Heritage Walk – a different angle on marching at UQ

THE HERITAGE WALK THIS WEEKEND is open to all interested persons … It starts at 2.30pm Saturday 27 July 2019 at Merlo’s near the Duhig Building where the University Library housed and proceeds to the  UQ Union Complex.

Supporters of Heritage listing for the student zone at UQ have scheduled a “living history” event for the St Lucia campus this Saturday — hosted by main players from tumultuous times in the past.

The Chairman of the Campaign to Save the UQ Union Complex, Jeff Rickertt, said today the weekend activity would support moves against demolition and over-building being planned by university management.

“On Saturday afternoon we will provide a walking tour of sites that became important in the cultural, political and social history of the State — now the subject of our formal Heritage initiative”, he said.

“It will include the Schonell Theatre, home of experimentation on stage and screen; the forum that saw major campaigns which changed the law on civil liberties, and the former premises of Radio 4ZZZ, a pioneer and big contributor to youth culture.

“At different stages short talks will be given by some who were there, like Dan O’Neill, a leading speaker at the forums especially on civil liberties and the opposition to South African Apartheid; the Aboriginal activist Sam Watson; Carole Ferrier, a leader in the break-through feminist movement of the 1970s; another, Anne Warner, who became a Minister in the reform government headed by Wayne Goss, and Jim Beatson, foundation Coordinator of the campus-based radio station.

“These people and many others took a lead in the eventual victory of a better way of life in Queensland, with more cultural freedom, like freedom from censorship, ending of conscription for Vietnam, and the overturning of State government bans on peaceful protest, other laws and restrictions on gay rights, racist practices or discrimination affecting women.”

An application has been made for Heritage listing of the student Union complex based around the open-air forum on the University of Queensland St Lucia campus. It takes in the Schonell Theatre, the Union building, refectory, student services building and conference centre. The university management has moved on a redevelopment scheme to demolish this historically valuable centre, replacing it with a large complex used for different purposes –no longer to be student-run.

“The State Department of Environment and Heritage is currently preparing a report and recommendation on our submission for protection of the centre, and this will go to the Heritage Council for a decision on whether to place it on the Queensland Heritage Register”, Mr Rickertt said.

Please see the full Heritage application here: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/heritage/register/applications#enter

THE HERITAGE WALK THIS WEEKEND is open to all interested persons … It starts at 2.30pm Saturday 27 July 2019