I’ve been meaning to write about my visit to the local university on the recent open day, Sunday 27th August. My primary objective was to find out whether I could do my OUA exams on the campus there. I also wanted to satisfy my curiousity about the place, which I’ve driven past countless times on the Warrego Highway and back roads.
It is a sprawling campus and seemed deserted as I drove up the access road shortly after midday. That was until I arrived at the carpark, which was full. I drove on and found another carpark which was almost full and practically needed four wheel drive to access (not quite). Within the perimeter of the main buildings there were people everywhere, of all ages. There was a huge slide and attractions for kids, information tents, displays, tractor-train tours, food stalls and live music.
I enjoyed learning about the history of the campus, and took some time to read the tourist info signs in front of the mess hall, the foundation building, the flagpole. I poked my head into the museum and perused the photographic displays of students past and present. I asked a couple of questions about various historical landmarks – idle curiousity which became embarrassing when it was apparent no-one on hand knew the answers!
Extricated myself from the museum and continued looking around at some of the displays. The environmental department display was interesting, a lot of posters on various issues – woody weed supression, protection of endangered species (the Bilby), classification of the dingo.
I had an interesting discussion with an honours student about echidnas – she was presenting her findings, including her sighting of the “echidna train” (the only reported sighting in Queensland) which occurs in mating season with a line of male echidnas following a female. I asked whether she knew anything of whistling noises made by echidnas: she said it seemed familiar, at the back of her mind she could recall hearing something about it but it had not been included in any formal studies. She gave me her contact details.
Finally I came to the academic advisers tent and I asked the question about exams for external students. The adviser misinterpreted my question, assumed I was an external student of the college and I did not persevere. There are other options for my exams.
As I drove past the college again a couple of days ago I was intrigued at the culture of an agricultural university, with its applied science of raising cattle, growing crops and managing the land.