I am also delighted that the works were completed ahead of time, minimising disruption to our neighbours and ensuring that the rooms will be ready for students for our second semester this year. We are grateful to the people of Camperdown, who have been patient and understanding during the construction period.
The days of resident medical staff are gone, but with increasing numbers of international students — as well as those from the country or interstate — it is great to be able to repurpose an existing building that was once the home of many of Sydney’s nurses, who worked at the nearby Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The nurses’ quarters, which were built in 1956, had stood vacant since 2002.
As student accommodation, the Queen Mary Building will breathe new life into the area. Instead of a “ghost skyscraperˮ, as I found it referred to on one website, it will be filled with talented young people, who will no doubt be seen out shopping and eating in the local streets.
The students will be accommodated in well-appointed rooms with all the facilities they need, including separate study rooms, communal living and entertainment areas, and even sound-proof music rooms where they can practise to their hearts’ content. There is also a roof-top garden with a wonderful view of the Sydney skyline.
As we continue to commemorate the centenary of the First World War, I am proud that the building honours the many women graduates of the University who served in a medical capacity during World War I. Their contribution can sometimes be forgotten, but naming the meeting rooms in the facility after these wonderful women both recognises them and keeps them front of mind both now and in the future.
The common space features a magnificent mural, recognising and celebrating Aboriginal heritage and culture, and acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Queen Mary Building stands.
The Queen Mary Building is being managed by Campus Living Villages, which will also manage the new 200-bed Abercrombie Student Accommodation development. Applications for both are now open.
