Category: Queensland State Archives’ Photostream About Fortitude Valley

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Opened in 1939, the University of Queensland Medical School is an imposing, three-storey, red facebrick building in a Renaissance style occupying a commanding position on the northern ridge of a sloping triangular-shaped site of over six acres in Herston Road, Brisbane adjacent to the western boundary of the Royal Brisbane Hospital.

A wide sweep of concrete stairs arrives at the main pedimented, temple-front portico entrance containing six giant order columns in a Doric order sitting on a rusticated base of arches framing the porch entrance. Two large decorative bronze lamps flank the central arch entrance to the portico which is marked by a large scroll keystone lettered above with the words “University of Queensland”.

The building is symmetrical about this entrance and rests on a rendered rusticated base, has regular bays of plain, flat-arched sash windows with rendered sills to each level and an entablature containing large

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

In the 1920s the growing University of Queensland had to look for a more spacious campus as its original site in George Street, Brisbane, had limited room for expansion. In 1927, James O’Neil Mayne and his sister, Mary, provided a grant of approximately £50,000 to the Brisbane City Council to acquire 274 acres of land in St Lucia and provided it to the University of Queensland as its permanent home.

Lack of finance delayed development of the St Lucia campus. Hence, the construction of the university’s first building in St Lucia only began in 1938. It was later named the Forgan Smith Building, after the premier of the day and it was completed in 1939. During World War II, the Forgan Smith Building was used as a military base and it served first as advanced headquarters for the Allied Land Forces in the South West Pacific.

Description

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

University reports new demand

Professions replace Arts

Professional courses are replacing Arts as the most important faculty in Universities.

This is stated in the Queensland University Senate report presented to State Parliament yesterday.

The report shows most students now want to be doctors, scientists, engineers, or dentists.

On over-all enrolment figures, the Arts faculty, with 731 enrolments, was the most important in 1950.

But 589 of these were external students, who were already engaged in outside jobs and were studying Arts in their spare time.

Enrolments for day students studying full-time were:- Medicine 558, science 271, engineering 234, dentistry 233, arts 142, and commerce 65.

The Senate says in its report that Universities are concerned about the decline in the number of students taking Arts, “or engaged in the study of what is sometimes referred to as the Humanities.”

Has big part

The report continues that the University is playing an increasing part in Queensland’s

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£1 million is needed to finish this job

By H. J. Summers

When are Queenslanders going to realise that in the new University at St. Luica they have one of the grandest conceptions of its kind in the world?

It has won international praise while yet only half-completed.

If Queensland has any sense of values there will be no slackening until the whole of this magnificent plan is brought to reality.

It comes seldom to a community to make for itself a complete university. Some of the great universities of Europe took centuries to build.

At St. Lucia, as if in recompense for the cramped and scattered existence our University has lived for 40 years, we have the opportunity to work out a finished ideal. Let us not miss it.

It is more than 14 years since the foundation stone was laid. The constructional time-table has been upset by war and the

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

New Medical School.

At University.

Construction Immediately.

Brisbane, October 1.
In announcing completion of plans for a new medical school at the University of Queensland inauguration ceremony of the Faculty of Medicine tonight, the Minister for Health and Home Affairs (Mr. E. M. Hanlon) said the construction of the building would begin almost immediately.

In an address Professor H. Wilkinson, Professor of Anatomy and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, said the people of Queensland evidently had confidence in the new medical school being established in the State, because the enrolment up to the present was very highly satisfactory. The influence of the school would be left throughout the whole of the medical profession and would provide immense power for good in lives and welfare of citizens.

Description source:
Queensland Times, 2 October 1936

View the original image at the Queensland State Archives:
Digital Image ID 2723

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Huge task

The lasting qualities of Helidon stone were tested and approved by the University Department of Geology, under the late Professor H. C. Richards. Professor Richards also selected and tested the granite for the base. He did a powerful work for the new University, as did the late Professor A. C. V. Melbourne in the days of its preliminary organisation.

Their service, along with that of the designing architects, Hennessy, Hennessy & Co., will be measured only when a history of the University is written. The designing alone has been a massive task, entailing, on a conservative estimate, 6000 separate drawings.

The main building houses the Faculties of Arts, Commerce, and Law. Spread in a semi-circle round the back of it, across a Great Court, large enough to seat 10,000 people in an assembly, will be the buildings of other faculties.

The Chemistry and Geology blocks have

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

New Physiology Building Will Speed Research

As it will be a few years before the physiology department of the University of Queensland can expect to enter its proposed buildings at St Lucia, additions are now being made to the existing department.

The existing temporary accommodation is quite inadequate for the department to carry out all its work and the State Government has approved of additions to the Pharmacy College BUilding in William Street, now occupied by the Physiology Department.

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A second air-conditioning room, laboratory ante-room and animal house are all under construction as a ground floor in the rear of the present building. In the air-conditioning rooms almost any tropical conditions can be reproduced.

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This research floor will be self-contained and will house both the human and animal investigators, who can then work in collaboration. Additional teaching accommodation will be provided on a second floor.

This will include a biochemistry

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

University Colleges

Brisbane, January 16. –
The joint appeal on behalf of Queensland University colleges has reached £29,208 with the promise of another £10,000. The objective of the fund, which is to build six new colleges on the site of the new University at St. Lucia, is £300,000. The colleges are St. John’s, St. Leos, Emmanuel and King’s for men and the Women’s College and Duchesne College for women.

The existing college buildings are old, dilapidated and scattered throughout Brisbane. In addition to the joint appeal to business firms, each of the colleges is appealing for its own funds and the State Government is giving a pound-for-pound subsidy up to £50,000 for each college.

Description source:
Maryborough Chronicle, 17 January 1951

View the original image at the Queensland State Archives:
Digital Image ID 19112

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Inspiring

It is an inspiring thing. The river sweeps round the 260-acre site, and the lay-out of buildings and grounds has been made to conform to its contour. An ornamental lake, a river drive are in the scheme. On the slopes in from of the main building, extensive tree plantations have been made. The grounds are studded with playing ovals. But it is in the buildings themselves that the most captivating effects have been wrought.

Seen from a distance, the facade is broad and low. Up close, it is massive. When the main building is completed by the construction of the Administration offices and the Great Hall, it will be more than 1000 feet long. The Great Hal, matching the library at the other end, will be as tall as a six-storey city building.

The choicest of Queensland materials are going into the work. Broad stairs leading up

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Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Gifts to University College

The fund for the new buildings of King’s College, in the University of Queensland, has benefited to date by £427 in responses from Warwick and Allora districts.

The Rev. H. H. Triggs while here recently also presented to firms the joint appeal of the six long established Colleges. A sum of £300 was contributed by the Toomaroo Pastoral Pty. Ltd.

King’s College now has £60,000 in hand or promised towards the £200,000 required. The Government is giving a £ for £ subsidy.

A recent donation to the college was a bale of inferior wool which realised £228.

Description source:
Warwick Daily News, 19 March 1951

View the original image at the Queensland State Archives:
Digital Image ID 17410

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