A robotic mouse, water-propelled rockets and the tastes of Australian bush tucker flavours were among attractions for more than 40,000 visitors to the University of Queensland's St Lucia campus at the weekend.
Rain did not dampen the spirits of visitors to Expo Uni, an exposition of the University's teaching and research activities, held every few years at the campus.
Expo Uni co-ordinator Dr Lisa Gaffney said the University's open-house to the public was a 'tremendous success' largely thanks to the enthusiasm and effort of staff and students who had spent months planning their displays.
'The majority of Expo Uni visitors were family groups from throughout Queensland to northern New South Wales,' she said.
'It was an opportunity for prospective students to gain course information for 1998, and for people of all age groups and all walks of life to gain an insight into the workings of a University.
'There was a natural curiosity about the cutting-edge work in one of the top four research Universities in Australia. The University also has an outstanding employment rate for its students - at the time of the last survey more than 86 percent of UQ students looking for work had found full-time jobs - 10 percent more than the national average.
'We have had some very positive feedback from the public about the University and its activities, with people saying they had not appreciated the diversity and quality of programs conducted here.
'We will analyse all comments we have received to ensure any future Expo Uni events are even better than ever.'
Popular attractions at Expo Uni included Zen Zen Zo's performances of Macbeth; musical performances; tours of the Small Animal Clinic; golf swing analysis; gold panning; a moot court; the solar-powered vehicle, the Sun Shark; the University's museum collections; a ballot on voting ages; science and technology lectures; lightning demonstrations; heritage walks of the campus; dinosaur displays; and the chance to make chemical slime, ectoplasm, sludge and gore.
Visitors also ate their way through a mountain of food, including more than 2000 cakes, 3000 hot meals, several truckloads of potato chips and wedges and several thousand litres of hot and cold drinks.
For further information, contact Dr Gaffney, telephone 3365 1333.
