This file has the initial drawings James Birrell designed while University Architect and those by Scorer and Scorer when given the initial commission in 1966. Birrell designed several pilot plans that were very different to the final built proposal. The sketch plans Birrell presented to the Buildings and Ground committee were approved for submission to Australian Universities Commission (A.U.C.), who approved the plans on 24 January 1967.

In this file there are preliminary plans for the proposed Agriculture and Entomology Building, designed by Birrell while University Architect. Drawings:
[Item 1] 1 set of 7 colour architectural drawings with 'Preliminary' written in red ink on bottom right hand corner of each plan, ink line drawings (with colour) on paper, consisting of 2 pages of elevations and 1 plan for each floor (lower ground floor, ground floor and floors 1 to 3), originally stapled together as one volume, possibly a presentation volume, 70 x 99cm (Previously treated as 7 separtate items numbered A16.01-07).
[Items 2-3] Copies of the two elevations preliminary drawings, ink line drawings on tracing paper, no title block, sticky taped together across middle (previously numbered A16.08-09).
[Items 4-7] Copies of the floor plans from the Prelimary set of drawings (lower ground floor is missing), ink line drawings on tracing paper, title block for the University of Queensland and University Architect J. P. Birrell (previously numbered as A16.10-13).

Scorer and Scorer were initially given the commission by the Co-ordinator General of Public Works for the Agriculture and Entomology Building. With the death of Fred Scorer in 1966, James Birrell purchased his firm and with it came the commission for the Agriculture and Entomology Building. These five drawings by Scorer and Score are: [Items 8-12] ink line drawings on tracing paper, with pencil annotations, and include a Master Plan, Site usage, and Massing 1-3.

Job no. M3 Preventative Medicine Laboratory consists of 11 working drawings, ink line drawings on tracing paper, sheets are numbered sequentially 1 to 11, and dated 1964 to 1965.

Four sketch plans, dated Mar 1965, title block with University of Queensland and James Birrell as University Architect, each plan numbered sequentially from T.1/1-1 to 1-4.

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.

Incoming and outgoing correspondence, accounts and notes relating to the Preventative Medicine Laboratory at Moggill Farm (now Pinjara Hills). Decanted from larger binder in two folders.

Incoming and outgoing correspondence, memos, schedules, tables, journals, pilot sketches, reports, arranged in chronological order from 8 May 1964 to 10 May 1966. Decanted from larger binder into two folders.

Incoming and outgoing correspondence, reports, memos, minutes of meetings from the Australian Professional Consultants Council, Royal Australian Institute of Architects, United Nations Development Programme Special Fund and Australian Planning Institute from 1961 to 1968. Decanted from larger binder into two folders.

Correspondence in date order with letters lacking dates first:
[Item 1] Handwritten note to “Jim” dated 4 May, from Robin Boyd, Melbourne ;
[Item 2] Badly damaged final page of handwritten letter signed “Jonnie” ;
[Item 3] Handwritten letter to “The Pioneer”, Lucknow re Lucknow University Tagore Library (not complete) ;
[Item 4] Postcard to J P Birrell with German stamps (signature looks like HR Hitchcock ;
[Item 5] Letter to James P Birrell dated 14 Sep 1953 from E M Nicholls ;
[Item 6] Letter to Mr James P Birrell dated 28 Sep 1953 from the Shire Clerk, Wade Shire, Griffith ;
[Item 7] Letter to Mr J P Birrell dated 29 Sep 1953 from Austin Thompson, Shire Clerk, Leeton Shire Council ;
[Item 8] Letter to Mr J P Birrell dated 2 Nov 1953 from Edward F Billson of Edward F Billson & Co. Melbourne ;
[Item 9] Letter to Mr J Birrell dated 24 Jun 1955 from R E Bullock, Secretary, Senate Select Committee on the Development of Canberra ;
[Item 10] Letter to Mr J Birrell dated 29 May 1957 from William Holford, London (damaged & stained, two copies) ;
[Item 11] Letter to J Birrell dated 7 Jun 1957 from Brian Lewis, Prof Architecture, University of Melbourne ;
[Item 12] Letter to J Birrell dated 9 Dec 1957 from R B Osborn, Melbourne University Press ;
[Item 13] Letter plus documents attached from M C Sharma, Secretary, Governor’s Camp, Uttar Pradesh, dated 6 Sep 1959 including extract from “The Pioneer”, 75th Anniversary Supl dated 15 Mar 1940 ;
[Item 14] Letter to James Birrell dated 24 Nov 1959 from M Freeland, Assoc Prof, School of Architecture & Building, University of New South Wales ;
[Item 15] Letter to Mr James Birrell dated 4 Feb 1960 from H L White, Librarian, National Library ;
[Item 16] Letter to Mr James Birrell dated 16 Feb 1960 from Dustin Hadley Griffin (nephew of Walter Burley Griffin) ;
[Item 17] Letter to “Jim” dated 4 Apr 1960 from “Dick”, Ivanhoe, Victoria including listing of books collected by W B Griffin ;
[Item 18] Letter to Mr James Birrell from D H Griffin dated 11 May 1960 ;
[Item 19] Letter to D H Griffin dated 17 May 1960 from Mary Bacon, Librarian, Stinson Memorial Library, Anna, Illinois ;
[Item 20] Note to D H Griffin dated 23 May 1960 from Nancy W Boone, Assistant-in-charge, Burnham Library of Architecture giving references to published articles on Walter Burley Griffin ;
[Item 21] First page of letter to James Birrell dated 25 May 1960 from Roy A Lippincott, California (second page missing but may be next item on list) ;
[Item 22] Photocopy of very damaged second page of letter signed Roy A Lippincott ;
[Item 23] Handwritten letter to “Jim” dated 27 May 1960 from “Dick”, Victoria ;
[Item 24] Letter to Mr Roy A Lippincott, California dated 6 Jun 1930 from Mr J Birrell ;
[Item 25] Letter to Mr James Birrell dated 7 Jun 1960 from D H Griffin ;
[Item 26] Letter to The Dean, School of Architecture, Northwestern University, Illinois, dated 7 Jun 1960 from D H Griffin, Missouri ;
[Item 27] Letter to James Birrell dated 15 Jun 1960 from J Carson Webster, Prof, Department of Art, Northwestern University, Illinois ;
[Item 28] Letter to Mr D H Griffin dated 7 Jul 1960 from James Birrell, re possibility of visit of W B Griffin to Dusseldorf, Germany in first decade of this century (very poor condition) ;
[Item 29] Letter to Mr J Birrell dated 19 Jul 1960 from C W Davidson, Postmaster General, Brisbane re enquiry regarding plans for alterations to the General Post Office ;
[Item 30] Aerogram to Mr James Birrell dated 21 Jul 1960 from Nancy W Boone, Burnham Library of Architecture, Chicago ;
[Item 31] Letter to James Birrell dated 9 Aug 1960 from D H Griffin ;
[Item 32] Letter to D H Griffin dated 14 Sep 1960 from Mr James Birrell ;
[Item 33] Letter to Mr James Birrell dated 29 Sep 1960 from D H Griffin ;
[Item 34] Letter to Mr James Birrell dated 3 Nov 1960 from H L White, Librarian, National Library ;
[Item 35] Letter to the Editor, “New Mexico Architect”, dated 6 Dec 1960 from J P Birrell ;
[Item 36] Letter to Mr Birrell dated 7 Dec 1960 from J A Whelen, Honorary Secretary, The Canberra & District Historical Society ;
[Item 37] Letter to Mr D H Griffin dated 9 Dec 1960 from Mr J P Birrell ;
[Item 38] Letter to Mr James Birrell dated 30 Jan 1961 from D H Griffin ;
[Item 39] Letter to Mr James Birrell dated 22 Mar 1961 from M Turnball, Educational Manager, Longmans Green & Co, Melbourne ;
[Item 40] Letter to Mr James Birrell dated 23 Mar 1961 from Roy A Lippincott, California ;
[Item 41] Notes, pages 17 & 18, on letterhead of Roy A Lippincott, A.I.A. (2 pages annotated in ink) ;
[Item 42] Letter to Messrs Longman Green & Go, Melbourne, dated 27 Mar 1961 from J Birrell ;
[Item 43] Letter to The Manager, Georgian House Publishers dated 18 Apr 1961 from J P Birrell ;
[Item 44] Letter to Mr D H Griffin dated 24 Apr 1961 from James Birrell ;
[Item 45] Letter to Mrs Nancy W Boone, Burnham Library of Architecture, Chicago dated 25 May 1961 from Dustin H Griffin ;
[Item 46] Letter to Mr Deans, Castlecrag dated 21 Jun 1961 from J Birrell with reply in handwritten ink on same page ;
[Item 47] Handwritten note to Mr Birrell dated 4 Sep 1961 from E A Deans, Canberra ;
[Item 48] Handwritten letter to Mr Birrell dated 17 Dec 1961 from Peter Hoovison, ACT ;
[Item 49] Letter to Mr & Mrs Roy A Lippincott dated 23 Jan 1962 from J P Birrell ;
[Item 50] Letter to Mr James Birrell dated 7 May 1962 from Roy A Lippincott, California ;
[Item 51] Letter to Mr J P Birrell dated 18 May 1962 from H A Berens, Elmhurst, Illinois ;
[Item 52] Handwritten letter to Mr Birrell dated 28 May 1962 on Letterhead “Dustin Hadley Griffin, 5143 Westminster Place, Saint Louis 8, Missouri ; and
[Item 53] Letter to Mr James P Birrell dated 20 Oct 1964 from Harold Spencer, Acting Chairman, Department of the Art, Occidental College, California.

Personal documents relating to James Peter Birrell.

Architectural drawings of residential and commercial buildings, job files, incoming and outgoing correspondence, photographs and research material for his book on Walter Burley Griffin. Includes plans by Scorer and Scorer which Birrell obtained when he purchased the firm in 1966. The architectural drawings in this collection include those from his student days, his time with the Commonwealth Department of Works, the Brisbane City Council, the University of Queensland (as University Architect), and his private practices. Drawings for buildings not constructed are also in this collection.