The Conservatorium was established by the state government and opened on 18 February 1957, with English composer William Lovelock as director.

In 1971 the Conservatorium became autonomous from the state government as a College of Advanced Education, and in 1975 relocated to a new complex at Gardens Point.

[3] As part of this amalgamation, the school moved into its current facility in the South Bank Parklands in 1996, and was renamed Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.

[4] In 1999, the Conservatorium launched its Bachelor of Popular Music program and its new Gold Coast campus, both of which were established under the direction of Associate Professor Garry Tamlyn.

From 2000 this course has been taught from an information technology facility in the Gold Coast Campus of Griffith University.