The selection of Physics as a foundation discipline at The University of Queensland: a long winding path to recognition

From an academic perspective, the celebrations launching The University of Queensland on 10 December 1909 were more than a little premature. In May 1910, a date—in March 1911—was set for the university to begin its teaching, but within days of that date it was still largely unclear what areas of study would be on offer to students. The first UQ Senate had been appointed in April 1910. Long-standing, and quite fundamental, differences of opinion among the senators finally led to a compromise decision to create Chairs in Chemistry, Classics, Engineering, and ‘Mathematics and Physics,’ with the proviso that applicants in the Science and Engineering areas with a special interest in the practical application of those Sciences to the industries of Queensland would be given preference during the selection process. This was hardly designed to give much encouragement to the fundamental scientific discipline of Physics. Queensland was unique: the make-up of its population ensured that Physics was the totally invisible scientific profession. In the space of a few weeks early in 1911, this changed dramatically. The mathematician Henry Priestley arrived in Brisbane on 15 February, as Professor of Mathematics and Physics: by 25 March the physicist Thomas Parnell had been appointed as the (virtually autonomous) Lecturer in Physics. In 1919 Parnell became the university’s first Professor of Physics. Still Head of the Department of Physics and much respected by his colleagues, Professor Parnell died on 1 September 1948