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.

The Agriculture and Entomology Building was built in three stages. This file comprises drawings for Stage 1 and some have the Job no. B7. Almost all are ink line drawings on tracing paper. Drawings are:
[Item 1] 'B7 Details of services hanger, Agriculture and Entomology Building Stage 1', Job no. B7, undated (no prior number);
[Item 2] 'B7 Detailed plan controlled environment cabinet rooms : Agriculture and Entomology Building Stage 1', Job no. B7, Jun 1969 (previously numbered A16.95);
[Item 3] 'Landscaping plan : Agriculture and Entomology Building Stage One', undated (previously numbered A16.97);
[Item 4] Piping details, pencil line drawing on tracing paper, undated (previously numbered A16.82);
[Item 5] Roofing details, undated (previously numbered A16.84);
[Item 6] 'Equipment cover, Cooling tower fence, undated (previously numbered A16.85);
[Item 7] 'Details of services hanger below mezzanine floor : Agriculture and Entomology Building', undated (previously numbered A16.86);
[Item 8] 'Hanger detail below mezzanine floor : Agriculture and Entomology Building', undated (previously numbered A16.87); and
[Item 9] Deatils for sun on North, South East and East Walls, pencil line drawing on tracing paper, undated (previously numbered A16.88).

The Agriculture and Entomology Building was built in three stages. This file comprises three jobs for The Agriculture and Entomology Building by James Birrell & Partners (Architect) and Antony Tod & Partners (Consulting Structural Engineers). Drawings are ink line drawings on paper:
[Item 1] Sections, Drawing no. 2040-SK1, dated Oct 1966, (previously numberd A16.98);
[Item 2] '2nd floor plan : Proposed Agriculture and Entomology Building Stage Two', Drawing no. 3092-1, dated Sep 1969, (previously numberd A16.99);
[Item 3] 'Roof plan : Proposed Agriculture and Entomology Building Stage Two', Drawing no. 3092-2, dated Sep 1969, (previously numberd A16.100);
[Item 4] 'Beam details : Proposed Agriculture and Entomology Building Stage Two', Drawing no. 3092-3, dated Sep 1969, (previously numberd A16.101);
[Item 5] 'Plan at second floor mezzanine : Proposed Agriculture and Entomology Building Stage Two', Drawing no. 3092-5, dated Sep 1969, (previously numberd A16.102);
[Item 6] 'Roof over south main stairs : Proposed Agriculture and Entomology Building Stage Two', Drawing no. 3092-6, undated, (previously numberd A16.103);
[Item 7] 'Sections thru south fire escape & main stairs : Proposed Agriculture and Entomology Building Stage Two', Drawing no. 3092-7, Sep 1969, (previously numberd A16.104);
[Item 8] 'Proposed Agriculture and Entomology Building Stage Three', 1 volume of 5 architectural drawings stapled together, Drawing no. 3398 followed by a running sheet number from 1 to 5, all dated May 1970, (previously treated as 5 separate items numbered A16.105-108, with number A16.108 duplicated)

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.

On 11 November 1958, Harrison Bryan, University Librarian and Honorary Secretary of the Staff Association communicated to the Registrar of the intention to have Staff House, similar to what existed at other Australian Universities. After Birrell commenced work as the University Architect in July 1961, he produced several designs of varying budgets. However site selection, funding, its low priority and frequent delays in construction did not see the building completed until after Birrell resigned as University Architect in March 1966. The building was completed by his replacement, Mr. K.S. Crump. On 20th April 1966 the club was formally invited to occupy the Staff House. Due to the volume of work done by Birrell, he was offered Honorary Life Membership and the Common Room was renamed the James Birrell Room.
There are five drawings with the Job no. A24, dated 1964. Three drawings are by James Birrell and Partners from 1966, 1971 and 1974. Some drawings have no title block information. Most drawings are by other contractors.

Located between the Great Court buildings and Circular Drive (now Staff House Road), the Bookshop was built in 1957. In September 1963 Birrell, as University Architect, design a small internal refit of which there is one drawing in this subseries: Job/Sheet no. A4/33. Further additions and alterations to the Bookshop were designed by James Birrell and Partners in 1970-1972 ( Job no. B97 and unnumbered drawings), and these make up the bulk of the drawings in this subseries as well as some done in collaboration with contractors.

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.

Client: Queensland. Department of Co-Ordinator General of Public Works. Most drawings have a print copy on paper. Some drawings have 2-3 versions (A, B, C).

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.

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.