In Brisbane’s Moreton Bay, Iona College, by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, opened in 1957. It operates as an independent Catholic day school for boys in Years 5 – 12. The College recognises its founding patron, St. Eugene de Mazenod.
In 2021 the College opened its state-of-art facility, The Provence Centre, named after the birthplace of St Eugene, Provence, in France. It recognises his contribution to Iona culture and serves the College’s key strategic priority of being able to gather together as one community.
The new Centre includes the mosaic, ‘Charity’ and commands attention at the Centre’s main entrance. The Venerable Saint Eugene strides in earnest amongst the students and the College life of Moreton Bay. His devotion to serving the poor and youth, in part stirred by the Mistral Winds of Provence, is presented as wind gusts that move throughout the mosaic.
It is prevalent in falling leaves from the Moreton Bay Fig, the wind in the sails of the boats on the bay and the facilitation of aeronautical engineering education, which fosters employment in the area. The male and female students sailing the boast represent the importance of gender balance in power structures.
The mosaic honours the Quandamooka people of Moreton Bay with two of their animal Totems, the Carpet Snake and the Dolphin, strategically positioned to encourage discovery. Visions of Mary Immaculate are also concealed for the faithful to find. Before Eugene’s death, surrounded by his fellow brother Oblates, he said to them, “Among yourselves practise charity, charity, charity and outside, zeal for the salvation of souls.” The word charity is offered in three forms in the mosaic; in English, French and a derivation of the word, in Quandamooka language.
Materials
Orsoni Venetian smalti, Gold
Client
Iona College, Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
What We Did
Concept Design, Fabrication, Installation
The word mistral originates from the Occitan dialect meaning masterly. It defines the transition between winter and spring when it is at its strongest
