Guest Editorial

Almost two years ago, the editorial board of Crossroads received a proposal from a postgraduate of the School of History, Philosophy, Religion and Classics at The University of Queensland, Luke Keogh. He suggested a special issue of the journal in celebration of UQ’s centenary in this year, 2010. With the sesquicentennial of Queensland (Q150) being celebrated in 2009 and UQ’s centenary in 2010, the time seemed right for a special edition inviting reflections on the university and the state of Queensland. Was Queensland at a Crossroads? Unfortunately, due to other commitments, Luke was unable to take on the role of special editor. We were on the board of Crossroads at the time, serving as secretary/treasurer and editors. We felt the idea was too good not to be brought to fruition so we took on the challenge. The result is this UQ Centenary special issue. Slightly modified since Luke approached us, this issue is more focussed on UQ than originally proposed. It is fitting then, that our first article should be from Luke, who takes us on an informative walk through the grounds at St. Lucia. As you walk through the St. Lucia campus you will notice that the sandstone buildings of the Great Court are embroidered with sandstone figures and inscriptions, including ‘A Place of Light, Liberty and Learning.’ Malcolm Thomis was commissioned to write A Place of Light and Learning: The University of Queensland’s First Seventy-Five Years by the senate committee in celebration of UQ’s seventy-fifth anniversary. In his preface, Thomis writes, ‘Perhaps the centenary history of 2010 should be written by an outsider who will look less indulgently upon our foibles and our idiosyncrasies.’ Although this issue is by no means a centenary history, it collates articles relating to the university which will be accessible for future researchers investigating the first 100 years of UQ and in that way makes a meaningful contribution to the way our university is remembered. In one way we are happy to disappoint Thomis. The articles published in this issue are written by past and present UQ staff and students. Many of their reflections are informed by their own long and rich first-hand experience at UQ. Perhaps Thomis would be pleased to know that it would be difficult to describe the articles as “indulgent.” They do not cover up unhappy truths about UQ’s first 100, or Queensland’s first 150, years. As Her Excellency Ms. Quentin Bryce so aptly says, our authors have testified at the Crossroads—and we commend them. As a philosopher and a classicist, we knew little about the foundations of the university when we began the challenge of guest editing this issue—aside from myths of buried treasure in the tunnels under the Great Court. Now, having been in correspondence with authors from a vast number of areas of the university, at many levels of study, and having read their articles at each stage of the review and publishing process, we know a lot more. Our deepest appreciation goes to our authors for all their hard work. Our gratitude also goes to the anonymous reviewers without whom we would not have an issue. It should not give too much away to say that some of them had long careers with the university or were