Central Technical College:Staff and Students, November 1914, taken outside the front door of the Art School (A Block) Gardens Point Campus

Staff and Students, November 1914, taken outside the front door of the Art School, Central Technical College (1980-1965). Students include the 1914 University scholars and some of the Short Course students for the second half of the year.

The Principal, Dr John Shirley (1849-1922) was the first principal of the Queensland Teachers' Training College. He stands at the rear of the group beside the lefthand column of the entry as readers face it. Please see his Australian Dictionary of Biography entries in the related links below.

In uniform is James Alexander (J.A.) Robinson (1888-1971) shortly before his departure overseas on war service. UQ’s James Alexander Robinson, was born 20 January 1888, and was in the first cohort of students, matriculating on 14th March 1911 in Arts. An evening student, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts on 12th May 1915. Please see his Australian Dictionary of Biography entries in the related links below.

This photograph and inscription on the back shows a group of students/staff Nov 1914 in front of the A Block of Central Technical College, 1908-1965. JA Robinson saw service at Gallipoli (from September). He was in charge as Lieutenant Colonel and supervised the salvage (June 1918) of a German tank named Mephisto, which was brought to Brisbane as a war relic and is housed at the Queensland Museum.

The photograph was taken by "Hollingsworth Studios" South Brisbane. Hollingsworth photographers at South Brisbane have an entry in the book "Queenslanders behind the camera: professional photographers in Queensland, 1849-1920 by Sandy Barrie. The two entries are: G. Hollingsworth, Stanley St., South Brisbane, dates of operation 1913-1915 and Mrs A. Hollingsworth, Victoria Place, South Brisbane, dates of operation 1916-1919.