SULS Archives
Foreword
The Sydney University Law Society (SULS) is one of the oldest surviving student societies in Australia. Founded in 1902 (the year that Ada Evans graduated from Sydney Law School to become the first female law graduate in Australia), Sydney’s newspapers provide a fascinating record of its activities across the decades. From an inaugural dinner in 1904 attended by the Attorney-General and Justice Cohen of the Supreme Court of NSW, to grand balls attended by thousands of law students and lawyers alike across the middle of the century, vignettes of the society’s rich and surprising history have been assembled in a newly-updated newspaper archive. The archive also includes digitized editions of Blackacre, Dissent, Polemic and Yemaya, including Blackacre editions from the 1930s, 1940s, 1970s and 1980s. Hard copies of other editions can be found in the University’s Law Library, or in the SULS Office. SULS would like to thank the efforts of members of its 2014 and 2019 Executives, who commenced and then enlarged the assembled archive.
1910 - 1920
Elizabeth and Market Street c. 1915
In the 1910s, Australia entered World War I in 1914 on the side of Great Britain and 60,000 Australian troops lost their lives. In the same decade, Duke Kahanamoku of Hawaii introduced surf board riding to Sydney's Freshwater Beach in 1915, amazing locals and starting a long-term love affair with the sport in Australia.
1912 - Saturday 4 May, Evening News
May it please the court that the Law Society advocated for compulsorily moots to be a part of the L.L.B program.
1913 - Monday 4 August, SMH
The Sydney University Law Society 10th Annual Dinner was attended by a Justice of the NSW Supreme Court. During a congratulations speech, Mr. Justice Harvey confirmed present day suspicions that Sydney Law School has been superior to The University of Oxford for the past 100 years.
1916 - Thursday 4 May
It was announced at the Annual General Meeting that 83 men from Sydney Law School had enlisted in the army. In total the Australian army during World War I consisted of 416809 men, and 61519 were lost.
1917 - Friday 6 April, Daily Telegraph
The Annual General Meeting of the Law Society confirmed that 100 members of the Law Society were on active service, and 8 members had fallen during the year.
1920 - 1930
The construction of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge began in 1924, Sydney's opulent Capitol Theatre opened in 1928, and in the cultural life of the city, the first Archibald Prize was awarded in 1921.
1923 - Saturday 1 September, The Sun
The Supreme Court of Amusement issued a summons to all law students- ordering them to attend the Sydney University Law Society dance!
1924 - Thursday 20 November (unknown source)
Nearly a century before inter-faculty sport was conducted over Zoom, the Law School won the 1924 inter-faculty football trophy!
1929 - Thursday 16 May, Evening News
Concerns about American influence in the Australian Legal Profession are made known at a meeting of the Sydney University Law Society.
1930 - 1940
The Great Depression hit Sydney broadly, but one of the highlights was the completion of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932. On 3 September 1939 Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced the beginning of Australia's involvement in World War II.
1931- Friday 13 November, Sydney Morning Herald
Mr. Justice John Musgrave Harvey proposed a toast and exclaimed that no law school in the world was turning out men better than Sydney University Law School.
1934 - Friday 2 November, Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney Law School provided every citizen with the confidence that they would receive justice in the courts of the British Empire.
1936 - Friday 7 August, Sydney Morning Herald
To make sure everyone remembered what faculty ball they were attending, members of the orchestra performed while wearing barristers wigs.
1935 - Monday 14 October, Sydney Morning Herald
Former Dean of the Law School received a portrait thanking him for 25 years of service.
1937 – Friday 6 August, Sydney Morning Herald
Some might call it the trial of the century, where justice was served on the person who dared to arrive to Law Ball without a date!
1938 - Friday 1 April, Sydney Morning Herald
It took Blackacre many years to find its footing as a yearbook. Prior to that there was extensive debate on what form the journal should take.
1940 - 1950
The British aircraft carrier HMS Formidable in Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) in 1945
A decade defined by the Second World War, the 1940s was a time of social, political and economic change for Sydney and the world.
1941 – Thursday 29 May, The Sun (Sydney)
Prior to the creation of Facebook Events, Law Students were invited to Law Ball via a summons.
1941 - Sunday 27 July, The Sun (Sydney)
Unfortunately one cannot attend a sold out Law Ball even if they offer to bring their own table and chair.
1946 - Thursday 13 June, The Daily Telegraph
The first Law Ball after the War was a great success!
1946 - Tuesday 16 July, Daily Telegraph
Just over 1600 tickets were sold to the 1946 Law Ball with many more still hopeful to be granted entry.
1946 - Wednesday 13 March, Daily Telegraph
The Sydney University Law Society has a long standing history of listening to student concerns and advocating for the education of law students.
1946 - Wednesday 9 October, Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney University Law Society formed a war savings group during World War II.
1949 - Saturday 15 August, The Australian Women’s Weekly
Attendants of the 1949 Sydney University Law Ball
1950 - 1960
After the Second World War the Australian Government committed to a vigorous and sustained immigration program. In 1955, Australia recorded its one-millionth “New Australian” and in 1959 the population hit 10 million.
1951 - Thursday 26 July, The Sun
Law Ball attracted guests from all over the world.
1953 - Thursday 14 May, The Sun (Sydney)
Law Students stand up for their rights and demand apology against police brutality.
1953 - Wednesday 13 May, The Sun (Sydney)
Law students stand up for their rights and demand an apology against police brutality.
1954 - Friday 23 July, Sydney Morning Herald
Glitter, ballerina dresses, and more- the 1954 Law Ball was a night to remember!
