In 1957, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Queensland, Professor James Douglas Story, proposed a regional university college be established. This desire came to fruition on 27 February 1961 when the University College of Townsville was opened. This college became the James Cook University of North Queensland on 29 April 1970 and is now known as James Cook University.

In 1965 430 acres of bushland was set aside for a new campus in Brisbane's south in the suburb Nathan. Initially this was to be a University college of the University of Queensland but by September 1971 it was established as Griffith University.

Birrell was asked by the Co-Ordinator General of the Public Works to draw up plans for both colleges. The majority of these plans have the title block for the University of Queensland and James Birrell as the UQ Architect. This subseries contains plans for the University Colleges, Townsville (22 plans) and Mt Gravatt (23 plans).

Union College was built in five stages from June 1964 to March 1974. It consists of three buildings and two landscaped courtyards. It was built in five separately budgeted stages. Each stage included landscaping and an increase in facilities to common areas of the precious stages. The client for the construction was the Union College Council. The site, suggested by Birrell, was a narrow strip of vacant land on the south western corner of the St. Lucia campus bordered by Upland Road, Sir William Macgregor Drive and Oval No. 1. The site had many well established trees and Birrell's design retained almost all of them. There are 6 volumes of architectural drawings, 175 individual drawings making a total of 242 drawings for the Union College. Stage 1 was by James Birrell as University Architect and Stages 2-5 were by James Birrell & Partners.

Student work of James Birrell while studying at Melbourne University , as a fourth year student in 1950 and fifth year in 1951. Includes: Living quarters for old people ; Lighthouse and coastguard station ; St Judes Church of England, Carlton, Victoria ; Multistory city building ; Factory Unit ; Dairy buildings on a farm at Nar Nar Goon ; Streatham District Hospital ; City Bus Terminal ; Collins Street premises for a diamond dealer ; Road sign at the Haymarket ; Post office building, North Essendon ; Tomorrows house ; Open air theatre ; Himalayan trade bridge ; Sketchbook of notable architecture in Britain and France.

There are two architectural drawings, ink on paper, with the title The Union which may form part of the pilot plans for an extension to The Union Building which Birrell designed in 1962. There are 14 drawings for the Master Planning Report upon the Student Union Precinct University of Queensland, which was produced by Birrell and assistant architect Richard Stringer. This report was submitted to the Buildings and Grounds Committee in March 1966. 12 of these 14 drawings have the University of Queensland title block with J.P. Birrell as University Architect. Included with these drawings, which form part of the master plan for the precinct, are several designs for a Union Theatre. There are two pencil drawings related to the Union Theatre, without title, date, or creators. All plans are undated.

15 jobs with 38 plans from private practice, domestic work and competitions before Birrell started working as the University Architect at the University of Queensland. Drawings:
[Item 1] 'Brick Veneer Residence for Mr. J. P. Birrell'; Perspective and Floor plan; on Pascoe Vale Road ; ink line drawing with colour on paper ; undated ; 41 x 37 cm (previously numbered A6.01).
[Item 2] 'Brick Veneer Residence at Pascoe Vale West for Mr & Mrs J.P. Birrell 43 Greville St. Essendon' ; Elevations, Sections, Block plan, Plan ; ink line drawing with colour on paper, undated ; 26 x 48 cm (previously numbered A6.02).
[Item 3] 'Brick Veneer Residence at Pascoe Vale West for Mr & Mrs. J.P. Birrell 43 Greville St. Essendon' ; Blueprint with Elevations, Sections, Block plan, Plan ; ink line drawing on paper ; undated; 26 x 48 cm (previously numbered A6.03).
[Item 4] 'Residence for Mr J.P. Birrell at 23 Pascoe Vale Road, Pascoe Vales' ; Working drawing with Elevations, Sections, Block plan, Plan ; ink line drawing on paper ; 2 Nov 1949 ; 28 x 45 cm (previously numbered A6.04).
[Item 5] 'Residence for Mr. J. Blackie' ; Perspective and Floor plan ; ink line drawing on paper ; 1950 ; 33 x 51 cm (previously numbered A6.05).
[Item 6] 'Residence at Moreland for Mr. J. Blackie, 68 Rathmines Street, Fairfield' ; Elevations, Sections, Block plan, Ground plan ; ink line drawing on paper ; undated ; pencil annotations and stamp of Coburg City Council on back of plan ; 30 x 51 cm (previously numbered A6.06).
[Item 7] 'Brick veneer residence Oliver's Hill, Frankston, Victoria for Mr & Mrs C. Lycett' ; working drawing with Elevations, Sections, Block plan, Ground floor plan, 1st floor plan ; ink line drawing on paper ; Sep 1951 ; 37 x 58 cm (previously numbered A6.07).
[Item 8] 'House at Warrandyte' ; Perspectives ; ink line drawing with colour on paper ; 1951 ; 54 x 41 cm (previously numbered A6.08).
[Item 9] 'House at Warrandyte' ; Elevation, Location plan, Site selection, Plan ; ink line drawing with colour on paper ; Dec 1951 ; 54 x 41 cm (previously numbered A6.09).
[Item 10] 'House at Keilor East, Victoria for Mr Bryan A. Clemsen' ; Perspective ; ink line drawing on tracing paper ; Apr 1952? ; 30 x 40 cm (previously numbered A6.10).
[Item 11] 'Residence for Mr & Mrs S. Rowe at Rosanna, Vic.'; Perspective, Floor plan ; ink line drawing on tracing paper ; Oct 1955 ; 29 x 58 cm (previously numbered A6.11).
[Item 12] 'Civic Centre Canberra Development Scheme 1956' ; ink line drawing on paper ; 1956 ; 66 x 89 cm (previously numbered A6.12).
[Item 13] 'Farm Residence Mt Gravatt' ; Floor plan and Elevation ; ink line drawing on paper ; 1957 ; 46 x 50 cm (previously numbered A6.13).
[Items 14-18] 'Industrial Administration and Research Centre : The Robert and Ada Haddon Travelling Scholarship of the R.V.E.A. : "Cold"' ; Set of 4 sheets : Sheet 1, Sheet 2A, Sheet 2B ,Sheet 3 and Sheet 4 ; ink line drawings on paper ; 1958 ; 61 x 91 cm (previously numbered A6.14-A6.18).
[Item 19] 'The Robert & Ada Haddon Scholarship 'Cold' ; Site plan ; ink line drawing on paper ; 1958 ; 50 x 68 cm (previously numbered A6.19)
[Item 20] 'Bachelor house for H. Gallagher, Esq., at Woodfield Road, Kenmore' ; Working drawing ; blueprint ; Sep 1960 ; 50 x 73 cm (previously numbered A6.20)
[Item 21] 'Residence at Kenmore for H. Gallagher, Lot 42 Sunrise Hills Estate' ; Details ; blueprint ; 6 Sep 1960 ; 50 x 73 cm (previously numbered A6.21)
[Item 22] 'Residence Mr. & Mrs. J P Birrell' ; Elevations, Sections, Foundation plan, Ground floor plan, Site plan, Details ; ink line drawing on paper ; 1961 ; 49 x 76 cm (previously numbered A6.22).
[Items 23-24] 'Brick Residence Mr & Mrs S Rowe at Rosanna, Victoria' ; [Item 23] is a Working Drawing and [Item 24] is for Details ; ink line drawings on tracing paper ; undated ; approx. 25 x 56 cm (previously numbered A6.23 and A6.24).
[Items 25-29] 'Residence for Mr & Mrs J P Birrell, at 12th Ave., St Lucia' ; ink line drawings on tracing paper ; undated ; 73 x 106 cm (previously numbered A6.25-A6.29).
[Items 30-38] 'New State Hospital DOHA' ; Sheet numbers 1, 2, 2A, 3, 3A, 6-9 ; ink line drawings on paper ; undated ; 107 x 72 cm (previously numbered A6.30-A6.37, one unnumbered).

Contains 22 plans for the Contract drawing, New Industrial Centre at University of Queensland St. Lucia. Brisbane for the Co-Ordinator General's Dept, (Oct 1963), and includes: site and drainage plan, floor plans, roof plan, elevations, concrete details, steel details, furniture details, and the Gardener's Shed (Nov 1963). The drawings were done by James P. Birrell in association with Peter D. Heathwood. The plans for the industrial centre included the Maintenance shops, printery, amenities and transport building. It is located on the corner of Services Road and Hood Street. The Gardener's Shed is located on the other side of Hood Street. Demolished in November 2021.

In 1923 Dr James O'Neil Mayne and Mary Emelia Mayne (siblings) donated to the University of Queensland 693 acres of land at Moggill (now Pinjarra Hills) on the Brisbane River. In 1952 the Veterinary School set up an experimental farm at Moggill. At the time it was referred to as Moggill Farm.

While working as University Architect for the University of Queensland, the Co-Ordinator General of the Department of Public Works asked Birrell to design the campus plan for the The University College of Townsville. The College, to be an extension college of University of Queensland, was opened in February 1961. Birrell designed several of its early buildings as University of Queensland Architect.

This subseries has the designs of the University College of Townsville Library (now the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library) by James Birrell and Partners. There are several of the earlier plans in this subseries have University of Queensland in the title block and James Birrell as the University Architect with James Birrell and Partners written above the title block.

13 plans for the Goondiwindi Clinical Centre. The Pastoral Veterinary Centre of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, University of Queensland, at Goondiwindi opened in 1965 and closed 31 December 2011. Plans comprise:
[Item1] Job no. U Working drawings for the Pastoral Clinical Centre Goondiwindi; 1 volume of 8 plans stapled together; the first seven drawings are for Job no. U with sheets numbered sequentially from 6 to 12; dated Oct and Nov 1964; the final plan is from Consulting engineers Dardno and Davies, job/drawing number 2-629B; Oct 1964.
[Item 2] Job no. U/14 Veterinary Pastoral Centre at Goondiwindi for the Department of Clinical Studies - First laboratory block; 10 Dec 1965.
[Item 3] Drawing no. 1041 University of Queensland Pastoral Clinical Centre Goondiwindi Electrical installation, contractor is H. Platt & Associates (Consulting Engineering), dated 6 Nov 1964.
[Item 4] Drawing no. AB6033/B1 University of Queensland Qld Pastoral Clinical Centre - G'Windi. Air conditioning system, contractor is Andrew Barton & Co. Pty Ltd, dated 2 Jun 1965.
[Items 5-6] Drawings by Cardno and Davies (Consulting engineers) for the Goondiwindi Clinical Centre, dated 29 Oct 1964.

Comprises 16 drawings from Mar to Nov 1973 for Job E9 Biological Marine Research Station, Heron Island. These drawings were undertaken by James Birrell & Partners. Drawings include: working drawings for proposed laboratory block at Heron Island for Roche Products (10 drawings); working drawings for proposed cabins (4) at Heron Island for the University of Queensland (Affiliated with the Great Barrier Reef Committee) (5 drawings); and working drawing for workshop and fuel store.