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Graduations

History

Degrees have been conferred in the name of the Senate since 1856. From that time, the Conferring of Degrees ceremony has undergone changes in name, nature and frequency.

On this webpage:

Latin formulae for the early ceremonies

Latin words spoken at the early ceremonies

The University of Sydney was incorporated in 1850. Although established as a secular institution, some of the British examples - notably Oxford and Cambridge - upon which it was modelled, were only just freeing themselves from centuries of clerical control and influence.

It is not surprising therefore that certain ceremonies adopted by this University in the 1850s should continue a tradition of quasi-religious ritual remnants in Latin whose origins might be traced back to the ecclesiastical communities of medieval universities.

The original formulae for the ceremonies of matriculation (enrolment of undergraduates), the award of prizes, scholarships and honors, and the admission to degrees (including ad eundem degrees) are set out in the early University Calendars. The formulae are all in Latin and give the words to be spoken by officials and candidates, as well as directions for the sequence or physical movements to be observed.

This practice continued until 1869.

From an article by G.L. Fischer, University Archivist, in 'The University of Sydney News', 5 February 1974.

— Read the Latin for the presentation of prizes and honours (1866 Calendar)
— Read the Latin for the conferring of degrees (1866 Calendar)

Latin testamurs presented to early graduates

The testamurs themselves were also in Latin (see below) and this practice continued until around 1880.

An 1878 testamur in Latin

An 1878 testamur in Latin, courtesy of the University of Sydney Archives.

1853 - 1858 – 'Encaenia' or annual Commemoration of the founding of the University

For the first few years the ceremony at which matriculated students were admitted, prizes and scholarships awarded and, from 1856, degrees conferred was known as the 'Encaenia' or annual Commemoration of the founding of the University. The ceremony was held in the building previously known as Sydney College (now Sydney Grammar School) and which was where the University was situated before it moved to its current location.

18 February 1856

— Read about the 1856 ceremony which was the first 'Encaenia' where the degree of Bachelor of Arts was conferred.

1859 - 1926 – The annual Commemoration of Benefactors and Conferring of Degrees

At its meeting on 17 June 1859, the Senate decided that the term ‘Commemoration’ would be used to refer to the public occasion when the names of University benefactors were announced. (The first such ceremony had been held in 1854.)

18 July 1859

— Read about the 1859 ceremony which was the first Commemoration of Benefactors and Conferring of Degrees, the first ceremony held in the Great Hall, Quadrangle, and the first time the degree of Master of Arts was conferred.

24 June 1876
Commemoration Day 1876

A view of the interior of the Great Hall on Commemoration Day 1876, with the official party including the Governor of New South Wales seated on the dais, image mp002480, a print of a wood engraving published in 'The illustrated Australian news' dated 7 August 1876, is courtesy, State Library of Victoria).

1880s - 1920s

By the 1880s the annual Commemoration of Benefactors and Conferring of Degrees had become a notable academic and social event in Sydney, held in the Great Hall usually on Saturday afternoons.

At the same time, these annual ceremonies increasingly experienced the problem of unruly student behaviour, especially during speeches. Students were noisy, flaunted faculty and other banners, and sang specially composed topical songs.

— Read about student behaviour at Commemorations of Benefactors and Conferring of Degrees.

1926 - 1927 – Separate annual ceremonies for Commemoration of benefactors and Conferring of degrees

In 1926 Senate decided to separate the ceremony of Commemoration of benefactors from the ceremony for conferring of degrees.

There was one annual ceremony for conferring of degrees in 1926 and one in 1927.

From 1928 – Multiple Conferring of degrees ceremonies each year

Since 1928, commencing with the separate conferring of degrees in Medicine, multiple degree conferring ceremonies are held annually.

Examples:

  • 1935: 2 ceremonies: Owing to the large number of graduands in the several Faculties, it was necessary to hold two ceremonies for the Conferring of Degrees. The first ceremony was held on Saturday 4 May for the Faculty of Arts. The second ceremony was held on Saturday 18 May.
  • 1958: 5 ceremonies were held on 23 January, 22 April, 1 May, 7 May and 10 June to confer degrees in the several Faculties.
  • 1967: 13 ceremonies were held in the Great Hall on 25 January, 26 January, 30 March, 5 April, 11 April, 12 April, 19 April, 28 April, 2 May, 4 May, 9 May, 10 May and 1 June to confer degrees in the several Faculties.
  • Nowadays, some 60 ceremonies for Conferring of degrees and award of diplomas and certificates - graduation ceremonies - are held annually.
    — View the current schedule here.
Special War Veterans Graduation Ceremony, 1993

A Special War Veterans Graduation Ceremony was held in the Great Hall at 11.00am on 14 May 1993. The ceremony was for those who had had to graduate in absentia because of membership of the armed service in World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

The Chancellor reported to the June 1993 Senate that the ceremony had been a great success, gaining much publicity, and that many letters had been received from those who had attended, all containing very favourable comments.

From 1991 – Overseas graduation ceremonies

The University of Sydney now holds ceremonies overseas, as follows:

  • graduation ceremonies have been held in Hong Kong since 1991 ... more
  • graduation ceremonies have been held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia since 1992 ... more
  • graduation ceremonies have been held in Singapore since 1999 ... more
  • the inaugural Presentation Ceremony in Beijing was held in 2005
  • the inaugural Shanghai graduation ceremony was in 2006 ... more
  • the inaugural Guangzhou graduation ceremony was in 2007
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