USQ to acknowledge its founders

A member of the Darling Downs University Establishment Association (DDUEA), Joan Powell, is one of more than 200 founders who will be acknowledged by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) at a gala dinner on Friday night (2 February 2007).

The Welcome to Country and Founders' Dinner also signals the start of the University's 40th Anniversary celebrations.

Project Champion of the Founders Dinner, Judy Halter, said more than 300 people are expected to attend the event which will be held on the anniversary of the date when the institution first received recognition, February 2, 1967.

'It's going to be an evening of honouring the Founders,' Ms Halter said.

'We've got three bands – a string quartet, a vocalist and brass quartet, followed by dinner and entertainment in the Refectory" she said.

'There will be two theatre plays called pen portraits, where USQ theatre students portray the stories of six of the founders.'

One such story will include the work of DDUEA member, Joan Powell.

'When I read in The Chronicle that Dr Alex McGregor was thinking of proposing a university in Toowoomba I was super enthusiastic,' Mrs Powell said.

'I was a mother and I had children studying at university in Brisbane and we were having trouble keeping them there, so I actually lived the parent role of what you want for your children and what you dream for your children.'

While the University came too late for her own children, Mrs Powell is very proud of her role in providing higher education opportunities for people living in the country.

'Well my heart was in it. I was very passionate about Higher Education if a child had the ambition and ability to do it.

'We (members of the DDUEA) were all people interested in education and interested in providing opportunities for country children.'

The Founder's Dinner will commence at 6:15pm in the USQ Quadrangle on Friday, February 2 2007.

The guest list includes:
• Family of the late Dr Alex McGregor, who was the Chairman of the DDUEA
• Family of Lindsay Barker, a former Director who was part of the founding group who lobbied state and federal government to establish a Tertiary Education Institution on the Darling Downs
• USQ Foundation student and first College Medallist, Associate Professor Peter Albion
• Founding and current staff member, Mr Bruce Varnes
• 1967 staff, students and friends of the institution
• The first council members

For more information on the 40th Anniversary events, please visit www.usq.edu.au/40years

Media Contact: Amy Cass, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 2092