Some of UQ’s most infamous and colourful residents have been captured in a new exhibition at The University of Queensland Club.
Birds of UQ is a series of photographs taken by former long-serving staff member Trevor Heath, and features a number of familiar and not-so-familiar faces.
Ibises and scrub turkeys are on display, as are corellas, water birds, bush stone curlews, magpie geese, and shyer species like spoonbills, egrets and swallows.
Professor Heath discovered a love for photography while teaching veterinary anatomy at the University, and has recently focused his efforts on documenting the feathered inhabitants of UQ’s campuses.
“People who have got a general interest in birds and wildlife I hope will find it interesting because it shows some aspects of bird behaviour people wouldn’t see if they didn’t see it ‘frozen’ in a photograph,” he said.
“I really like to watch the whole process where they start off courting, nesting, having their young, their young growing up. That’s one of the stories that people might be interested in.”
During a University career spanning 25 years, Professor Heath occupied a number of roles including Dean of Veterinary Science, Professor of Veterinary Anatomy and Deputy President of the Academic Board. His contributions to the University were recognised with the title of Professor Emeritus on his retirement in 1988.
Professor Heath maintains links with UQ through the use of campus sporting facilities and King’s College, where he works as a mentor to its residents.
During his time as a lecturer he won several teaching awards and also has the distinction of having a room named after him in the UQ Union complex.
“The whole thrust of my working life has been helping people make the transition between school, university and the workplace and that’s very much what I do at King’s,” he said.
Although some birds were considered a nuisance around UQ, Professor Heath said his photos highlighted other behaviours that might be missed during the hustle and bustle of campus life.
“The view that I’ve developed is that we share the campus, they live their lives in their way and we live our lives in our way. In a lot of ways there a parallel between what we do and what they do,” he said.
Birds of UQ is on display until October 30.
Media: Cameron Pegg at UQ Communications (07 3365 2049, c.pegg@uq.edu.au)
