UniSQ Springfield has marked 20 years in Greater Springfield, two decades after the campus opened while construction was still being finished and cow tracks remained visible across the site.
Construction of the Springfield campus began in 2005, ahead of its establishment in 2006 as part of the Education City vision.
From Construction Site To First Graduates
The campus was designed to develop with Greater Springfield, bringing education into a precinct planned around education, industry, health and civic life.
Its early years were still very much a work in progress. When Dr Daryl Sparkes first arrived at UniSQ Springfield in 2006, buildings were covered in plastic, tradespeople were completing construction work and cow tracks remained visible across the site.
The first UniSQ Springfield Open Day was announced that same year. Three years later, an academic procession marked Springfield’s first graduation ceremony in 2009, when the campus’s first graduates celebrated the milestone.
UniSQ Springfield Expands
The physical campus continued to change over the following years. Construction of B Block was recorded in 2014 before its completion in 2015, followed by a new walk-bridge linking B Block with A Block in 2016.
The campus timeline records a Boeing 737-800 flight simulator in 2018 and the Springfield library in 2019. An engineering laboratory followed in 2022, while the Media Centre was recorded in 2023.
Open Days also continued over the years, including events recorded in 2007, 2012, 2024 and 2025. Robodog was among the activities showcased at the 2024 event.
Alongside the physical changes, UniSQ Springfield has expanded access to higher education in the Greater Springfield growth corridor and established pathways from school and vocational education and training into university study.
The campus has also focused on building workforce capability across key industries while maintaining links with industry and the wider community.
Community Marks Two Decades
The 20-year milestone was recently marked through the Springfield Community Open Day on Saturday 8 August.
Alumni, staff and members of the wider community were among those involved in the anniversary, while current and prospective students also attended the Open Day.
The anniversary year is set to continue in October 2026 with a UniSQ Thought Leadership Series event examining education-led city building, access to education, lifelong learning, flexible pathways and future workforce needs in South East Queensland.
UniSQ is also inviting people with connections to the Springfield campus to contribute photographs, memories or memorabilia from its first 20 years.
Published 17-August-2026
