Union College, University of Queensland
| Union College | |
|---|---|
Union College building and Oval 1 WEP Harris Oval
|
|
| Location | University of Queensland, 38 Upland Road, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | 27°30′02″S 153°00′40″E / 27.5005°S 153.011°ECoordinates: 27°30′02″S 153°00′40″E / 27.5005°S 153.011°E |
| Design period | 1940s - 1960s (post-World War II) |
| Built | 1964 - 1974 |
| Architect | James Birrell |
| Architectural style(s) | Brutalism |
| Official name: Union College | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 6 December 2004 |
| Reference no. | 602504 |
| Significant period | 1960s (historical) 1960s-1970s (fabric) 1965 ongoing (social) |
| Significant components | college - residential, trees/plantings, courtyard |
 Location of Union College in Queensland
Location of Union College in Queensland
|
|
Union College is a heritage-listed residential college at University of Queensland, 38 Upland Road, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by James Birrell and built from 1964 to 1974. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 6 December 2004.
The Union College building at the University of Queensland campus was built in five major stages between 1964 and 1972 to the design of James Birrell, Staff Architect for the University between 1961 and 1966.
Proposals for a Queensland university were first made in the 1870s, but the idea did not have strong public or government support in a new colony where tertiary education was not a funding priority. An Act of State Parliament eventually established the new University of Queensland on December 10, 1909. Sir William MacGregor, the incoming Governor of Queensland, was appointed as the first Chancellor. Before his arrival, it had been decided to purchase and renovate "Fernberg", a house at Bardon, as the new Government House and to use the vacated government residence and part of its grounds at Gardens Point for the University. This was a controversial decision and many thought that the building and domain were unsuitable and too small for the purpose. There was little room for expansion and there were conflicts with the neighbouring Brisbane Central Technical College. In 1910 the first teaching faculties were created and in early 1911 the first students enrolled, although relocation was already being discussed.
Victoria Park had been chosen in 1906 as a campus site, though the high cost of preparing the steeply sloping land for building presented problems and Yeronga Park and St Lucia were also considered as options. In 1926 the difficulty of obtaining a suitable permanent site was solved when Dr James Mayne and Miss Mary Mayne made £50,000 available to the Brisbane City Council to resume land at St Lucia and present it to the University. In 1930 the University Senate handed over Victoria Park, less eleven acres reserved for a medical school, to the Brisbane City Council in exchange for the St Lucia site.
...
Wikipedia