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Birrell, James, 1928- Subseries
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Student work of James Birrell

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.

Birrell, James, 1928-

Commonwealth. Department of Works

Birrell worked for the Commonwealth Works Department in Melbourne, Canberra and Darwin. There are 25 jobs represented in this subseries.

Birrell, James, 1928-

University Colleges, Townsville and Mt Gravatt

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).

Birrell, James, 1928-

Geology Annexe, Chemistry Annexe and Western Arts Building [Unbuilt]

The Geology Annex, the Chemistry Annexe and the Western Arts Building were part of a master planning concept. They shared the structural and construction concept developed by Birrell and Antony Tod (structural engineer). None of the proposals were built.

Birrell, James, 1928-

Job A2 Main Library alterations, University of Queensland

Main Library was part of the Great Court buildings designed by Hennessy and Hennessy in 1935-1936. It consisted of two floors with a glass ceiling in the light well in the centre. Main Building was designed to be extended with an additional three floors, with high ceilings and a large light well in the centre. When the Library had insufficient space for students and books it was decided to go ahead with the extension of three more floors, as specified by Hennessy and Hennessy. Birrell proposed five additional floors instead of the three, the installation of passenger lifts, fluorescent lighting, and air-conditioning. Birrell was responsible for the internal arrangement and finishes. This file comprises 15 plans for alterations and additions to Main Library. Includes: sketch of lower ground floor (now Level 1), working drawings for 1st to 5th floors (now Level 3 to Level 7), stair details and compactus shelving.

Main Library was later known as Undergraduate Library; with the construction of Central Library in 1971 its name was changed to Duhig Building; and later, around 2000, to Duhig Tower.

Birrell, James, 1928-

Job A1 Renovations to Main Building, University of Queensland

10 plans, ink line drawings on tracing paper, for renovations to Main Building (now known as Forgan Smith Building). Stage 1 comprises 5 drawings for the Law and the Thomas Thatcher Memorial Libraries with drawing numbers A1/54 to A1/58, dated Aug to Sep 1965. The Thatcher Library, established in 1948, provided services for distance education and closed in 1993. Stage 2 comprises 3 drawings for the area between the Library and Arts entrance with drawing numbers A1/59 to A1/61. There is a plan for the Language laboratory which has no job number or details in title block. The final plan is Job A1/32 Proposed mezzanine floor to printery (Library basement): Architectural plan, ink line drawing on tracing paper, 38 x 70 cm; title block has University Architect J.P. Birrell; Job/drawing number A1/32; no date.

The Shapcott press was on the lower ground floor of Main Library. During the extension to Main Library there was discussion that the printery could be housed on the bottom floor of the Main Building. This last plan seems to reflect that idea. When Main Library was extended the Printery was moved to the Industrial Centre Building, located on the corner of Services Road and Hood Street.

Birrell, James, 1928-

Agriculture and Entomology Building, University of Queensland

The Co-Ordinator General of State Works originally gave the commission for the University of Queensland Agriculture and Entomology Building (known as Hartley Teakle Building) to Fred Scorer of the firm Scorer and Scorer on 17 March 1966. After Fred Scorer's untimely death in 1966, James Birrell purchased the Scorer and Scorer firm as part of setting up his own practice. He resigned as University Architect in late March 1966. The Co-Ordinator General approved Birrell taking over the commission for the Agriculture and Entomology Building. James Birrell and Partners were the architects for the building. The site chosen for the building was to the north-west of the Great Court on the western side of Mill road. The glass houses and veterinary buildings were built. Mayne Hall, now the UQ Art Museum and the Biological Science Library and Refect were not yet built. Front Drive still ran along the front of Main Building (now Forgan Smith).

The Agriculture and Entomology Building was designed to follow the site contours, was a 'c-shaped plan' and was designed to be built in three separate stages. Each stage was designed to be complete within themselves. Stage 1 was completed in February 1969; Stage 2 in May 1970; and Stage 3 in December 1970.

The subseries consists of plans for the Agriculture and Entomology Building, Stages 1-3, on the University of Queensland St. Lucia campus. It contains preliminary drawings by James Birrell as the University Architect and Master plans by Scorer and Scorer. Stage 1 : Job B7. Stage 2 : Job B7A; Stage 3 : Job B7B. Includes: site plan, floor plans, drainage plans, elevations, sections, roof details, site works, sun control details, window details, stair details, furniture details, seminar rooms, teaching rooms, administrative rooms, staff room details, student rooms, door schedules, perspectives, preliminary plans. Engineering plans Job 3092, 3378, 3398. Electrical engineer Job 1217. Mechanical engineer Job 2040.

James Birrell and Partners

Job U Goondiwindi Clinical Centre, University of Queensland

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.

Birrell, James, 1928-

Job A41 Boatshed, University of Queensland

The Boat Club of the University of Queensland was established in 1911. Referred to as a shed in the working drawings, Birrell designed a simple building to function as an amenities building for The Boat Club. These plans were designed for submission to the Australian Universities Commission in 1965. It is located between Sir William Macgregor Drive and the Brisbane River. It is now called the Eric Freeman Boathouse. Eric Freeman, attained a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Queensland and was a valued member of the Varsity Eight (rowing) from 1921 to 1924. This file includes:
[Item 1] Boat garage sketch plan (May 1964).
[Item 2] Portal frame diagram (29 Feb 1966).
[Item 3] Job no. A41 Boat Shed Working Drawings; 8 architectural drawings; stapled together; numbered sequentially A41/1 to A41/7, with A41/5A; dated Nov 1965; drawn by J. Kershaw; University Architect is J.P. Birrell.

Birrell, James, 1928-

Student Union Precinct, University of Queensland

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.

Birrell, James, 1928-

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