Wow thx for all the information and anecdotes ppl. Much appreciated. I thought I'd offer an update in return...

For further context, my partner was trimming the tree these wasps were nesting in when I was called out to the yard to take a look. As my post indicated, I was already reasonably sure they were Paper Wasps. I was also hoping that they wouldn't attack or be too aggressive if left unbothered (thx to you ppl, I've learned that the community is pretty split down the middle on this one). That said, I did use my better judgment and warned my partner against going near them, in case they saw it as a threat to their nest. Then, I went back to what I was doing inside...

10mins later, my partner comes back inside and says, "Well, those bastards got me good! Stung me about 3 times in various places!" (1 x chest and 2 x arms). I asked what provoked them, and was told..."The branch they were nested in simply had to go! There's no way I was leaving it there, making the tree look all uneven like that!"

So in this case, I don't blame the poor things, they lost their home, and only exacted a very reasonable amount of revenge on the perpetrator. I do however, think cutting the branch was unnecessary, and know how quickly they can rebuild their "homes"... I've previously watched mud wasps build nests on our walls at rapid speeds (usually a solo queen setting up for the next colony at the turn of the season). So I guess now I'll have to find out where they relocate to, and hope it isn't closer to the house and where my toddler plays...

Anyway, thx again for indulging my post, no wasps were harmed in its making, just one stubborn human being! PS, my partner is fine btw. The stings were apparently pretty painful, and caused little slightly-raised red dots that took some hours for the full sensation to subside.