[6] As was described in the UQ student publication, Semper Floreat, in 1937, "the Society offers a unique opportunity to undergraduates to express themselves on all sorts of heterogeneous topics, to deliver their pet heresies and to slander their friends in a comparatively sheltered academic atmosphere...

In 2012 Patrick Begley, Kristen Price and Lauren Humphrey ranked 2nd after preliminary rounds at the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships (Australs).

[12] In 2012 Thomas Ashby, Alexander O'Hara, James Rigby were the runners up of the National Intervarsity Debating Championships (Easters).

In 2011 Anthony Smith and David Stephens were runners up in the Grand Final of the Australian British Parliamentary Debating Championships (Sydney Mini).

[15] In 2010 Emily Chalk, Lucy Wark and Rebecca Conrick were runners up in the Grand Final of the National Intervarsity Debating Championships (Easters).

In first semester, UQDS runs a weekly internal competition at the St Lucia Campus in the Australasian Style.

During Market Day UQDS maintains a stall, has a Show Debate and has an introductory barbecue and an O-Week party.

It regularly often performs show debates for the UQ Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, normally during the start of each semester, as well as for high schools in Queensland.

In August 2012 members performed a show debate for the National Science Week at the Queensland Museum.

In October 2012 members performed a show debate for Open Access Week at the Queensland Brain Institute.

The UQDS has conferred Honorary Life Membership via Annual General Meetings to Erin O'Brien, Evan Goldman, Kristin Price (2013), James Rigby (2017), Nicholas Salmon (2017), Alex Paterson (2018), Phil Gracen (2018), Tasman Bain (2019), Zachary Thomas (2019) and Ineka Tabrett (2023).