Rockhampton history: Early days of Capricornia Institute of Technology before it became CQUniversity

Take a walk back in time to see the early days of CQUniversity and how it developed over the decades as well as Rockhampton’s coloured fountain and Blackwater’s first open cut coal mine.

The year was 1967 - Australia’s Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming in heavy surf at a beach south of Melbourne and Rockhampton’s premier education facility looked like this.

The photograph below, published in The Morning Bulletin in 1967, shows the early days of Capricornia Institute of Technology before it became CQUniversity.

The early days of Capricornia Institute of Technology before it became CQUniversity.

On May 2 of that year, the institute’s first principal Dr Allen Skertchly, 37, said he aimed to develop well-balanced graduates who would not only be experts in their technological speciality, but have an appreciation of the behaviour of their fellowmen and their place in industry.

In a wrap-up of 1967 in December, The Morning Bulletin reported it was a “good year for Central Queensland” with a highlight being the institute opening its doors “bringing full-time tertiary education to the district for the first time.”

Another high point on September 13, The Bully reported, was the opening by the Governor General, Lord Casey, of the Rockhampton Art Gallery in the City Hall and a day later, the switch-on of the coloured fountain in Central Park (pictured below).

The coloured fountain with St Joseph's Cathedral in the background. Photo: Rockhampton and District Historical Society.

In industrial progress, a new cement works had commenced production at Parkhurst and there was the start of coal mining at Blackwater (pictured below).

The open cut mine at Blackwater.

As well, the Mount Morgan mine had hit new levels of open-cut production, bringing added prosperity to the town.

And The Bully also reported that “Gladstone went ahead under the impetus of its alumina refinery and the massive coal shipments through the port, and became the most thrustful town in the entire state, reaching fast for a magnificent future”.

In May of 1967, Rockhampton Mayor Rex Pilbeam told a press conference that work on the Fitzroy River barrage was expected to finish early in 1969.

Former Rockhampton mayor Rex Pilbeam.

Back to CQUniversity, check out some of the photos below showing how the education facility developed over the years.

The Decade - 1970s:

The student admin building at CQUniversity, Rockhampton, in the early 1970s.

The Decade - 1980s:

An aerial view of the CQUniversity Rockhampton campus in the 1980s.

The Decade - 2000s:

This aerial shot of CQUniversity's Rockhampton campus was published in a special The Morning Bulletin publication in 2007.

Footnote: This article was compiled with assistance from The Morning Bulletin’s 150 Years of News 1861-2011 special publication which was researched, edited and written by Sue Smith.

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