Murphys Creek campsite rebuilt after floods - 2012

13 January 2012

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) students have been volunteering their time to rebuild an historic campsite at Murphys Creek, an area devastated by last year's floods.

The shed, designed and built by QUT architecture, interior design, industrial design and landscape architecture students, will provide bushwalkers and horses on the Bicentennial National Trail campsite at Murphys Creek with shelter.

It replaces a previous campsite on the property of chilli chocolatier Lynne Seaton Anderson, which was destroyed during last January's floods.

Real Studio QUT project coordinator Alison McDonald said the region's building industry had rallied behind the project, providing materials to build the new shed at the popular stopover.

"The Murphys Creek campsite is a halfway point on the trekking route, the longest of its kind in the world, running the length of the east coast of Australia," she said.

"The build has been a huge amount of work for students but they have learnt so much.

"Many of them gave up their time during the university break to work on this project."

The new campsite, which includes an agricultural shed for horses and campsite facilities for visitors, will be officially opened at a ceremony at 3pm on January 17.

Final year architecture student Joel Alcorn, 26, was among more than 50 QUT students who took part in the Real Studio project.

The Banora Point resident said it was a good chance to get practical experience while contributing to rebuilding efforts after the floods.

"I thought it would be a good opportunity to do something that was going to be a real project and also to help the community," he said.

Mr Alcorn, who was part of the group that designed the winning concept for the shed, was on site from November to January for the project, working with the supervising builder, engineers and other students.

"It's very important as architecture students for us to be onsite working with builders and other consultants," he said.

"You learn so much you can't learn in the classroom. It will make us better architects."

Ms McDonald, who lectures in the School of Design at QUT, which is now part of the Creative Industries Faculty, said the Real Studio project would give students a career edge.

"It was run like a real architecture project. Students designed the whole project and worked closely with the client," she said.

"It's a valuable learning experience."

Media contact: Stephanie Harrington, QUT media officer, 3138 1150, stephanie.harrington@qut.edu.au