The Venue

BUNDOORA CAMPUS

The Bundoora campus was the foundation and is the main metropolitan campus of the University. It was formerly the farm supporting the Mont Park and Laurundel mental hospitals. A master plan was prepared for the development of the site by Yunken Freeman Architects and accepted by the University in April, 1965 prior to construction commencing. The first buildings to be established were Glenn College and the first stage of the Library. The master planner, Roy Simpson, also had operational responsibility over the physical development of the campus until a Buildings Officer, Stuart Morton, and a Buildings Branch was appointed. This provided on-site project management of the significant capital program and site works development and subsequently encompassed the operational care of the assets in the maintenance, landscaping and servicing of the "buildings and grounds" as the Branch became under the control of Trevor Russell (1970 - 1983). The "Buildings and Grounds" Division in the Office of the University Secretary is currently headed up by Denis Stephenson (1983 - ).

Whilst the land for the campus was a Crown Grant (title was achieved in 1987) the funding for all buildings until 1992 was from Federal funds granted for specific projects. There were exceptions to this in the innovative financial establishment of the Housing Project on the Waterdale Road site by the then Business Manager, Frank Barnes, and the establishment of the Research and Development Park by Ross Christie. Projects proposed by the Union, SARA, and others are funded through loan funds with the University acting as guarantor. Since 1992 the Commonwealth Capital grant has been "rolled in" to the annual operating grant and the choice of projects is at the University’s discretion, and innovative funding schemes are now an essential ingredient to capital programs as can be seen in the LTU Medical Centre (completion 1999.)

The landscape of the campus had high priority in the development with the appointment of a Curator (Franz Saul, 196 - 1976) who commenced broad brush plantings before the building program got underway. Professor Lindsay Pryor, Department of Forestry, ANU, was appointed as consultant, preparing a master plan which has transformed the former farmlands to a magnificent and appropriate landscape. Franz Saul was succeeded by Clive Popham (1977 - 1994) and Lorraine Irving (1994 - ). The indigenous gum trees (Eucalyptus camaldulensis and E. meliodora) were carefully retained, and a scheme which incorporated both native and exotic plants was devised for the inner courtyards between the buildings, becoming less formal towards the outer reaches of the campus where the recreation of the indigenous bush was established. This is best seen in the Wildlife Reserve. The development of the Sports Grounds south of Kingsbury Drive was managed by the Branch and are cared for by staff of SARA.

The Maintenance of the buildings and infrastructure is a major on-going program, which encompasses preventative, programmed and break-down services. The first Maintenance Superintentant, Edward Finegan established the Maintenance Depot. His Deputy, Bill Fidler followed him and his Deputy, Bruce Watts is the current Manager, providing a continuum of in-house resource knowledge, essential to service the teaching and research activities of the University. The site is serviced by a gas turbine co-generation plant, designed by the Energy Manager, Ivan Hipworth. This highly energy efficient plant provides all campus power supplies, with the waste heat providing high temperature hot water via a tunnel and culvert system throughout the site for heating and cooling to most buildings. The regular and experienced maintenance of this system is critical to the operation of the University. The tunnel system which connects all buildings on the inner campus and the Colleges facilitates the introduction of new technology and carries most services in a most cost effective and accessible way.

In its thirty year history, the University has been fortunate to retain a very stable management in all of the sections of the Buildings and Grounds Division, providing a strong in-house service to the staff and students of the campus.