Celebrating 40 years as an independent university this year, JCU wants its alumni and all those who had any connection with the university to check out their boxes of memories.

Special collections librarian Bronwyn McBurnie said they had already started posting photographs to a special JCU Flickr site and are now appealing to the world-wide JCU community for their photographs, their memorabilia and their stories.

"We are arranging a special display in the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library at JCU of memorabilia and we have set up the JCU Flickr site so everyone can share the photographs," she said.

Mrs McBurnie said that the photographs would also be used at various functions during the special week of celebrations around the actual birthday of the university on April 20.

Queen Elizebeth II came to Townsville in 1970 to personally sign the Act of Parliament that created James Cook University, and it is believed to be the only time that a ruling monarch has personally assented to an Act of an Australian Parliament.

Mrs McBurnie said people could post their photographs to the JCU Flickr site by following the link on the JCU birthday website at: www.jcu.edu.au/forty/gallery/

" They can also lend us their memorabilia by contacting me at the Mabo Library on the Townsville Campus of JCU on 07 4781 5002 or email Bronwyn.mcburnie@jcu.edu.au"