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 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).