The University of Queensland, or
UQ as it is commonly referred to, was established by an
Act of State Parliament on
December 10, 1909 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of
Queensland's separation from the colony of
New South Wales.
Classes didn't commence until 1911, when 83
arts,
science and
engineering students attended classes at
Government House in
Brisbane's
George Street which had been dedicated to
University purposes.
After the
First World War the University expanded in both
research and in
teaching and outgrew Government House and the surrounding area in George Street. A larger campus was discovered at
St Lucia and in 1926 the
Univesity Senate accepted an offer from
Dr James O'Neil Mayne to purchase the the site then valued at
$120,000.
The
St Lucia area was originally used to farm suger (and thus was named after the sugar-producing insland "St Lucia" in the
West Indies) but arrowroot, cotton, maize and pineapples were also grown there.
The first actual building on the site was compelted in 1939, it was called the
Forgan Smith Building after the Queensland
Premier at the time. Due to the
Second World War this building wasn't used for academic purposes however, rather it was used as an adcanged headquarters for the
Allied Land Forces in the
South West Pacific.
It wasn't until
1948 that a major shit occured to move teching from Georoge Stree to St Lucia. This wasn't completed though unil alost 25 years later in
1972.
At present the following data is true about UQ.
Student Numbers: -Total: 31764 -Postgraduate: 6525
Student Load (EFTSU): -Total: 27 505 -International: 3612
Staff (FTE): -Total: 4666 -Academic: 1927
Teaching & Research: -Courses Offered: 5000 -Programs Offered: 360
Finance: -Annual Revenue: $500m -Research Funding: $113m
Land Holdings: -Area: 1940ha -Buildings: 304747 m2