CQU opened its doors to the public on Wednesday, 16 April for a tour of several CBD buildings occupied by the University and the Virgil Power building which houses the magistrate, district and supreme courts.

CQU Foundation’s Glenys Kirkwood organised the City Campus tour to give the community an insight into how some of Rockhampton’s most notable landmarks are used and also display an area that is usually closed to the public.

The group saw the Faculty of Education and Creative Arts Centre on Quay Street, the three former courthouses and perhaps the main attraction, the historical Rockhampton Post Office, which will soon be restored with help from locals Bauhinia Architects and Brisbane firm Allom Lovell Architects.

The East Street post office building will be restored externally and transformed internally to make way for the new headquarters of Central Queensland Regional Health Partnership.

Ms Kirkwood enjoyed a pleasing response from the 24 participants.

“Everybody was thrilled to bits with the tour,” she said.

“I expected them to be pleased but they were extremely pleased to look at areas that are usually not open to the public.

Ms Kirkwood said the most interest was shown to the Post Office Building.

“People were very keen about the Post Office and looked forward to coming through again after the renovations were completed,” she said.

Another focal point of the tour was the art collection featured in the former District Courthouse, presented by curator Deanne Muir over morning tea.

The group also caught a glimpse of life in the former Magistrate’s Court building where a newsroom style computer lab has been established for CQU journalism students and the historical Supreme Court building which houses the Community Relations Division and CQU Foundation.

The tour also featured the new courthouse, located next to the old Magistrate Courthouse, were participants were taken through holding cells and jury rooms and shown the differences between the new and old buildings.

The two CQU centres not visited were the former Telstra Building in East Street which is used by the Fitzroy Basin Association, and the old Commonwealth Building on the corner of Fitzroy and East Streets which is used by a variety of CQU departments as well as external organisations.