# University of Sydney Students' Representative Council

The Students' Representative Council (SRC) is the representative body for undergraduate students at the University of Sydney. In addition to a student-elected council and student advocacy portfolios, the SRC coordinates a free legal service and caseworker service for all undergraduate students at the University of Sydney. These services provide legal, academic appeal, migration, tenancy and study advice to students.
The SRC has a reputation as Australia's most radical student union, and has been instrumental in leading student activism on a range of issues including education, feminist justice, environmentalism, First Nations justice and queer rights. The longest-running weekly student newspaper in Australia, Honi Soit, is funded by the SRC.

## Governance
### Council

The SRC is governed by the Council, which currently consists of 37 Representatives elected annually by undergraduate students. 1 Representative is elected for every 1000 undergraduate students at the University. The Council meets once a month. Motions can be presented by any student (within or without the council), and are debated on for political merit. Motions usually contain action points that can compel the SRC to commit to student issues, and advocate for student interest concerns.

### Executive

The Executive of the SRC is elected annually by the Council (bar the President), and consists of the President, Vice-Presidents, General Secretaries, and five general members, elected proportionally out of Council. Meeting fortnightly, the Executive makes most significant decisions regarding the SRC.
The day-to-day operation of the SRC is generally conducted by paid staff and paid office-bearers, being the President (directly elected by students), the Vice-President, the General Secretary, the Education Officer(s), and Women's Officer(s).

### Elections

Annual elections are held in September each year, to elect the Council, the President, 7 NUS delegates, and the editors of Honi Soit, the student newspaper. Unlike most student organisations, other office-bearers are elected by the Council, and not directly by students. All undergraduate students have a right to vote in annual elections.
Approximately 4500 students vote each year.

## History

In 1888 the establishment of the Sydney University Undergraduate Association marked the first sign of organised student government on the campus of Sydney University. The Women's Undergraduate Association was formed in 1899 and separate organisations for male and female evening students were to form some years later. In 1929 the four associations agreed to rationalize the governing of the student body, and the Students' Representative Council was established to represent all undergraduates. The first President of the S.R.C. was J. M. Gosper. The 1930/31 Annual Report acknowledges that it is 'largely to the enthusiasm and organising abilities of J. M. Gosper that the Council owes its origins.
Student government was initially concerned primarily with gaining a student voice within the official University hierarchy, and promoting student interests within the University environment. However, student leaders soon became aware of their influence within the wider community, and the scope of student politics extended to include issues of broader social and political significance. At various times student activism has been of considerable importance in moulding public opinion in Australia on issues as diverse as apartheid, the death penalty, censorship, conscription and tertiary fees.
Honi Soit is the SRC's official journal and was first published in 1929. Its longevity is perhaps unintended, as the SRC's Annual Report expressed 'doubt as to whether any useful purpose could be served by the continuation of Honi Soit' and the publication was maintained the following year on an 'experimental basis.'

## Presidents

Prominent former Presidents of the Sydney SRC include a Prime Minister of Australia, Cabinet Ministers, and Members of Parliaments, State and Federal, Justices of the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court, including a Chief Justice of New South Wales and a Court of Appeal President. Presidents of the SRC have also regularly proceeded to become Presidents of the National Union of Students.
| No. | President | Factional grouping | Term start | Term end |
| 1 | J.M. Gosper | Independent | 1930 | 1931 |
| 2 | Frank Wood Bayldon | Independent | 1931 | 1932 |
| 3 | V.J. Flynn | Independent | 1932 | 1933 |
| 4 | C.R. Laverty | Independent | 1933 | 1934 |
| 5 | J. Bowie-Wilson | Independent | 1934 | 1935 |
| 6 | D.R. Lewis | Independent | 1935 | 1936 |
| 7 | G.P. Campbell | Independent | 1936 | 1937 |
| 8 | Kevin Ellis | Independent | 1937 | 1938 |
| 9 | P.J. Kenny | Independent | 1938 | 1939 |
| 10 | W. Granger | Independent | 1939 | 1940 |
| 11 | J.H.E. Mackay | Independent | 1940 | 1941 |
| 12 | J.S. Collings | Independent | 1941 | 1942 |
| 13 | P.P. Manzie | Independent | 1942 | 1943 |
| 14 | Moya McDade | Independent | 1943 | 1944 |
| 15 | Keith Dan | Independent | 1944 | 1945 |
| 16 | Marnie Watt | Independent | 1945 | 1946 |
| 17 | John Nash | Independent | 1946 | 1947 |
| 18 | John Redrup | Independent | 1947 | 1948 |
| 19 | Ted McWhinney | Independent | 1948 | 1949 |
| 20 | Alan Beattie | Independent | 1949 | 1950 |
| 21 | Jim Brassil | Independent | 1950 | 1951 |
| 22 | Peter J. Curtis | Independent | 1951 | 1952 |
| 23 | Phillip Jeffrey | Independent | 1952 | 1953 |
| 24 | Gregory Bartels | Independent | 1953 | 1954 |
| 25 | Philip Berthon-Jones | Independent | 1954 | 1955 |
| 26 | Greg Dunne | Independent | 1955 | 1956 |
| 27 | Tony Reading | Independent | 1956 | 1957 |
| 28 | Jim Carlton | Independent | 1957 | 1958 |
| 29 | Malcolm Brown | Independent | 1958 | 1958 |
| 30 | Brian L. Hennessy | Independent | 1958 | 1959 |
| 31 | M.G.I. Davey | Independent | 1959 | 1960 |
| 32 | Robert J. Wallace | Independent | 1960 | 1961 |
| 33 | Peter Wilenski | Independent | 1961 | 1962 |
| 34 | John Boyd | Independent | 1962 | 1963 |
| 35 | Michael Kirby | Independent | 1963 | 1964 |
| 36 | Bob McDonald | Independent | 1964 | 1965 |
| 37 | Michael A. Weber | Independent | 1965 | 1965 |
| 38 | J. Richard Walsh | Independent | 1965 | 1966 |
| 39 | Geoffrey Robertson | Independent | 1966 | 1967 |
| 40 | Alan Cameron | Independent | 1967 | 1968 |
| 41 | James Spigelman | Independent | 1968 | 1969 |
| 42 | Percy Allan | Independent | 1969 | 1970 |
| 43 | Barry Robinson | Independent | 1970 | 1970 |
| 44 | Chris Beale | Independent | 1970 | 1971 |
| 45 | Chris Sidoti | Independent | 1971 | 1972 |
| 46 | Brett Mattes | Independent | 1974 | 1974 |
| 47 | John McGrath | Independent | 1974 | 1975 |
| 48 | David Patch | Independent | 1976 | 1977 |
| 49 | Peter Byrnes | Independent | 1977 | 1977 |
| 50 | Barbara Ramjan | Independent | 1977 | 1978 |
| 51 | Tony Abbott | Democratic Labor | 1979 | 1980 |
| 52 | Paul Brereton | Centre Unity | 1980 | 1981 |
| 53 | Paul Rickard | Centre Unity | 1982 | 1983 |
| 54 | John Martin | Centre Unity | 1983 | 1984 |
| 55 | Belinda Neal | Centre Unity | 1984 | 1985 |
| 56 | Mark Heyward | Liberal | 1985 | 1986 |
| 57 | Helen Spowart | Council of ALP Students | 1986 | 1987 |
| 58 | Joe Hockey | Liberal | 1987 | 1988 |
| 59 | Liz Gardiner | Left Alliance | 1988 | 1989 |
| 60 | Rod McDonald | Left Alliance | 1989 | 1990 |
| 61 | Vanessa Chan | Left Alliance | 1990 | 1991 |
| 62 | Caitlin Vaughan | Left Alliance | 1991 | 1992 |
| 63 | Amanda Lees | Left Alliance | 1992 | 1993 |
| 66 | Anna Davis | Left Alliance | 1993 | 1994 |
| 67 | Heidi Norman | Left Alliance | 1994 | 1995 |
| 68 | Nadya Haddad | Left Alliance | 1995 | 1996 |
| 69 | Catherine Burnheim | Left Alliance | 1996 | 1997 |
| 70 | Katrina Curry | Left Alliance | 1997 | 1998 |
| 71 | Adair Durie | Students First | 1998 | 10 March 1998 |
| 72 | Luke Whitington | Socialist Left | 1998 | 2000 |
| 73 | Natasha Verco | National Broad Left / Activist Left | 2000 | 2001 |
| 74 | Moksha Watts | Socialist Left | 2001 | 2002 |
| 75 | Daniel Kyriacou | Socialist Left | 2002 | 2003 |
| 76 | Jo Haylen | Socialist Left | 2003 | 2004 |
| 77 | Felix Eldridge | Socialist Left | 2004 | 2005 |
| 78 | Rose Jackson | Socialist Left | 2005 | 2006 |
| 79 | Nick Wood | Socialist Left | 2006 | 2006 |
| 79 | Nick Wood | National Labor Students | 2006 | 2007 |
| 80 | Angus McFarland | National Labor Students | 2007 | 2008 |
| 81 | Kate Laing | National Labor Students | 2008 | 2009 |
| 82 | Noah White | National Labor Students | 2009 | 2010 |
| 83 | Elly Howse | National Labor Students | 2010 | 2011 |
| 84 | Donherra (Dee) Walmsley | National Labor Students | 2011 | 2012 |
| 85 | Phoebe Drake | National Labor Students | 2012 | 2013 |
| 86 | David Pink | National Labor Students | 2013 | 20 March 2013 |
| 86 | David Pink | Sydney Labor Students | 20 March 2013 | 2014 |
| 87 | Jennifer Light | Centre Unity | 2014 | 2015 |
| 88 | Kyol Blakeney | Grassroots Left | 2015 | 2016 |
| 89 | Chloe Smith | National Labor Students | 2016 | 2017 |
| 90 | Isabella Brook | National Labor Students | 2017 | 2018 |
| 91 | Imogen Grant | Grassroots Left | 2018 | 2019 |
| 92 | Jacky He | Panda | 2019 | 2020 |
| 93 | Liam Donohoe | Grassroots Left | 2020 | 2021 |
| 94 | Swapnik Sanagavarapu | Grassroots Left | 2021 | 2022 |
| 95 | Lauren Lancaster | Grassroots Left | 2022 | 2023 |
| 96 | Lia Perkins | Grassroots Left | 2023 | 2024 |
| 97 | Harrison Brennan | Grassroots Left | 2024 | 2025 |
| 98 | Angus Fisher | National Labor Students | 2025 | 2026 |

## Politics

From the mid-1960s the SRC has been at the centre of student activism in Australia. Most activist groupings in the National Union of Students have a presence at Sydney University, such as National Labor Students (Labor Left), Socialist Alternative, Student Unity (Labor Right), the Australian Greens, Grassroots Left and the Liberals.
Since 2000 the SRC has been heavily influenced by what is now National Labor Students (formerly the National Organisation of Labor Students), the student arm of Labor's Socialist Left. Prior to that, from the late 1980s until 1997, the SRC was controlled by the Left Alliance, a former NUS faction made up of a coalition of students to the left of Labor such as Socialists, the Australian Greens, anarchists, queer activists, and environmentalists. Labor Party affiliated factions dominated the SRC presidency from 1998 to 2014. In recent years Labor's hold on power was challenged by independent/non affiliated alliances, internal conflicts within established Labor factions and the emergence of the Grassroots Left. Grassroots Left quickly developed into a national NUS faction with a presence on several campuses. A member of Grassroots, Kyol Blakeney, was elected the second Indigenous president of the University's SRC in 2014. However, in 2015 and 2016, Labor Left faction National Labor Students re-secured the SRC Presidency, in cooperation with Grassroots in 2015 and in cooperation with moderate Liberals in 2016, who supported Edward McCann for the Vice-Presidency of the SRC. However, following the election this coalition collapsed, with a broad left grouping of Labor left, Socialist Alternative, independents and Grassroots elected to all remaining positions. In 2017, Grassroots returned to the presidency, electing Imogen Grant as the 90th President of the SRC. In 2018, an independent party of international students labelled the Panda Warriors won the presidency, electing Jacky He as the 91st President of the SRC. He is the first President to have been elected on primarily the votes of international students within the university. In 2019, Liam Donohoe won the Presidency, returning the SRC to a Grassroots president. In 2020, Swapnik Sanagavarapu was elected to the SRC Presidency unopposed, leading to a back-to-back Grassroots victory. In 2021, Lauren Lancaster retained the Grassroots hold on the presidency in the largest election in USyd's history. Lia Perkins (Grassroots) was elected unopposed to the Presidency for 2023 and Harrison Brennan (Grassroots) secured the 5th consecutive year of Grassroots presidencies when he was elected as the 96th SRC president over National Labor Students' candidate Rose Donnelly.
Angus Fisher (National Labor Students) broke the Grassroots incumbency in 2024, winning the primary vote and ending five years of Grassroots presidencies. The Left bloc (Grassroots, Socialist Alternative, Solidarity and aligned Independents) lost its majority on the council in the same year as the Liberal vote share soared, with NLS (Labor Left) holding the balance of power.

## Election results
### Current composition (2023−2024)

| Student | Faction | Bloc |
| Jasmine Al-Rawi | Left Action | Left |
| Deaglan Godwin | Left Action | Left |
| Yasmine Johnson | Left Action | Left |
| Aryan Ilkhani | Lift | Liberal |
| Harrison Brennan | Grassroots | Left |
| Clare Liu | Penta | Penta |
| Jamie Bridge | Student Left Alliance | Student Left Alliance |
| Jada Khorram | Gymbros | Liberal |
| Simon Upitis | Left Action | Left |
| Maddie Clark | Left Action | Left |
| Shovan Bhattarai | Left Action | Left |
| Tamsyn Smith | Left Action | Left |
| Angus Dermody | Student Left Alliance | Student Left Alliance |
| Rose Donnelly | Revive (NLS) | Left |
| Emily Sun | Lift | Liberal |
| Lucas Pierce | Left Action | Left |
| Jack Lockhart | Revive (NLS) | Left |
| Shahmeer Hossain | Lift | Liberal |
| Grace Porter | Revive (Student Unity) | Left |
| Ivan Samsonov | Lift | Liberal |
| Keira Garland | Left Action | Left |
| Ethan Floyd | Grassroots | Left |
| James Dwyer | Revive (Student Unity) | Left |
| Eliza Crossley | Switch | Left |
| Angus Fisher | Revive (NLS) | Left |
| Bowen Gao | Penta | Penta |
| Gerard Buttigieg | Revive (NLS) | Left |
| Grace Street | Grassroots | Left |
| Martha Barlow | Grassroots | Left |
| Victor Zhang | Engineers | Engineers |
| Ned Graham | Revive (NLS) | Left |
| Sofija Filipovic | Switch | Left |
| Jordan Anderson | Switch | Left |
| Rav Grewal | Grassroots | Left |
| Cara Eccleston | Artistry | Left |
| Mary Liu | Penta | Penta |
| Ellie Robertson | Grassroots | Left |

### 2023

| Faction | Faction | Seats | Change |
| Left Action | Left Action | 9 | 1 |
| Grassroots | Grassroots | 6 | |
| Switch | Switch | 3 | |
| Amplify (NLS) | Amplify (NLS) | 5 | 2 |
| Penta | Penta | 3 | |
| Liberals | Liberals | 3 | |
| Student Left Alliance | Student Left Alliance | 2 | 1 |
| Engineers | Engineers | 1 | 2 |
| Student Unity (Labor Right) | Student Unity (Labor Right) | 2 | |
| Artistry | Artistry | 1 | |

### 2022

| Faction | Faction | Votes | Seats | Change |
| Left Action | Left Action | 400 | 10 | 9 |
| Grassroots | Grassroots | 244 | 6 | 4 |
| Switch | Switch | 185 | 3 | 7 |
| Amplify (NLS) | Amplify (NLS) | 131 | 3 | 2 |
| Penta | Penta | 129 | 3 | 2 |
| Lift | Lift | 111 | 3 | 3 |
| Student Left Alliance | Student Left Alliance | 106 | 3 | 3 |
| Engineers | Engineers | 102 | 3 | |
| Independents for Change | Independents for Change | 61 | 1 | 1 |
| Stand Up (Student Unity) | Stand Up (Student Unity) | 46 | 1 | 4 |
| Artistry | Artistry | 44 | 1 | |
| Gymbros | Gymbros | 38 | 1 | 1 |
| Colleges | Colleges | 36 | 1 | 1 |
| INTERPOL | INTERPOL | 29 | 1 | 1 |
| Your Mom (Student Unity) | Your Mom (Student Unity) | 26 | 1 | 1 |
| Lefties | Lefties | 19 | 0 | |