Peter is excited to announce the imminent release of ‘A Hall for All: Celebrating The University of Queensland’s Mayne Hall’. This is his sixth book based on his ongoing research into Queensland’s cultural history.
UQP (University of Queensland Press) has published this ‘lively and timely history’ during the fiftieth anniversary year of the opening of Robin Gibson’s iconic building. That gala vice-regal event took place in March 1973.
For the next 30 years, Mayne Hall was a major performance auditorium for both UQ and the Brisbane community. Occasionally, it provided a forum for debate and protest. For many UQ students it was also where they sat exams and received their degrees.
Numerous images, many of which are previously unpublished, illustrate the 224-page full-colour book. In addition to a thoroughly researched historical account, the narrative cites many firsthand recollections of those who knew Mayne Hall.
Professor Deborah Terry AO, Vice-Chancellor and President of The University of Queensland has written the Foreword. It encapsulates several of the major themes which arose from this extensive research project about a much-loved venue.
The book’s title also cites a former Vice-Chancellor. In 1960, Sir Fred Schonell spoke about the wider community benefits this building would facilitate. This was on the occasion of the launch of a public fundraising campaign for UQ’s ‘Great Hall’.
The Brisbane City Council, through the Lord Mayor’s Helen Taylor Research Award for Local History, has provided significant financial support. Much of Peter’s research was based in the Fryer Library, where he was appointed Honorary Fellow in 2022.
Copies of ‘A Hall for All’ can be pre-ordered directly from UQP – simply click here.