Though the campus' history is reasonably short (the first classes began in February 1999), the story of the 25-hectare site previously occupied by the Challinor Centre began nearly 130 years ago.
Its facilities date from the opening of the Ipswich branch of the Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum in 1878. Seventeen of the surviving buildings have been heritage-listed. Many have been restored and are now used as teaching space, computer laboratories, library space and staff offices. For details, take our
campus tour.
In 1996, the University of Queensland committed to an Ipswich campus, prompted by Federal and State Government funding promises requiring establishment of a university campus in Brisbane's western corridor. The local community had favoured the idea since the late 1800s; and pressure had been building from the 1980s.
The Challinor site was chosen in 1997. Its location on a hilltop close to the city centre, the attraction of the heritage-listed buildings and the availability of the site influenced the decision. The University wanted to combine the high-technology aspects of education in the 21st century with the heritage of the local community and the ideals of student-focused teaching.