By CAITLIN CROWLEY
THE HALLOWED halls of the University of Queensland’s Gatton campus will be a hive of activity next weekend when past students return to their old stomping ground to reconnect with friends and celebrate their achievements since graduation.
The Back to College Weekend is an annual reunion hosted by the UQ Gatton Past Students’ Association, with no shortage of talented alumni to acknowledge and catch-up with across a packed program of events.
“Most of the advancements in agriculture, including animals and plants, have been as a result of people who went to Gatton,” Students’ Association Secretary Kim Jorgensen said.
“It is just phenomenal what people from Gatton have done in their careers and are still doing.
“You can’t go anywhere without meeting someone from Gatton. We could have a reunion in every town in Queensland if we wanted to.”
What was originally the Queensland Agricultural College (QAC) was founded in 1897 before amalgamating with UQ in 1990.
Jorgensen (pictured above) shared fond memories of living on campus for four years to study a Bachelor of Applied Science in Food Technology, from 1981-84.
“That was pretty exciting for me, as far as a kid from the bush who’d never been away from home basically before,” she said.
“A lot of our social life was based around the campus in those days. Most of my friends that I still have today, I met at college.”
Jorgensen kindly dug into the archives at the Caller‘s request, unearthing some classic shots of student raft races in Lockyer Creek (pictured below); just some of the old-fashioned fun alumni would be reliving next weekend.
The Back to College Weekend will also celebrate 60 years of hockey being played at UQ Gatton, with sport being a “huge” part of student life, according to Jorgensen.
“Everyone who lived on campus virtually played something,” she said.
“The rugby union was probably the main thing people followed.”
UQ Gatton still has hockey, netball, rugby union and volleyball teams playing in regional competitions today.
Jorgensen said the reunion program includes facilities tours, an update from the university on its focus, a reunion dinner and networking opportunities.
“It’s something that we’re trying to develop with our younger group that are coming out of Gatton, to make those connections,” she said.
“That’s what we see as one of the important goals of our association – to help current students and new graduates to make those connections because it might be a bit more difficult these days than it was in our day.”
Jorgensen said while in years gone by, graduates often walked into roles at institutions such as the Department of Primary Industries, times had changed and the variety of careers pursued by graduates now was far more diverse.
For more information or to register for the event visit this website.
Thanks Caitlin – great little story! Lockyer Creek had obviously had a very recent “full” flood in that photo (Kim’s?) circa mid-late 80’s I suspect. Great days – my wife and I each had a great 4 years there in the 80’s. QAC has had a massive influence via education and networks on Queensland Agriculture/Horticulture, Food Industry, Valuation and Hospitality Management, but so many grads have expanded well out from those starts. The motto “Science with Practice” has held many of us good in “curious” real-world application of knowledge, skills and life-long learner habits gained in our time at “Gatton College”. My wife and I are driving down to Bris tomorrow for graduations of our two youngest daughters in coming days from UQ at St Lucia. They follow in footsteps of their two older siblings as UQ grads, but unfortunately(!) none in Ag or Food (my wife was a Food Tech grad from QAC, now a regional Girls’ Secondary Boarding College Principal). Maybe our next generation will produce a few that “go country” as narratives like yours share more and more of the thriving good bits of life in the country, and the wave of new and vibrant youth in our regions and remote areas drives a fresh perspective on our food & agriculture industries and rural communities. Keep up the good work! Cheers, Brendan