Flight Centre founder Graham Turner and his wife, Jude Turner, launched the collaboration with the University of Queensland at their Spicers Hidden Vale retreat at Grandchester, west of Brisbane.

Mr Turner, who along with being the founder was also managing director of the Flight Centre Travel Group, is also a qualified vet and an environmentalist.

He said Turner Family Foundation's aim with the Hidden Vale UQ Wildlife Centre was to conserve the Scenic Rim's natural and cultural resources and values for future generations.

"The objective is to deliver resilient ecosystems with representative, self-sustaining populations of fauna and flora endemic to the Scenic Rim region, supported by applied scientific research," Mr Turner said.

The family's contribution included building costs and ongoing research funding over 30 years at the UQ-operated facility for breeding and rehabilitating wildlife and protecting endangered species.

Turner Family Foundation spokesman Andrew Tribe, a senior vet at the Melbourne Zoo, said the property was home to rare and threatened species such as the glossy black cockatoo, square tailed kite, eastern bristle bird, brush tailed rock wallaby, spotted tail quoll, koala, Stephen's banded snake, three-toed snake-tooth skink.

UQ vice-chancellor Peter H??j said the project and donation were extraordinary.

"This astounding act of philanthropy will create change for conservation and also for UQ staff and students for generations to come," Professor H??j said.

The Hidden Vale UQ Wildlife Centre, situated in a 3100-hectare nature refuge, would be made available to UQ staff and students and include a captive wildlife and breeding centre and a permanent release facility.

The refuge was a habitat for some of the rarest and most threatened species in Australia.

The project would combine wildlife conservation ecotourism and livestock management at the historic beef cattle station, which was first established in 1871.

"The Turners are passionate about leaving a lasting legacy, a truly protected environment dedicated to the enhancement of threatened wildlife species," Professor H??j said.

"From this year, the Hidden Vale UQ Wildlife Centre will, for the first time, be able to offer students hands-on access to learn wildlife management techniques and to study a diverse range of native and endangered animals.

"This presents exciting opportunities to heighten the quality and depth of research and learning about endangered and vulnerable native wildlife.

"Hidden Vale's size, the variety of native animals and vegetation and the opportunity to interact with cattle and pest management activities make it an ideal centre for learning."