Great Court carries military mark

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Tags: centenary, military, Quentin Bryce, St Lucia campus, summer-2010

Armed Services personnel and cadets form a Guard of Honour in the Great Court

The University has added two new sculptures to the Great Court cloister to mark its Centenary and UQ’s unique place in military history.

Unveiled by Governor-General and UQ alumnus Dr Quentin Bryce AC, the works depict the badges of the Queensland University Regiment (QUR) and Queensland University Squadron (QUS).

Dr Bryce said the artworks were a fitting acknowledgement of the ongoing contributions of UQ servicemen and women.

“So many of this University’s finest graduates hold distinguished records of service to our nation, in wartime and peacekeeping operations,” Dr Bryce said.

“To secure the badges of the University Regiment and Squadron in the timeless and stoic face of the Great Court is to secure the wisdom of what they signify.”

The QUR was established in 1932 and acts as an officer training unit of the Australian Army Reserve. The QUS operated from 1951 to 1972 and commissioned more than 1000 graduates in that time.

The sandstone badges are the creations of alumnus and University sculptor Dr Rhyl Hinwood AM, whose grotesques, coats of arms and flora and fauna carvings decorate the St Lucia campus.

Executive Officer of the Centenary Secretariat Miss Ellen Juhasz said the sculptures departed from tradition.

“The column capitals have typically been decorated with coats of arms of world universities. This change has been specially approved for the Centenary year, with the works proudly funded by alumni from both services,” she said.

Also launched during the Alumni Reunion Weekend in July was a new book documenting the architectural and social history of the iconic Forgan Smith Building.

During World War II, the building was used as a military base for the Allied Land Forces, serving as the headquarters for General Sir Thomas Blamey before being returned to the University.

The Forgan Smith: History of a Building and its People was written by Professor Clive Moore and is available at the Co-op Bookshop.

By Cameron Pegg

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