By Matthew Butler
The year was 1984, and the university was called Queensland Institute of Technology (QIT) before the 1989 name change to QUT. QIT was a bustling hub of education and innovation where grand plans had been laid to ambitiously chart the course for the next 15 years. This story takes us through the wild predictions and unexpected twists that defined the development plans from 1984 to 1999.
Anticipating a massive influx of students, every inch of the campus had to be carefully planned and utilised. The “moveable access route” was introduced as a revolutionary concept – a system of moving sidewalks designed to ease congestion. Whie students eagerly anticipated the convenience of going across campus without breaking a sweat, some sceptics wondered if it was a far-fetched dream; maybe one day, it could be a reality.
To accommodate the growing student population, the community building was set to expand with additional floors and an underground lounge. However, the underground lounge failed as builders discovered the shaky floor (literally), and realised the building could sink.
Parking, however, remained a pressing issue and still is very relevant today. Known as the ‘Great QIT Parking Crisis,’ the number of cars ballooned as the student population grew.
The administration devised an innovative solution for the issue: a multi-level, gravity-defying parking structure dubbed the ‘QIT Car Park of the Future.’
Cars would be stacked vertically, held in place by an intricate system of pulleys and levers, allowing more vehicles to fit in a smaller space. Well, that was the plan, and if something like this were real, every student could drive to university. In practice, parking became a source of endless frustration and comedy.
Students could be seen craning their necks to watch their cars hoisted into the air, only to be placed on top of another vehicle. Parking, a steep $10 per day, became an endless debate in student council meetings. Some advocated for cheaper rates, while some even suggested a free amusement park ride as compensation.
Moving into the 90s was a transition period, with many ambitious projects in progress completed or wholly scraped. The much-anticipated full-size football field was completed but the location of the field garnered controversy.
As students of Kelvin Grove know, this field is on the edge of the campus, and students have dubbed it the ‘Great QUT Outfield.’ Students have and will continue to traverse the campus to get to the field. Unfortunately, the field has become more famous for mosquitoes than any other sport.
The plans for the 2000s were outrageous. This included a nuclear reactor for the chemistry department and an underground tunnel connected to a coffee shop off, KangaZoo. Despite some of the outlandish ideas that never came to fruition at QUT, the university has thrived and will continue to thrive. Students have and will continue to dream big to improve the lives of all students at the university.
