The 1980s and the winds of change

UQ graduate and journalist Andrew Kidd Fraser reflects on his time at university during a period of political change, and tells why UQ was still the place to be as Brisbane fought to shake itself from its dull slumber.

It was 1981, and several thousand protesting and chanting UQ students – one of whom was me – were marching from the University into the Brisbane CBD to protest against the possible imposition of tertiary fees by the dastardly Fraser Government.

We had earlier been addressed at a UQ rally by the Australian Labor Party’s spokesperson on education, John Dawkins. But after walking with the students halfway down Coronation Drive, the Canberra politician found himself a little short of breath on the longer-than-expected walk, and had to deliver a polite and panting farewell before decamping to the Commonwealth car to get to the airport and onto his plane back to Canberra.

The march finished in King George Square, where then-UQ Student Union president David Barbagallo addressed a fiery meeting before the students adjourned to the pub and caroused, confident they’d done their bit to prevent the introduction of tertiary fees.

But like so much of the 1980s, it was a losing cause. In 1987, tertiary fees were introduced by the Hawke Government’s Education Minister, none other than Dawkins. Things changed in Australia a lot in the 1980s, and they also changed at UQ.

UQ students protesting over increased student fees in 1987. *Image: University of Queensland Archives*

UQ students protesting over increased student fees in 1987. *Image: University of Queensland Archives*

The students of the early 1980s were the Whitlam generation, who paid no fees and received a broad education. There was a progressive student union, which ran not only a cafeteria, but also an avant-garde cinema (the Schonell), a radio station (4ZZZ), an arts space (Activities) and a theatre space (Cement Box).

But, by the time the 1980s had finished and the Hawke Government’s economic rationalism had set in (while Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen had loomed larger than ever), 4ZZZ had been kicked off campus, the Schonell was in decline, and the other activities were under-utilised.

In retrospect, the early 1980s were the end of the high times of the 1960s, at least on campus. By the end of the decade, student activism had plummeted. Students’ concerns had changed from trying to create not just a better world but a utopian one, to just getting a job.

An image of Andrew Kidd Fraser outside the Schonell Theatre at UQ.

Andrew Kidd Fraser outside the Schonell Theatre at UQ. Image: Anjanette Webb

Yet ideology and passion for a better world was still pretty strong at UQ in the early 1980s. Educators, such as history and cultural lecturer Ray Evans, challenged the students to think about what sort of community they wanted to work in, and every lunchtime, lecturers Carole Ferrier and Dan O’Neill would walk across the Great Court to the student cafeteria to have lunch, eschewing what they saw as the elitist and somewhat bourgeoise Staff Club.

At the time, there was still an active student union which had become something of a training ground for politics, generally – but not exclusively – on the Labor side. In 1982, the year that I was co-editor of Semper Floreat with Kay Nicol, the women’s rights vice-president was Anna Bligh, later to become the first woman Premier of Queensland, while the general vice-president was Rod Welford, who later became a Minister in the Goss and Beattie governments.

One of the law students’ representatives was Paul Lucas, later to become Anna Bligh’s deputy Premier, while the engineering students’ representative was Mike Kaiser, who had a brief career as an elected politician but then later was chief of staff to Bligh. The aforementioned David Barbagallo became chief of staff to both former premier Wayne Goss and current Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. While Barbagallo’s partner, Fleur Kingham, pursued a career in law rather than politics, and is now President of the Land Court in Queensland. And that was only from the one year!

But this trend towards a sort of protesting nostalgia, seen in books such as Bjelke Blues and Eccentric Voices, somewhat overstates the view that UQ was a hotbed of trendy leftism. Most students came from private schools; held conservative views privately (whenever anyone said “I’m not political”, they were always conservative); and a healthy number of them put their heads down and studied hard, dressed smartly, and patronised elite social events such as Bachelors and Spinsters Balls and private parties in Ascot and Brookfield before moving into senior positions in the professions with nary a thought of social justice or improvement.

And as the decade wore on, conservatives became more active politically at the University. Julian Sheezel, later to become a Liberal Party apparatchik in Victoria, and Scott Emerson, Transport Minister in the Newman Government, were both active in the student union. The University of Queensland Law Society was the stronghold of future conservatives such as George Brandis, later the Attorney-General in the Howard Government, and Tony Morris, a Brisbane lawyer.

But despite this political paradox, UQ in the early 1980s was filled with expectation and fulfilment. Colourful clothes such as aloha shirts were common. The Great Court was a meeting place for everyone and much sport was played. Culturally, while the rest of Brisbane was pretty dull, you could always go to the movies at the Schonell on Sunday night or take in cutting-edge rock music at the wonderfully named Joint Efforts, concerts run by the on-campus station, 4ZZZ.

‘Twas a grand time to be alive.

UQ in the 1980s: view the images

Andrew Kidd Fraser, in one his favourite aloha shirts, holds court with a group of fellow students in 198?. Image: supplied

An image of students attending the 4ZZZ Radiothon at UQ in 1982.

Students attending the 4ZZZ Radiothon at UQ in 1982. Image: Peter Fischmann, State Library of Queensland

An image of current Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaking in support of 4ZZZ at UQ in 1989.

Current Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaking in support of 4ZZZ at UQ in 1989. Image: Michael Aird, State Library of Queensland

About the author

Andrew Kidd Fraser attended UQ from 1980–83. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and was active in campus life, not just as editor of Semper Floreat in 1982, but also in various clubs and societies.

After graduating, he worked as a journalist in Canberra for several years, including five years in the federal press gallery covering the Hawke-Keating Government, before returning to Queensland as a press secretary in the Goss and Beattie governments. He then returned to journalism at The Australian for 15 years, including six years as Queensland bureau chief.

He cannot escape UQ – both his sons went there, and he looks over the campus from his home at Highgate Hill, watching it grow.

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