Love at UQ

Sometimes, the best love stories begin in unexpected places. This Valentine's Day, Contact is sharing the stories of the graduates who found love at UQ.

It’s well known that The University of Queensland will give you a world-class education. Here at UQ, you will sharpen your skills, hone your critical-thinking and cement the foundations of your career.

However, what the rankings and recruitment fairs don’t reflect, is that UQ is a place of connection.

If you attended UQ, you’ll know that an excellent education is only half the picture. That these sandstone walls will not only pour knowledge into your brain, but people into your heart.

In this story, Contact celebrates the people who came to UQ for an education and left with the loves of their lives.

Read the 2023 Love at UQ stories

Julian (BSc ’83, BSc(Hons) ’84, PhD ’89) and Helen (BSc ’87)

Originally meeting in a microbiology class, Julian and Helen reconnected at a mutual friend’s house several years after leaving UQ.

Although Helen failed to recognise Julian at the time, we’ll presume she quickly warmed to him as they married one year later.

“UQ means so much to us that we had wedding photos taken in the Great Court, and later took our sons to see it. Here we are today, both still working in scientific fields, married 32 years, with two sons and two grandchildren.”
– Julian

Collage of UQ couple including one photo from their wedding in the Great Court in 1998 and another of them together in February 2022.

Collage of Nic's graduation photos from 2004. Four photos, all in polaroid frames, taken in the Great Court of the couple.

Follow Brydon and Nic on Instagram, @brisvegasdad

Collage of polaroid photos taken in the Great Court of Brydon and Nic. Two photos are of them and their sons and one is of their son on the Great Court lawn.

Follow Brydon and Nic on Instagram, @brisvegasdad

Brydon and Nic (BSc ’04)

From the age of eight, Brydon has fond memories of feeding the ducks by UQ Lakes while his father completed a sabbatical at UQ before later becoming a professor.

Fast forward a few decades, and Brydon has followed his father’s footsteps as a UQ academic – raising his own sons on the same Great Court grass.

Follow Brydon and Nic on Instagram, @brisvegasdad

“Our family spent a lot of time on campus. Many years later, I came back to UQ for my partner's graduation ceremony (18 years ago). We were in the second year of our relationship and I just had an incredible time meeting all his friends in Brisbane. I think it was these memories that eventually drew us back to Brisbane – that feeling of home and knowing that our children would get to similarly spend their childhood running around the Great Court.”
– Brydon

Follow Brydon and Nic on Instagram, @brisvegasdad

Jackie (BA ’92, DipEd ’93) and Ben (BSc Hons ’93)

Jackie and Ben met onboard a Union College boat cruise (we can only assume it was a study-related field trip) in February of 1991.

Last New Year’s Eve, they celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary.

“UQ is a special place for us because we had amazing experiences and lots of fun studying there. We love wandering around the campus to see what is new and what has changed. We are excited that both our sons decided to study at UQ and live on campus at Union College, with our oldest son graduating with a Bachelor of Science (2021) and our youngest son beginning a Bachelor of Arts degree this year.”
– Jackie

Collage of Jackie Ann and Ben on a background of white lightly crumpled paper. One image is of the couple during their time at Uni and the other is at their son's graduation in 2021.

Michael (BA ’83) and Louise (BA ’83)

Enrolling in journalism in the early 1980s at UQ proved a defining life decision for Brisbane undergraduates Louise and Michael.

They met under a tree in the Great Court, fell in love, became award-winning journalists and are still travelling and working around the world together, 40 years later.

“Little did I know that falling in love in the Great Court would lead to globe-trotting career.”
– Michael

“An added bonus was scoring a first-class husband as well as a degree.”
– Louise

Louise and Michael are celebrating 30 years of marriage later this year.

Photo captioned, 'cycling around Europe on an inaugural post-graduation overseas trip'. The photo is from the 1980s and is of the couple, with Michael sitting on a red bike and Louise standing besides him wearing a blue t-shirt.

Collage of two photos of Louise and Michael. The fist photo was taken in 2018 at the NSW Government House for Louise OAM ceremony. The second photo is of the couple at the WOmen in Sports Awards in 2019.

Nina (BA (Hons) ’17) and Adham (BE’17)

“I was studying psychology, while my (now) husband was studying engineering. Our programs were so different but somehow we got to know each other through various volunteering and humanitarian projects. Who knew our differences meant we get the best of both worlds? Fast forward to the present, we’re celebrating our third wedding anniversary on the beautiful date of 2/2/2022!”
– Nina

Two photos on a white background of Nina and Adham's graduation day in the Great Court. The collage is captioned 'Uni Grad! 2017'

Wendy (BE ’90) and Adrian (BE ’91)

As we know, not all love stories are linear and Wendy and Adrian are testament to that.

Meeting as fellow chemical engineering students, Wendy declined Adrian’s advances in 1990.

“We both married (not each other) and had children. After nearly 30 years of friendship, and with both of our marriages coming to an end, we have become a couple! We have been together for 2.5 years now. Going strong and looking to the future together!”
– Wendy

This month, they returned to campus to snap a pic in front of the building they studied in as students.

Wendy and Adrian pictured in front of the Chemical Engineering building at UQ St Lucia in February 2022. Adrian is dressed for work, wearing an orange high-vis shirt. Wendy is wearing a denim blue dress. They are both smiling at the camera.

Faisal (BE ’18) and Elena (BE ’15)

After admiring a ‘cute student’ for over eight months, Faisal finally had his ‘in’ when he discovered Elena's father, like his, also went to UQ.

Coming from Malaysia, the chances that their father’s knew each other seemed as good a conversation starter as any.

“It turns out that our dad's once did a road trip to Sydney in the 1980s, and there was a picture of them together back then! We eventually started talking and I used this as a secret weapon. One thing led to another, and we’re now happily married.”
– Faisal

Faisal’s parents also met at UQ, and are pictured below at his wedding.

Photo collage of two images. The first is a photo taken in the 1980s of four people, two of whom are Elena's and Faisal's fathers. The second image is from Elena's graduation in 2015.

Ronelle (BA ’86) and Derek (BA ’85, Grad dip Ed, ’86)

“Derek and I met at Emmanuel College while studying Arts at UQ in 1984. On completion we both attained graduate diplomas in teaching, and have taught for almost 40 years. We have wonderful memories of the Schonell Theatre, the stunning architecture of the Great Court and lazy weekend picnics by the UQ Lakes. We were blessed to have met as UQ students, and to have had such a wonderful and happy life together. We are very proud to have a daughter currently studying medicine at UQ.”
– Ronelle

Collage of Ronelle and Derek in scrapbook style. The images include two single shots from each person's graduation day, one grad photo together, a scan of Ronelle's student ID, and a photo of them now - 40 years later!

Robyn (BVSc ’78) and John (BVSc ’78)

At her first lecture in 1974, Robyn met John K and Larrelle. Imagine if she’d known then that these two new friends (and future couple) would become part of her life for the next forty years, and counting…

“None of us met John R until later in the year when we escaped 500 seat lecture theatres at St Lucia for smaller prac groups at Moggill Farm. John R and I began dating. John K and Larrelle didn’t hook up until Third Year, I think? They married in January 1980. We followed suit in April and had our reception at The Axon Room overlooking the lawns and lake at St Lucia. The two Johns were each other’s best man, though I contend to this day that John K should have been my bridesman! Not really a thing in 1980 though.”
– Robyn

Whilst both couples have spent many years owning private practices in different states, their friendship endures.

“We had planned to celebrate our shared 40th anniversaries with a tea ceremony under the cherry blossoms in Japan in April 2020. Yeah, that didn’t happen… but it will one day!”
– Robyn

Scrapbook-style collage including two photos of different couples at the 1978 Vet Science Ball. The photo on the left is of John and Robyn and the photo on the right is of John K and Larrelle. Both photos are of the couples seated at a table smiling to the camera.

Scrapbook-style photo collage of the two couples in 2018. John and Robyn are pictured with their dog and John K and Larrelle are photographed sitting down with a bottle of champaign.

Lisa (BOccThy(Hons) ’21)

Recent UQ grad Lisa responded to Contact's call out for UQ love stories not with her own tale, but that of her family’s.

Lisa’s grandparents’ romance began as UQ students in the early 1950s, more than 70 years ago. Although Anne (BA ’52) was taken at the time, she reconnected with Andrew (BE ’52) a few years after university and they married in 1960.

Both of their two children (Lisa’s parents, and her aunt and uncle) met their partners at UQ, and three of Lisa’s five siblings have also studied here.

“UQ plays a special role in our family tree, because without it, I would not be here to write this message.”
– Lisa

“Today, internet dating algorithms would rate us as the least compatible match, but within months of meeting, we were secretly engaged. We married in April 1984, and nearly 38 years, six kids and six grandchildren later, here we are today!”
– Lisa’s dad, Andrew (BVSc ’83)