A great Australian school celebrating 150 years
Acknowledging the past, looking to the future
The Wesley College Mace has been created as a symbolic statement to mark the sesquicentenary of Wesley College in 2016. This milestone in the history of the College is being celebrated and commemorated in many ways and the Wesley College Mace is intended to be one of the lasting and more tangible legacies of 2016, as it will be symbolically and literally passed onto future generations of the Wesley College community.
The mace is based on an ancient symbol of authority, but the Wesley College Mace has been conceived as a contemporary statement on Wesley College today and tomorrow. Its striking contemporary design symbolically acknowledges one hundred and fifty years of history and atop of the staff is the glowing and living light representing the immediacy of the present and the aspirations for the future. The Wesley College Mace embodies the spirit of the College Sapere Aude that is “daring to be wise”.
Background
The idea for the mace emerged from discussions of the Sesquicentenary Planning Committee, established in 2014 to manage the activities for the celebrations in 2016. The committee was keen to explore the idea of making a tangible and physical statement that would not only symbolise, but encapsulate, the story of the College from the perspectives of the past, present and future and the idea of creating a ceremonial mace struck a real “chord”. A mace was originally carried by a mace-bearer before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies and was intended to represent the official's authority.
Today a mace is used in a variety of settings by parliaments, local government or academic institutions and often features as part of a formal ceremonial procession, meeting or other solemn event. It was agreed that the Wesley College Mace needed to reflect Wesley's symbols and traditions as well as reinforce the school's well-known reputation as an innovative school. The final design for the mace is a clear and symbolic statement and, through its bold, bright and modern look clearly signals to all that Wesley College is forward looking and has, since the opening in 1866, honoured the school motto everyday -Sapere Aude – Dare to be Wise.
Design
The Wesley College Mace is a bold, highly-finished and striking piece of contemporary design that pays homage to the traditional form of a mace, and yet presents as a piece of modern art. The mace is a metal club-like staff of one metre in length that elegantly tapers outwards from the tip of its base to eventually branch out in a tree-like form that cradles a glowing light source. The striking design reminds us of the story of the tree of life or read another way the guiding light through the journey of life. The Wesley College colours of purple and gold are unmissable. The staff has a gleaming goldpatina that is broken only by incised decorative elements. Purple is represented in the bulb device that is both cradled in, and seemingly bursting out of the branches of the tree. This purple-coloured acrylic light source glows suggesting energy and life.
It is expected that the Wesley College Mace will be viewed from a distance - perhaps in procession and/or on its display standard. Therefore the design message needs to be bold and clear - the golden staff that cradles protectively a glowing purple light, reminds everyone that Wesley College is a living and growing community.
The mace is intended to be carried and displayed vertically. On closer inspection a number of incised decorative references are revealed. A delicate and subtle spiralling motif circles from the base to the top of the mace. There is a dot like design on the staff that acknowledges Aboriginal Australia and their ancient lands on which we live. Further up the mace the Uniting Church in Australia symbol recognises our founders and reminds all that Wesley College is a Uniting Church School. Above this there is the classic and widely-recognised image of the Wesley lion which encapsulates the spirit of the College with its front paw raised and tail swishing above its back, the Wesley lion is alert and looking and moving forward. The mace bears the words “This mace was created to mark the sesquicentenary of Wesley College Melbourne (1866 -2016)".
Finally, atop the staff is the glowing purple light which bears a small roundel of the crest of Wesley College redolent with its own symbols – the books for learning, the lamp that guides and reveals and the lion strong and proud. The words of the school motto on the crest Sapere Auderemind all to aspire to “dare to be wise”.
Designer
As an Old Wesley Collegian, Paul Charlwood (OW1978) has been able to bring a personal perspective to the design of the Wesley College Mace. In 2006 Paul was commissioned to create the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton and he has generously donated his design services to the Wesley College Mace project.
