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.

Correspondence relating to the construction of the Union College, University of Queensland St Lucia, dated from 30 Jun 1964 to 27 Mar 1968.

Correspondence relating to the construction of the Union College, University of Queensland St Lucia, dated from 2 Oct 1961 to 27 April 1965.

James Birrell was given the brief by the Union College Council to design new accommodation for students. This file has pilot plans and sketches for the College. Drawings:
[Item 1] Job I Union College - St. Lucia - Pilot plan only, ink line drawing on tracing paper, topographical lines drawn in red pen, drawing number I/1, title block with J.P. Birrell as University Architect, July 1963 (previously numbered A15.01) ;
[Item 2] Job I Union College - St. Lucia - Pilot plan only, ink line drawing on paper, with pencil annotations, drawing number I/1, title block with J.P. Birrell as University Architect, July 1963 (previously numbered A15.02) ;
[Item 3] Job I Union College - Uplands Road St. Lucia - Thumb-nail perspective pilot planning scheme, ink line drawing on tracing paper, drawing number I/2, title block with J.P. Birrell as University Architect, July 1963 (previously numbered A15.03) ;
[Items 4 - 9] Sketch plans, ink and pencil line drawings on tracing paper, no title block, no job/drawing number (previously numbered A15.04 to A15.05 and A15.07 to A15.10. A15.06 missing)

Townsville University (known as James Cook University) drawings include: Preliminary observation on land ; Townsville University College, Permanent Campus (1963) ; Townsville University College Phases 1 and 2 (1964) ; Preliminary sketch, Ross river site (1964) ; Location plan showing growth of Townsville ; Master plan ; Immediate development plan 1964-1966 ; Topographical sections ; Traffic scheme ; Access and service layout ; Landscape elements ; Townsville University ; Untitled plan ; Siting of halls of residence (1965) ; Immediate development Plan 1967-69 ; L.A. 1-7 drawings by Landscape architect A. Wilson.

Architectural and town planning reports:
[Item 1] James Birrell, 'New University Institution for Mount Gravatt Site Plan Report', March 1966 ;
[Item 2] James Birrell, 'Beaudesert Shire: Research Report and Preliminary Strategic Plan', February 1974 ;
[Item 3] James Birrell, 'Boonah Shire: Research Report and Strategic Plan', August 1974 ;
[Item 4] James Birrell, 'Great Keppel Island Resort', December 1974 ;
[Item 5] James Birrell and Partners, 'Miriam Vale: Report on Objections', February 1977.

[Item 6] James Birrell and Partners, 'A Report on the Redevelopment of the Existing Port Moresby Central Business District', October 1971] ;
[Item 7] James Birrell and Partners, 'Papua New Guinea Institute of Technology Master Plan Report', July 1972 ;
[Item 8] James Birrell and Partners, 'Report on Proposed Development Bank Headquarters at Waigani', February 1974 ;
[Item 9] James Birrell and Partners, 'Report on the Proposed Office Building of the Papua New Guinea Development Bank at the New Town Centre at Waigani', Port Moresby, nd ;
[Item 10] James Birrell and Partners, 'Report upon the Plan for Madang Town Centre Development', nd ;
[Item 11] James Birrell and Partners, 'Port Moresby Town Centre at Waigani, Volume 1: Design', nd ;
[Item 12] James Birrell and Partners, 'Port Moresby Town Centre at Waigani, Volume 2: Administration', nd ;
[Item 13] James Birrell and Partners, 'Report, Coral Sea Hotel for Steamships Trading Co Ltd', nd ;
[Item 14] James Birrell, 'Livingston Shire: Research Report and Strategic Plan', April, 1974 ;
[Item 15] James Birrell, 'Livingston Shire: The Shire and a Strategic Plan, Town Planning Recommendations', May 1974 ;
[Item 16] James Birrell and Partners, 'Policy Plan, Livingstone Shire Council', February 1978 [amendments inserted] ;
[Item 17] James Birrell and Partners, 'Policy Plan, Shire of Livingstone', May 1978 ;

[Item 18] James Birrell, 'New Shire Chambers for Maroochy Shire Council', May 1975 ;
[Item 19] Department of Works Queensland and James Birrell and Partners, 'Sunshine Coast College of Technical and Further Education, Master Plan Report', May 1978 ;
[Item 20] James Birrell and Partners, 'Shire of Maroochy, Initial Policy Plan Report', January 1979 ;
[Item 21] Gameglen and James Birrell and Partners, 'Noosa National Park Carparking Proposal', April 1987 ;
[Item 22] James Birrell et al., 'Proposed Group Title Subdivision at Pilchers Gap, Sunshine Beach for Chatport Pty Ltd', nd
[Item 23] James Birrell and Partners, 'Feasibility Study, Central Sunshine Coast Turf Racing Club', nd ;
[Item 24] James Birrell and Mack and Partners, '38 Unit Development, Memorial Avenue, Maroochydore', nd ;
[Item 25] James Birrell and Partners, 'Beachfront Towers', nd ;
[Item 26] James Birrell, 'Gateway to the Tropical North for Lahania Pty Ltd', Maroochydore, Qld, nd ;
[Item 27] James Birrell et al., 'Oxford Heights, New Town', November 1975 ;
[Item 28] James Birrell and Partners, 'Isis Shire: A Strategic Plan', November 1976 ;
[Item 29] James Birrell and Partners, 'Mitchell Town Plan', nd ;
[Item 30] James Birrell and Partners, 'Surfers Paradise Re-Development Scheme for the Chamber of Commerce', Brisbane, nd ;
[Item 31] James Birrell and Partners, 'Porta Pacifica, Marina City', nd.

Third floor level of the J. D. Story Administration Building, line drawing in ink on tracing paper, undated. Same as colour drawing in bound presentation volume.

Title block has the title J.D. Story Administration Building, University of Queensland, and University Architect J.P. Birrell. Ink line drawing on tracing paper, with pencil annotations. There are no job or drawing numbers. Dated May 1963.

Sun control data and analysis showing screening method for the period Oct 5 to Aril 20 of the J. D. Story Administration Building, line drawing in ink on tracing paper, undated. Same as colour drawing in bound presentation volume.

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.