The University of Queensland (UQ) is an Australian public research university located in Brisbane, the capital city of the state of Queensland. It is one of Australia’s oldest and most selective universities, and was ranked as the 48th best university in the world in 2019 by Times Higher Education. UQ offers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs through its 11 faculties, which are organised into 35 schools and institutes. The main campus is located on a 153-hectare site in St Lucia, southwest of central Brisbane.
The University of Queensland was established in 1909 by an act of the Queensland Parliament. The original campus was situated on what is now known as Gardens Point, adjacent to Parliament House and the Brisbane River. The university’s first chancellor was Sir Samuel Griffith, who had previously served as Premier of Queensland and Chief Justice of both Queensland and Australia.
UQ rapidly outgrew its initial premises, necessitating a move to its current site at St Lucia in 1937. During World War II, UQ played an important role in supporting Allied war effort by training pilots and producing equipment such as radar equipment and depth charges; it also hosted departments from other universities that were evacuated from areas threatened by Japanese invasion. In 1949, work began on constructing the iconic Main Building which would come to define UQ’s architectural identity for decades to come; it was completed two years later.
Over the following decades, UQ continued to expand its physical footprint at St Lucia with new buildings being added for teaching, research and student accommodation purposes; today more than 200 buildings dot the scenic riverside campus. In addition to being one of Australia’s leading teaching and research institutions, UQ has also become well-known for its involvement in community outreach initiatives such as medical research programs aimed at improving health outcomes for Aboriginal Australians living in remote communities. It has also been a leader in environmental sustainability initiatives among Australian universities; since 2008 all new buildings constructed on campus must achieve a minimum 4 Star Green Star rating under the nationalGreen Star environmental rating system