University of Southern Queensland Historical Archives

02/09/2026

Our University Archivist was invited to participate in the Development Loop Podcast, created by UniSQ Human Resources.

This episode highlights our University’s rich history.

As UniSQ approaches its 60th anniversary, our Archivist shared valuable insights on our past, demonstrating how looking back can inspire future generations.

Catch the episode here:

20/08/2026

20th Anniversary of the Official Opening of UniSQ Springfield.

UniSQ Springfield campus was officially opened by the Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Honorable Julie Bishop MP on The 21st August 2006.

The campus commenced its activities with 400 students in March the same year offering undergraduate and post graduate programs from Faculty of Arts, Business, Education and Sciences.

UniSQ Springfield is a purpose-built campus in a central location that provides higher education opportunities in Brisbane’s South-western corridor.

13/08/2026

13/08/2026

Warning: Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People are advised the content may include media of deceased persons.

DDIAE received funding from the CTEC’s Aboriginal Students’ Assistance Scheme in 1986 and the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Education opened under the School of Arts.

This was seen by First Nations Australians as very important because of Toowoomba’s geographical location. In the past, First Nations Australians of South Queensland had to travel to distant centres to experience tertiary education.

The aim of the special entry scheme was to increase First Nations Australians students’ chances of success.

Kumbari/Ngurpai Lag Centre (KNL) was established on the 15th of August 1991, when it became an autonomous support unit and it was no longer connected with the Faculty of Arts. Its name means House of Learning.

28/07/2026

The UniSQ Historical Archives received the visit of the University's 60th Anniversary Steering Committee last week.

27/07/2026

On the 23rd of July 2019, the MINERVA-Australis telescope array was completed at Mount Kent Observatory. MINERVA stands for Miniature Exoplanet Radial Velocity Array, a group of 70cm aperture robotic telescopes that search for Earth-like exoplanets near our Solar system, within about 300 light-years of the Sun. It is the only facility in the Southern Hemisphere dedicated to providing ground-based observations to support NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission.
USQ researchers play a critical role in learning more about the planets that will be found by the mission, with TESS set to discover tens of thousands of new exoplanets around nearby bright stars over the coming decade.
The multi-telescope facility at Mt Kent brings together a number of partners in the search for new worlds among the stars, including the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics and the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, Mt Kent currently plays a key role in the Shared Skies Partnership between USQ and the University of Louisville.
Mount Kent Observatory is Queensland’s only professional research observatory and serves as an off-campus teaching laboratory and research facility.
For further information go to MINERVA-Australis: https://www.unisq.edu.au/study/why-unisq/unisq-stories/research-stories/minerva-australis

19/07/2026

09/07/2026

30th Anniversary of the Official Opening of Mount Kent Observatory

Mount Kent Observatory was formally opened on the 10th of July 1996 in a ceremony with 200 guests and a plaque was unveiled by astronomer Emeritus Professor Don Mathewson (former Professor of Astronomy at Australian National University and former Director of Mt Stromlo and Siding Springs Observatories) culminating a co-operative effort between the University of Southern Queensland and the University of Queensland.
Located south-west of Toowoomba, the aim of the Observatory was to help stimulate further research in Physics, particularly by post-graduate students, and involve overseas universities via the Internet allowing their students to study the Southern Hemisphere night sky in real time from their lecture rooms.
At this time, the Mount Kent Observatory comprised three observatories:
- Mt Tamborine Observatory: housed a 16inch telescope donated by Arthur Page for solar flare studies.
- Robotic Observatory: robotic automated telescope developed jointly by USQ and UQ.
- Webb Observatory: housed the original 14inch Celestron telescope.
For further information, visit Mount Kent Observatory at https://www.unisq.edu.au/study/why-unisq/unisq-stories/facilities/mount-kent-observatory