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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Personal documents relating to James Peter Birrell.

Correspondence, research material, prints, photographs, slides and negatives relating to the biography of Walter Burley Griffin that was written by James Birrell. The book was published in 1964 by University of Queensland Press.

13 large mounted photographs:
[Item 1] 'Annerley Municipal Library, 1955';
[Item 2] 'Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery Aspley, 1959';
[Item 3] 'Toowong Municipal Library, 1958';
[Item 4] 'Centenary Pools [Centenary Pool], 1959';
[Item 5] 'Wickham terrace car park, 1960';
[Item 6] 'Staff House, University of Queensland, 1964';
[Item 7] 'Union College, University of Queensland, 1966';
[Item 8] 'J D Story Administration building, 1967';
[Item 9] J D Story Administration building, undated;
[Item 10] J D Story Administration building stairs, with David Knell written in ink on bottom right hand corner, undated;
[Item 11] 'Proposed Dental School', undated;
[Item 12] Model of unidentified building, undated;
[Item 13] Unidentified building, undated.

2 photographs, unmounted:
[Item 14 ] University of Queensland, St Lucia, aerial view, undated; and
[Item 15] 'University of Queensland, St Lucia, aerial view showing projects for 1964-66 triennium'.

Correspondence (incoming and outgoing) related to various building works designed by James Birrell as University Architect for the University of Queensland, and by his firm James Birrell and Partners. All of the building works are for the University of Queensland in the 1960s. Correspondence was housed in large binders that have been decanted into folders This correspondence has been arranged by the job when known and can span several years. Personal and business correspondence is included in this series.