▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology ▁( B ris b ane ). ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁first ▁steps ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁university ▁in ▁Rock ham pton ▁were ▁taken ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁the ▁Queensland ▁Labor ▁Premier , ▁William ▁F organ ▁Smith , ▁introduced ▁section ▁ 1 7 ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Education ▁Co - ord ination ▁and ▁University ▁of ▁Queensland ▁Am end ment ▁Act , ▁which ▁provided ▁for ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁university ▁colleg es ▁outside ▁Br is b ane . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁Rock ham pton ▁deleg ations ▁lo bb ied ▁the ▁Queensland ▁government ▁for ▁a ▁university ▁college , ▁but ▁after ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Queensland ▁established ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁provincial ▁study ▁cent res ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁the ▁issue ▁became ▁d orm ant . ▁ ▁Rock ham pton ' s ▁university ▁campaign ▁res umed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁as ▁Central ▁Queensland ▁became ▁an ▁emer ging ▁heavy ▁industry ▁base , ▁with ▁developing ▁coal ▁mines ▁and ▁Glad stone ▁emer ging ▁as ▁a ▁light ▁met als ▁centre . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Queensland ▁parliament ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁the ▁local ▁member ▁for ▁Rock ham pton ▁( H ▁R ▁Gard ner ) ▁stated ▁“ more ▁ade qu ate ▁facilities ▁for ▁technical ▁education ” ▁were ▁required ▁for ▁the ▁region ▁and , ▁appe aling ▁to ▁the ▁philosophy ▁of ▁a ▁“ f air ▁go