St Joseph’s Nudgee College Treacy Precinct

On the land of the Turrbal and Jagera peoples, Boondall, Queensland

A sensitive restoration has reinstated the heart of this historic school.

The State Heritage listed Treacy Precinct is home to the foundation buildings of St Joseph’s Nudgee College. For over 130 years, these important spaces and buildings have been ingrained in the psyche of generations of Nudgee students.

Over the years, the circa 1891 buildings and surrounding malls had been detrimentally altered and crowded by unsympathetic development. In a transformative project, m3architecture has returned the Treacy Precinct to its original appearance and form, the culmination of over a decade of strategic master planning that involved demolishing several 1970s buildings.

The Treacy Precinct has been reinstated as the centre of the College, thanks to careful archival research and a sensitive design response. The tower form has been rediscovered and the original veranda forms, including the lace ironwork, have been reinterpreted with contemporary detailing. The original colour scheme of the building has also been returned. 

The interiors have been restored and re-configured to meet contemporary needs, and contain learning environments, a health centre, staff spaces and a museum.

Our work on the malls around the buildings has renewed important campus connections and reactivated community gathering spaces. The Treacy Precinct will now be enjoyed by many future generations.

Christopher Frederick Jones

Brodie Grogan (last image)