A new era in community engagement began at The University of Queensland Ipswich Campus this week with the official opening of the refurbished UQ Boilerhouse.

University staff, business leaders, government and community representatives alike attended at a public celebration to mark the official opening of the refurbished site by the Mayor of Ipswich Cr Paul Pisasale on Wednesday, 29 March.

The Challinor Centre’s former engine room has been transformed to contemporary offices and community meeting space, as part of the University’s ongoing commitment to community engagement and collaboration.

Partly funded by Bremer Business Park, Swanbank Enterprise Park, Bendigo Bank and Ipswich City Council, the Boilerhouse redevelopment is a collaborative project between the Ipswich community, corporate partners and The University of Queensland.

The refurbished Boilerhouse houses the Campus’ UQ Boilerhouse Community Engagement Centre, formerly the Community Service and Research Centre, and provides a dedicated meeting place for community activity and engagement within a focused academic and research environment.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Rix said the support from Ipswich City Council, Bendigo Bank, Bremer Business Park and Swanbank Enterprise Park had allowed the University to refurbish the site and enhance its community partnerships.

“The project is a significant development for the Campus as it celebrates a strategic collaboration between university, business and government with resultant benefits to the Ipswich community,” Professor Rix said.

“Since its inception in 1999, the Campus has been focused on engagement with the local community to develop mutually-beneficial outcomes designed to enhance the region’s interaction with the University.

“The refurbishment of the Boilerhouse will mark a new era in this community collaboration for the Ipswich Campus and we are looking forward to the many opportunities and interactions this will provide.”

Professor Rix said the redevelopment would retain the aesthetic and architectural heritage of the Boilerhouse building while creating an innovative and contemporary working environment.

The Boilerhouse is a major heritage landmark, with its chimney being visible from all parts of the Ipswich Campus and beyond. Positioned in close proximity to the heart of the Campus, it was once the heartbeat of the former Challinor Centre, with its engines providing the instution’s power.

Constructed in 1913, the Boilerhouse housed two steam boilers which drove an engine that provided electrical power for the laundry and other purposes. It was a single storey building consisting of an engine room, boiler room, coal bunkers and a detached chimney stack 24 metres high.

The refurbishment includes the retention of one of the two Babcock and Wilcox boilers, as a design feature of a large breakout room and foyer area. The second boiler was donated to the Workshops Rail Museum at North Ipswich for possible use in its proposed Powerhouse development. Both boilers will remain a vital element of the site’s history, and are an important part of the region’s heritage.

Former Challinor Centre Boilerhouse staff joined with university staff, sponsors, business and community representatives at the opening, which was officiated by Professor Rix, while Cr Pisasale officially opened the Boilerhouse and speeches made by the Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Trevor Grigg and Chair of the Boilerhouse Strategic Advisory Committee Hon Dr David Hamill.