Although the majority of Rockhampton citizens are aware that CQU occupies city buildings, most people are unsure exactly how these building are utilised.

The CQU Foundation will conduct a tour of the city campus next Wednesday, 16 April, to give the Rockhampton public a glimpse of the workings of some of the University Faculties and divisions that occupy the buildings, as well as an opportunity to see inside areas not usually open to the public.

The tour will also include Rockhampton’s operational courthouse, the Virgil Power building, to allow the public to view an area not usually visited by the average law abiding citizen.

The tour will begin at the Faculty of Education and Creative Arts, Early Childhood Centre on Quay Street, housed in a building that is believed to have begun its life as a Warehouse servicing the busy river trade.

From there we will get a ‘before’ snapshot inside the Rockhampton Post Office. Rockhampton based Bauhinia Architects in partnership with specialist conservation firm Allom Lovell Architects, based in Brisbane have just been appointed to provide consultancy and project management services for the restoration and fit-out of the post office building.

It was announced last year that the post office will become the new headquarters for the recently launched Central Queensland Regional Health Partnership and will also house staff from several CQU departments.

CQU Foundation has donated the use of the building plus an additional $2.25 million to the project. With financial support from industry, local business and individuals the $3 million refurbishment and renovation of the landmark structure is now moving ahead.

The CQ Regional Health Partnership has as its partners, CQU Foundation, Mercy Health and Aged Care CQ, The University of Qld through its Rural Clinical School. and is supported by Queensland Health, Rockhampton Division.

The architects will prepare a project plan to restore the fagade of the post office and prepare the interior for the fit-out. The follow-up phase will involve fit-out and preparation for occupation.

CQU Art collection Curator Deanne Muir will be on hand at the old District Court to give the public information about the various art works that hang in the main meeting area during morning tea. This building houses offices for staff from various faculties such as CQ Conservatorium, Education and Creative Arts and the Faculty of Informatics and Communication, along with the main courtroom area and a smaller meeting room at the rear, which are used regularly by both University and community organisations for board meetings, committee meetings etc. It is used for chamber music recitals, and it is here that the weekly documentary film series is shown each Thursday evening by the Journalism and Media Studies staff. These fascinating documentaries are open to the public for a gold coin entry fee.

The old Magistrates Court building houses the School of Contemporary Communication which includes programs in journalism and media studies, media ethics, TV journalism, feature writing, editing and design, online investigative journalism and public relations management amongst others.

There are currently around 50 first year journalism students with an additional 50 studying by distance through online or distance options. Five staff work under the direction of Professor Alan Knight.

The old Supreme Court has seen a great deal of Rockhampton’s history come and go. This building is part of the National Trust. Inside are various areas of paint which have been scratched from the walls where old original colours have been matched to originals when it was last re-painted.

This building houses the Community Relations arm of the University along with CQU Press and upstairs, the office of CQU Foundation. The main courtroom area here is also used on a regular basis for various meetings and presentations and on occasion the resident ghost is seen.

The tour will include the former Telstra building beside the Commonwealth Bank, where CQU's Institute for Sustainable Regional Development hosts the Fitzroy Basin Association.

The only other building occupied by Central Queensland University in the city is the old Commonwealth Building on the corner of Fitzroy and East Streets, which has recently undergone a much appreciated change of colour. As well as housing CQU staff from Direct Edge, Coin Academy, Business and Law, Informatics and Communication and The Continuous Improvement Unit office space is leased to people from Telstra, ATSIC, Electoral office, and groups such a Rockhampton Regional Development and the Area Consultative Committee who do a great deal of work in tandem with CQU.

All in all it is estimated that between 400 to 500 CQU staff and students are housed in the buildings within the CBD.