Beirne legacy continued

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Tags: centenary-edition, Graduations, law

Genevieve Beirne’s graduation from UQ’s TC Beirne School of Law would have pleased her great great uncle.

Genevieve Beirne

In April 1935, Thomas Charles Beirne, the proprietor of a large Brisbane drapery store in Fortitude Valley and Warden of the Council of the University (1928–1941), pledged £20,000 (the equivalent to about $3 million in today’s money) to establish a functioning law school at UQ.

In gratitude, the then University Senate named the school in his honour and at her graduation ceremony on December 8, Genevieve joined 155 others from the TC Beirne School of Law to receive her Bachelor of Laws (LLB).

Mr Beirne (1860-1949), rose from being a scantily educated son of a farmer in Ireland to one of the first millionaires in Australian history after emigrating here in 1883–1884. Perhaps it was his patchy education that drove him to want to sponsor and influence the educational development of his new home, the state of Queensland, and in particular, its only university at the time.

Philanthropists such as TC Beirne will be especially commemorated this year as part of Centenary celebrations.

Ms Beirne said she was delighted to have such a connection to the past and was especially proud to be the first Beirne from her branch of the family to graduate with a law degree from UQ – her great-grandfather Michael was brother to Thomas.

By Shirley Glaister

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