UQ's timeline of significant dates

10 December 1859
Queensland was officially proclaimed a colony separate from New South Wales. 
 
10 December 1909
The University of Queensland was established by the Queensland State Government in celebration of its Golden Jubilee on Proclamation Day. At an inauguration ceremony at what is now Old Government House in George Street, Brisbane City, the Governor of Queensland, Sir William MacGregor, gave assent to the University of Queensland Act 1909.  Amongst the large crowd in attendance, hopes were high for this birthday gift to the people of Queensland.  The Governor’s residence, Government House, was dedicated to the use of the fledgling institution and Lady MacGregor planted the original University Tree (Ficus benjamina). The signing of the Act and the planting of the tree are depicted in friezes on the central tower of the Forgan Smith Building at the St Lucia campus.

16 April 1910
The names of the members of the first Senate were published in the Queensland Government Gazette and the work of creating the University commenced.   Under the University of Queensland Act 1909, the University was deemed to be constituted from the date of publication of the membership of the Senate.

22 April 1910

The first meeting of the University’s Senate was held at Parliament House. 

by March 1911

Members of staff had been appointed, programs of study had been designed and the first cohort of University of Queensland students had commenced their studies.

1926

Dr James O’Neil Mayne and his sister, Miss Mary Emelia Mayne, provide £55,000 to the Brisbane City Council to resume 210 acres of riverside land at St Lucia and give the University an option to accept the area as a site for the University. In accepting, the Senate relinquishes to the Council the land held at Victoria Park, reserving to itself a small portion for the future medical school.

1948

The move from George Street to St Lucia begins and is completed in 1972.

1990

The University of Queensland consolidates with Queensland Agricultural College (now UQ Gatton, a 1068ha campus 80km west of Brisbane) as part of a unified national system abolishing the binary system of universities and colleges of advanced education.

1999

UQ Ipswich opens as one of Australia’s first totally Web-enabled campuses and about 500 students commence studies.
 
Read more about UQ’s history
You can read more about the history of the University, in the History section of this site or on the UQ website. 

The University's Fryer Library also holds a number of images and recordings from UQ's past, including video footage from the 1974 floods and promotional videos from 1957 and 1966.

 

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