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.

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 was submitted with the proposals for the Chemistry Annex and the Western Arts Building to the Australian Universities Commission (A.U.C.) in 1965, and rejected. It was to be situated behind the exiting Geology building, along Circular Drive (now named Staff House Road) between the Physics Annex and the bookshop. It was designed with basement, ground and first to fifth floors. It was resubmitted to the A.U.C. in 1966 and rejected again. This file comprises 16 plans for the proposed geology annex, including pilot plans, elevation, perspective views, floor plans for each level, as well a master planning conception drawing, massing considerations drawing and sketches of Geology annex view from Lake, the North East and from within the court (or intimate space as referred to on one of the concept drawings). One pilot plan dated March 1965.

Seventeen drawings for the Achitecture Music & Planning Building (now the Sir Zelman Cowen Building), drawn in 1973, for Job no. 335 of Nutter Stevenson & Partners. All signed off by the Office of the University Architect. Includes:
Drawing no. 2, Issue B, Site plan, drawn by AHG, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 4, Issue I, Level 3, drawn by AHG, Jan 1973. --
Drawing no. 5, Issue D, Level 4, drawn by AHG, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 6, Issue F, Level 5, drawn by AHG, Jan 1973. --
Drawing no. 7, Issue B, Roof & plant room plans, drawn by AHG, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 8, Issue B, North & East elevations, drawn by [AHG], Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 9, Issue C, South & West elevations, drawn by AHG, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 10, Issue A, Section C & W. Elevation, drawn by AHG, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 11, Issue C, Sections 'A' & 'B', drawn by AHG, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 14, Issue A, Detail sections, drawn by CH, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 15, Issue B, Detail sections, drawn by CH, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 16, Issue A, Detail sections, drawn by CH, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 17, Issue A, Large scale details, drawn by CH, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 18, Issue B, Miscellaneous details, drawn by DAN, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 19, Issue C, Room 434 details, drawn by CH, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 20, Issue C, Room 434 details, drawn by CH, Jun 1973. --
Drawing no. 25, Issue A, Stair 3 details, drawn by DB, Jun.

The collection contains correspondence, school and university records, photographs; papers, commissions and badges relating from military service in the First World War for Jack Fryer and his brothers who served in World War One. There are papers relating to the Fryer Family and the establishment of the Fryer Memorial Library of Australian Literature.