Campuses

Today's Griffith University is represented by six campuses that stretch from Brisbane City to the Gold Coast in Queensland's south-east corner. Our story is remarkable - yet our beginnings were humble. After several years of government discussion in the late 1960's - Theodor Bray (later Sir Theodor) was appointed the challenging task of establishing Brisbane's second university. Griffith University was to be the name of this new institution and Toohey Forest at Nathan - on Brisbane's southside - was to be the building site. As planning progressed, it was announced that Griffith University would begin teaching on the 5th March, 1975. The opening ceremony to commence teaching at our foundation campus of Nathan was attended by the Prime Minister of the time, Gough Whitlam, the then Premier of Queensland, Johannes (Joh) Bjelke-Petersen (later Sir Joh), and the Governor of Queensland, Sir Colin Hannah, who also conducted the official opening.

By the late 1980's, the Australian Government had decided that there were too many individual tertiary institutions across the country and set about an agenda of forced amalgamations. This meant that by the beginning of 1992 (only some seventeen years), our organisation had grown from a compact one campus institution in a quiet bush setting - to a major Australian university boasting four campuses and four additional institutions (Mount Gravatt Teacher's College - Mount Gravatt campus, Gold Coast College of Advanced Education - Gold Coast campus, Queensland College of Art and Queensland Conservatorium - South Bank campus) coming under the Griffith University banner. Our fifth campus (Logan) opened in 1998 and was established to specifically address the interests and needs of potential students in the Logan City Area. After an original one campus student enrollment of 451 in 1975, today nearly 50 000 students from around the world study across our five campuses via on-campus, external and digital study modes.

Teaching Commences at Mt Gravatt

February 1969, Event
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Roger Johnson Appointed Site Planner of Griffith University

February 1972, Event
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Nathan Sports Centre Completed

April 1973, Event
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Nathan Campus has its first completed School Building

November 1974, Event
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Teaching begins at Gold Coast College of Advanced Education

February 1987, Event
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Griffith University grows to include 3 campuses

September 1990, Event
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Queensland Conservatorium of Music amalgamates with Griffith University

1 July 1991, Event
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Queensland College of Art becomes part of Griffith University

1 January 1992, Event
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The new Conservatorium opens at South Bank campus

19 September 1996, Event
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A new campus for Griffith

11 December 1998, Event
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The amalgamation puzzle is finally completed

6 June 2002, Event
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The first Australian School of Dentistry in nearly 60 years opens

June 2005, Event
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The Griffith story continues...

July 2013, Event
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