125 residents. Other buildings followed with the East Wing in 1972, Elkin Wing in 1979 and the Maze Units in 1985. The architect for the building was
Walter Bunning Walter Ralston Bunning (19 May 1912 – 13 October 1977) was a prominent Australian architect and urban planner. Early life Bunning was born in Brisbane. During the depression he moved to Sydney to study at East Sydney Technical College grad ...
from the firm,
Bunning and Madden Bunning and Madden is an Australian architecture and urban planning firm based in Canberra and Sydney. The firm was founded by Walter Bunning in 1945 in Sydney.Sydney: Self-published, 1970. his copy signed by partners Walter Bunning, Kevin Smi ...
, who also designed the
National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...
. The first director, Graeme de Graaff, retired in 1987 and was succeeded by Geoffrey Andrews, who held the position until his retirement in May 1999. The third director was Dr Ruth Shatford, who retired in June 2002. The current director is Jessica Carroll.


Today

Since 1967 over 6,000 residents have lived in the House, representing over 100 nationalities. Approximately 40% of residents have come from Australia, 45% have been undergraduates, 40%+ have been women and the average age of residents has been in the mid-twenties. The House offers both catered and self-catered accommodation to current
University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...
students. The catered accommodation includes 16 twin share rooms, 145 single rooms and 10 ensuite rooms. The self-catered accommodation includes six studio units, seven one-bedroom units and three two-bedroom units. One of the central aims of International House is to encourage mutual respect and understanding among residents and wider communities, and to develop authentic international perspectives, far-reaching global networks, and lifelong friendships.


Governance

The council is the governing body of International House. It consists of 4 ex-officio members, 1 Fellow of Senate, 3 members of Rotary International, 1 person from Sydney University International House Alumni Association, 3 members from the International House Members Association and up to 9 appointed members. The ex-officio members are: the chancellor, the deputy chancellor, the vice-chancellor & principal of the university and the director of International House. The council has four committees: Finance, Nominations, Development and Fellows Committee.


Current Council composition

* Steve Mark , Council ChairmanSAB QLD, Hon Doctor of Laws Macq; Creative Consequences P/L; former Legal Services Commissioner of NSW *
Belinda Hutchinson Belinda Jane Hutchinson (born 4 August 1953) is an Australian businessperson, accountant and philanthropist. Education Hutchinson graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Economics degree in 1976. Career She was a member of ...
Chancellor * Dr Michael SpenceVice Chancellor and Principal * Alec Brennan Deputy Chancellor * Jessica CarrollDirector


Members' association

International House Members' Association (IHMA) is a volunteer committee of current residents who manage social events and activities including I-Night and Food Fair. The Chair, Treasurer and Secretary of IHMA sit on International House Council meetings and are elected each year by current residents. Additional volunteer positions on IHMA include photographer, shop coordinator, food coordinator, social coordinator, environment officer and sports coordinator.


Alumni association

Sydney University Alumni Association (SUIHAA) is the representative body for 6000+ International House alumni around the world. SUIHAA manage local and international reunions, events, and programs which contribute to the wider mission of International House. The current president of the alumni association is Rosamond Madden AM.


Notable alumni and College Fellows

* Noël Bakhtian, Director, Centre for Advanced Energy Studies at Idaho National Laboratory * Harald Bergsteiner, author and leadership researcher *
Dennis Cowdroy Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is someti ...
, barrister of the Federal Court of Australia *
Lauris Elms Lauris Margaret Elms (born 20 October 1931) is an Australian retired contralto, renowned for her roles in opera and lieder and as a recording artist. Biography She was born in Springvale, Victoria, the elder daughter of Harry Britton Elms and ...
, opera singer *
Winsome Evans Winsome Joan Evans OAM BEM (born 26 October 1941), is one of Australia's premier early music specialists. Biography She received a Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree in composition from the University of Sydney, where her lecturers included P ...
, musician * Sir Nathaniel Bernard Freeman, film distributor * John Gascoigne, author, historian and academic * Lyn Woodger Grant, artist * Ian George Hudson, timber business developer and Hon. Consul-General, Thailand *
Michael Hwang Michael Hwang is a Singaporean barrister and arbitrator. In 1991, he was appointed Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Singapore. He completed his term in 1992, and in 1997 he was appointed one of the first eight Senior Counsel in ...
, barrister and arbitrator, Singapore * Daphne Kok, magistrate * Nuli Lemoh, paediatrician *
Allan Moss Allan Edward Moss (born 1949) is an Australian businessman, who was the Managing Director/CEO of Macquarie Group Ltd. Moss retired from Macquarie Group in May 2008 after 31 years, including a 15-year stint as the CEO. Prior to this Moss was a ...
, former CEO Macquarie Group Ltd. * Hon. Dr Kay Patterson , politician, academic * Gillian Polack, writer and editor *
Vaughan Pratt Vaughan Pratt (born April 12, 1944) is a Professor Emeritus at Stanford University, who was an early pioneer in the field of computer science. Since 1969, Pratt has made several contributions to foundational areas such as search algorithms, sorti ...
, computer science researcher * Joan Rowlands, medical practitioner and author * Ruth Shatford, high school principal * Nicholas Stuart, author, journalist and political commentator *
Keith Suter Keith Douglas Suter (born 1948) is an Australian consultant on strategic planning and a futurist. Suter has achieved three doctorates. The first of these was about the international law of guerrilla warfare (University of Sydney), and the seco ...
, broadcaster * Roseanne Taylor, Dean of University of Sydney Faculty of Veterinary Science * Martin Williams, film producer * Richard Wilson, former trade commissioner * Sir Harold Stanley Wyndham, Director-General of Education, NSW


References

{{coord, -33.8883, 151.1928, type:edu_region:AU-NSW, display=title Residential colleges of the University of Sydney Educational institutions established in 1967