Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University - History

History

The Conservatorium opened its doors on 18 February, 1957 and was initially based at the former South Brisbane Town Hall; its director during the first two years was the English composer William Lovelock. The conservatorium moved into the grounds of the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 1975 and subsequently into its present location in 1996.

The Queensland Conservatorium remained an independent tertiary institution until its amalgamation with Griffith University during the late 1980s, when the Dawkins Reforms were introduced. In 1996, as part of the amalgamation, the Conservatorium moved to its present location at the South Bank Parklands, and was then renamed as Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. The institution is affectionately known as "The Con" to students. In 1999, the Conservatorium launched its Bachelor of Popular Music program and from 2000 this course has been taught from an information technology facility in the Gold Coast Campus of Griffith University. In 2003, The Conservatorium Research Centre was opened as part of the 30 innovative research centres in the University. The Research Centre aims to investigate the dynamics of contemporary musical environments and is headed by Professor Huib Schippers as its director.