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Archival description
Subseries University of Queensland -- Buildings
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J.D. Story Building, University of Queensland

Prior to the construction of the J.D. Story Administration Building, University administration facilities had been housed within Main Building (now know as the Forgan Smith Building). Main Building had undergone many alterations in response to the changing needs of the university administration. In 1959 the Senate decided a new Administration Building should be built. Other building priorities delayed designs being drawn up. In 1962 plans were submitted to the Australian Universities Commission (A.U.C.). Changes requested by the A.U.C. delayed construction which was to be a two stage process: Stage One was completed in October 1965 and Stage Two in October 1966. Plans include: site plans, window details, detail of senate table, floor plans, electrical services plans, roof plans.

There are 6 volumes (sets/presentation volume/office copy sets) with plans as well as individual plans; the total number of plans for this building in this subseries are 281. Not all have been created by James Birrell.

New Industrial Centre at University of Queensland St. Lucia.

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.

Birrell, James, 1928-

Job A41 Boatshed, University of Queensland

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.

Birrell, James, 1928-

Student Union Precinct, University of Queensland

There are two architectural drawings, ink on paper, with the title The Union which may form part of the pilot plans for an extension to The Union Building which Birrell designed in 1962. There are 14 drawings for the Master Planning Report upon the Student Union Precinct University of Queensland, which was produced by Birrell and assistant architect Richard Stringer. This report was submitted to the Buildings and Grounds Committee in March 1966. 12 of these 14 drawings have the University of Queensland title block with J.P. Birrell as University Architect. Included with these drawings, which form part of the master plan for the precinct, are several designs for a Union Theatre. There are two pencil drawings related to the Union Theatre, without title, date, or creators. All plans are undated.

Birrell, James, 1928-

Bookshop, University of Queensland

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.

Job A24 Staff House, University of Queensland

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.

Moggill Farm, University of Queensland

In 1923 Dr James O'Neil Mayne and Mary Emelia Mayne (siblings) donated to the University of Queensland 693 acres of land at Moggill (now Pinjarra Hills) on the Brisbane River. In 1952 the Veterinary School set up an experimental farm at Moggill. At the time it was referred to as Moggill Farm.

Job U Goondiwindi Clinical Centre, University of Queensland

13 plans for the Goondiwindi Clinical Centre. The Pastoral Veterinary Centre of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, University of Queensland, at Goondiwindi opened in 1965 and closed 31 December 2011. Plans comprise:
[Item1] Job no. U Working drawings for the Pastoral Clinical Centre Goondiwindi; 1 volume of 8 plans stapled together; the first seven drawings are for Job no. U with sheets numbered sequentially from 6 to 12; dated Oct and Nov 1964; the final plan is from Consulting engineers Dardno and Davies, job/drawing number 2-629B; Oct 1964.
[Item 2] Job no. U/14 Veterinary Pastoral Centre at Goondiwindi for the Department of Clinical Studies - First laboratory block; 10 Dec 1965.
[Item 3] Drawing no. 1041 University of Queensland Pastoral Clinical Centre Goondiwindi Electrical installation, contractor is H. Platt & Associates (Consulting Engineering), dated 6 Nov 1964.
[Item 4] Drawing no. AB6033/B1 University of Queensland Qld Pastoral Clinical Centre - G'Windi. Air conditioning system, contractor is Andrew Barton & Co. Pty Ltd, dated 2 Jun 1965.
[Items 5-6] Drawings by Cardno and Davies (Consulting engineers) for the Goondiwindi Clinical Centre, dated 29 Oct 1964.

Birrell, James, 1928-

Agriculture and Entomology Building, University of Queensland

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.

James Birrell and Partners

Union College, University of Queensland : Stages 1 to 5

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.

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