University of Queensland

Brisbane
Queensland 4072
Web address: www.uq.edu.au
ADS contact phone: +61 (7) 3365 6998
ADS contact fax: +61 (7) 3365 3591
Relevant campuses: St Lucia, Ipswich, Gatton.

Community and surrounds

St Lucia campus, Brisbane The University of Queensland’s main campus at St Lucia is located just seven kilometres from Brisbane’s vibrant city heart.

Brisbane is widely known as Australia’s Most Liveable City. It is Australia’s fastest-growing capital with a population of more than 1.7 million people and it offers a safe, friendly, multi-cultural environment.

Clear skies, warm sunny days and mild nights prevail, promoting an outdoor lifestyle. The inner city is characterised by parklands and botanical gardens, recreation precincts and beaches, cultural and convention centres, museums, art galleries, shopping districts and a host of restaurants and café’s representing many nations. Brisbane’s reputation as a friendly, modern city makes it a popular tourist destination.

The golden beaches and fun parks of the Gold Coast are a world-renowned holiday destination, just one hour’s drive south. A similarly short drive north takes visitors to beautiful Sunshine Coast beaches, National Park rainforests and tourist attractions such as the Crocodile Hunter’s Australia Zoo.

Ipswich campus, Ipswich Ipswich is home to the university’s newest campus, UQ Ipswich. Ipswich is located centrally between the Gold and Sunshine Coasts and just a 35-minute drive from the heart of Brisbane. Home to 135,000 residents, Ipswich has much to offer such as exploring heritage trails dating from the turn of the century, four-wheel-driving, bush walking, and shopping at the many antique stores or country markets.

The culturally diverse community stages a full calendar of festivals and events including the Ipswich Festival (April) and the Jacaranda Festival (October).

City facilities include an inner-city mall, a dynamic new cultural centre, restaurants and coffee shops, supermarkets, banks, doctors’ surgeries, a hospital, state-of-the-art IT based library (in addition to the UQ Ipswich campus library), golf course and show grounds.

Gatton campus, Gatton Six thousand people live in Gatton, a thriving town in the Lockyer Valley just five kilometres from UQ Gatton and 90 kilometres west of Brisbane. Toowoomba, a city of 90,000 people and regional capital of the Darling Downs, is a 30-minute drive away.

The district includes some of the richest farming land in Australia. A patchwork of irrigated cropping areas add to a picturesque landscape. Tourist attractions include lakes, picnic areas and a Visitor’s Information Centre.

The town offers many services and facilities. These include supermarkets and shops, a hospital and other medical services, restaurants, banks, library (in addition to the UQ Gatton campus library), recreational facilities, golf course and football club.

Climate

Brisbane has a subtropical climate, with an average temperature in summer of 20 to 28 degrees Celsius with very high humidity. The average temperature in winter is 11 to 21 degrees. The rainy season runs from January to March.

Cost of living and accommodation

General living costs in the Brisbane area will be around $15,000 to $18,000 per year for a single student, and $20,000 to $24,000 for students who are married and/or have children. This does not include tuition fees.

On-campus accommodation is available at St Lucia and Gatton campuses only. At the St Lucia campus, a single room accommodation will cost between $150 (for self-catering) to $250 (fully catered) per week. There is no on-campus family accommodation.

Off-campus housing in Brisbane is from $80 to $150 a person each week to share a house or apartment with two to three people. Families would expect to pay between $180 and $230 for a two bedroom apartment within walking distance of the campus.

Off-campus accommodation is generally cheaper in the Gatton area, with most students paying $60 to $80 a week to share with other students. Family accommodation is available for approximately $120 to $160 a week in Gatton town. There is off-campus accommodation available close to the Ipswich campus.

Campus descriptions

St Lucia campus (29,375 students, 4,758 international students)Bounded by the Brisbane River on three sides, the 285-acre site of gracious sandstone buildings, parklands, and lakes provides a perfect study, research and living environment. Facilities include Queensland’s biggest multimedia library plus state-of-the-art laboratories and lecture theatres. Ten residential colleges accommodate 2,500 students.

It combines the vitality of a modern campus, the friendly nature of Australian society and the culture and tradition of an established university. Comprehensive student support services for international students include special orientation programs and ongoing personal and career counselling.

Leisure options include more than 150 student clubs and societies, extensive world-class sporting venues, a shopping arcade, banks, post office, cinema, theatre, restaurants and refectories.

Ipswich campus (2,089 students, 194 international students)UQ Ipswich is located 40 kilometres west of the St Lucia campus and features the latest technology in teaching, program delivery and research infrastructure. Australia’s first purpose-built, completely web-enabled campus, it opened for teaching in February 1999 and held its first graduation ceremony on November 2001.

Learning and recreational facilities include an integrated resource centre which accommodates student administration, a health service, support services and library. Sporting facilities include a sports field, multi-purpose sports court and gymnasium.

A rapidly developing campus, UQ Ipswich has a narrow teacher/student ratio. Students are encouraged to work in partnership with staff to frame a more personal and beneficial way of learning.

Gatton campus (2,026 students, 90 international students)UQ Gatton is a 60-minute drive west of Brisbane and just five minutes from Gatton township. The 2,670-acre campus includes beautiful grounds and excellent facilities. Students work in a safe and supportive environment while enjoying the benefits of a personalised educational experience close to the major centres of Brisbane, Ipswich and Toowoomba.

UQ Gatton has a proud history of providing first-class programs to international students from more than 40 countries since the early 1950’s.

The campus features a unique mix of historic buildings, modern sophisticated laboratories and first-class agricultural field facilities. Students also benefit from access to modern lecture theatres and specialist teaching facilities. Disciplines on offer include animal and equine studies, agribusiness, environment and wildlife management, food science and technology, agriculture and horticulture.

UQ Gatton offers on-campus accommodation, a library and computer laboratory, extensive indoor and outdoor sporting facilities, cafés, a licensed club and a special under-18s club. A full range of student support services, including special assistance for international students, is available.

International student population

At the university in 2003, there were approximately 6,000 international students from more than 130 countries. In Semester 1, 2004, there were 316 ADS students. Of these, 121 students were from Indonesia, 82 from Papua New Guinea and other Pacific nations, 29 from Vietnam and 35 from Africa. Most of the remaining overseas students were sourced from countries that do not receive ADS awards such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the United States and Europe.

Family and community services

There are health care facilities on all campuses for students and their families, and dental facilities on the St Lucia campus. Brisbane has a number of public and private hospitals, medical centres and doctors. Gatton township and Ipswich have public hospitals and child health care clinics, as well as a migrant health services.

There are primary and secondary schools close to all campuses. Brisbane has a wide range of government, independent and Catholic primary and secondary schools.

The International Student Association arranges regular functions for families. Spouses may attend free adult English literacy classes. At the St Lucia campus, there are occasional activities for the partners of international students and free conversational English classes on campus several times a week.

Students and families should be aware that Brisbane, being the State's capital, offers more community facilities and employment options than the township of Gatton and the City of Ipswich. Brisbane has employment opportunities for a wide range of industries. Brisbane has ethnic groups and ethnic media to support the many multicultural communities in the city.

Childcare facilities

The St Lucia and Gatton campuses have childcare and kindergarten facilities but places are limited and students may need to look at alternatives in the local community. Demand for places exceeds supply in most childcare centres. Students are advised to enquire about vacancies as early as possible. Consideration of childcare and schooling need to precede decisions about permanent accommodation. If students would like further advice prior to arrival please contact the AusAID Liaison Officer by emailing ALO@admin.uq.edu.au. Please contact the institution for further information on costs.

Facilities for special needs

Services and facilities for students with special needs include advisory and educational services, production of alternative format print, notetaking and interpreting, participation assistance, and assistive technology and equipment. Disability Advisers assist the university community to achieve an inclusive environment through consultation, liaison and the provision of services and facilities for students.

Foods for different cultures

Brisbane has hundreds of cosmopolitan restaurants serving cuisine from all over the world. Food items of all types are available in Brisbane supermarkets and shops, from halal meat to ingredients for sushi. A variety of food items and ingredients are also available locally in the Gatton and Ipswich areas.

Religious facilities

The Chaplaincy Service at St Lucia represents Anglican, Catholic, Churches of Christ (and other Protestant denominations), Uniting Churches and the Jewish community. There is also a Muslim Students Association that produces a Muslim Students Handbook. There is an area on campus dedicated to Muslim students’ religious requirements.

At Gatton, the following denominations are represented: Anglican, Assemblies of God, Baptist, Catholic, Christian Life Centre, Churches of Christ, Lutheran, Salvation Army and Uniting Church. The Gatton Campus Christian Fellowship meets weekly. A free bus service is available on Sunday mornings to transport students from the campus to town for church services. A prayer room is available on Gatton campus for Muslim students to participate in Friday prayers.

Public transport

From the airport: The nearest international airport is in Brisbane, around 15 kilometres from the city centre. The university will collect new students at the airport and deliver them to temporary accommodation free of charge.

Getting around: Brisbane has a comprehensive public transport system with buses, trains and ferries. International students travel at concession prices. All campuses are accessible by public transport. Express bus services run between St Lucia and Ipswich, and St Lucia and Gatton campuses ($6 each way) three times a day during semester.

A rail-bus service runs between Brisbane and the centre of Gatton campus. Express coaches travelling between Brisbane and Toowoomba also stop at the Gatton campus.

At night, there are security buses on St Lucia and Gatton campuses which transport students from library facilities to adjoining suburbs. Brisbane has a network of cycling paths and the St Lucia campus is easily reached by bicycle from nearby suburbs.