Although its first official records of meetings date from October 1924, the University of Queensland Academic Staff Association was founded in 1923. The first constitution was a far simpler document than its many successors with the aim ‘to promote the interests of the University of Queensland and of members of the association’. Membership was open to all teaching staff appointed for not less than five years (but changed to three in 1931).

Initially it was referred to as either the Queensland University Staff Association or the University of Queensland Staff Association (1923-1975).

From 1975, it was called the University of Queensland Academic Staff Association. In 1976 it applied to register as an industrial union.

In 1990 it joined FAUSA (Federated Australian University Staff Association) to become the University of Queensland Academic Staff Association/Branch Committee of FAUSA. In 1993, FAUSA and four other tertiary education unions amalgamated to become NTEU (National Tertiary Education Union). After the formation of the NTEU, the role of the UQASA was primarily transferring union fees collected by the University to the NTEU UQ Branch with little discussion at meetings.

The objectives of the Coalition against Racism and Repression: to protest against the Queensland Government's attacks on democratic rights, to oppose the Commonwealth Games Act and to support land rights. Group may only have been active in 1982.
Publicists - Carole Ferrier, Judy McVey, Ian Rintoul.
Notes: CARR is associated with the International Socialists and with land rights support groups.

The objectives of the Combined Campuses' Land Rights Support Group: To support the Black Protest Committee in its activities designed to focus attention on the demand for land rights at the time of the Commonwealth Games. Group may only have been active from 1982 to 1983.
Notes: Associated with the Black Protest Committee and Coalition Against Racism and Repression.

Objectives - To organize black activities for the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane with the aim of protesting against: the refusal of meaningful land rights, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Acts and Regulations of Queensland, the racist aspect of white Australian psychology, the consistent denial of human rights to Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, the destruction of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and the destruction of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.
Publicists - Budger Davidson, Les Malezer, Ross Watson.
Notes: Associated with Combined Campuses Land Rights Support Group.

The Brisbane Three were Denis Walker, Lionel Fogarty (Lacey) and John Garcia. They were arrested in 1974 and charged with various offences related to menacing and conspiracy, including an alleged plot to 'kidnap' student union President Jim Varghese at the University of Queensland. In 1975 the three were charged with intention to extort. The Brisbane Three campaign became national and ended with all charges dropped and the case thrown out.

The Brisbane Chapter of the Black Panther Party of Australia was founded on 8 January 1972 by Aboriginal Australian rights activists Denis Walker (2 December 1947 – 4 December 2017) and Sam Watson (16 November 1952 – 27 November 2019). It formally disbanded in 1982. Its objectives: - Freedom, full employment, an end to robbery by the white man of the black community, restitution to the dispossessed, land and mineral rights, decent housing, education relevant to black history and culture, exemption from military service, an end to police brutality, murder and rape of black people, freedom for blacks in gaol, all blacks to be tried by people from their peer group, United Nations plebiscite of blacks in Australia, land, bread, housing, clothing, justice and peace.
Publicists - Marlene Cummins, K. Salmon, Denis Walker.

The Black Resource Centre operated in Melbourne in 1975 but moved to Brisbane in 1976 "due to the oppressive nature of the Queensland Acts and the Struggle for land rights in North Queensland". It was set up to help build a strong and successful black liberation movement. It was used as an organisational point for the tent embassy in King George Square.

The Black Rights Committee appears to have been a University of Queensland student initiative. Its address was a P.O. Box in Toowong. Ephemera is from 1972.

The Aboriginal and Islanders Council, also, known as the Brisbane Tribal Council.
Objectives - To assist Aboriginals and Islanders in coping with all aspects of life in and around Brisbane, to promote the well-being of Aboriginals and Islanders, to encourage the education of Aborigines and Islanders, to preserve the cultures of the indigenous inhabitants of Australia and of Torres Strait Islanders and to provide premises for the Council.

Women's Community Aid Association (1973-).
Objectives - To establish a women's centre in Brisbane to provide education programmes and resources aimed at changing the sexist nature of society and to provide support and help for women with immediate problems including educational, legal, health, information and counselling services.
Publicists - J. Abbs, Gill Calvert, Jane Calvert, Jennie Harvie, Ruth Matchett, Barbara Wertheim.
Notes: The Association was responsible for the establishment of Women's House in 1973. The Women's Community Aid Association was a Brisbane-based feminist organisation founded in 1974 to advocate and agitate for women's rights, and provide health, counselling and other services to women in Brisbane.