ANZAC Spirit has a permanent place at Wavell High

Last week, Wavell State High School proudly opened its ‘ANZAC Spirit’ mural designed by acclaimed Queensland artist Jodie Connolly. The mural spans a three-storey feature wall in the school’s new junior secondary building designed by Brisbane-based James Cubitt Architects. Wavell State High was awarded a grant of $23,500 from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs for the project, with additional support from the Kedron-Wavell Sub Branch RSL. CREATIVEMOVE is very pleased to have been able to work closely with both Wavell State High staff and Jodie to realise this project.

The school’s Principal Jeffrey Major and Deputy Principal Christina Smeed are delighted with the result. Mr Major explains: “Our school was established in 1959 for the children of World War 2 service men and women and has four ‘houses’ – Alamein, Burma, Keren, and Tobruk – named after the battles in which Australia troops were led by Lord Wavell. So we wanted the artist to encapsulate both the spirit of the ANZACs and reflect the school, its structure, and its values.”

Currently based in Mackay, North Queensland, Jodie is married to an ex-serviceman from New Zealand who served in tours of East Timor and Afghanistan. They have spent time with many other army families and attended many ANZAC ceremonies and troop ‘farewells’ and ‘welcome homes’ over the years. This experience, combined with Jodie’s research and unique graphic style, led her to design a mural that met the brief by depicting an historic trajectory from the ANZACs to contemporary servicemen and women.

Christina Smeed, who led the project on behalf of the school, recalls, “Our selection panel chose Jodie because she is a mature and very talented artist with her own personal grasp of the ‘ANZAC spirit’. Her work was very well-received by the students involved, and, as an educator herself, she clearly felt connected and empathetic to our School, our students and our values. ANZAC Day has developed into a national day of respect and gratitude for past and present servicemen and women. Its tradition needs to be upheld and honoured in the years to come so that future generations understand the sacrifices that were paid for the freedom our nation enjoys.”

In her artist’s statement about the ‘ANZAC Spirit’ mural, Jodie says:

The Wavell State High School ‘ANZAC Spirit’ mural endeavours to encapsulate the bravery and determination that our ANZAC troops have demonstrated since their inception. The mural consists of historical images ranging from World War 1 to the contemporary soldier from Afghanistan. Many poignant symbols used in the mural, such as the red poppy, the rising sun, and the silhouette of the soldier, are familiar to the public. Other key symbols, colours, and text have been used to represent the namesake of the school, Field Marshal Earl Wavell (1883–1950), and the relevant school houses, Keren, Alamein, Burma, and Tobruk, which were key battles that Wavell fought with ANZAC troops during World War 2.

The mural aims to serve as a powerful, uplifting reminder of the courageous actions undertaken by Australian soldiers during the past 100 years of the ANZAC and the battles led by Earl Wavell. Another key component of the mural is the continuing spirit of the ANZAC, represented by the contemporary soldier who is throwing poppies towards the rising sun. This figure evokes the pride of our current generation to show commitment to uphold the legacy and emotion embodied in the unfailing ANZAC spirit.

Another key partner in the project is the Kedron-Wavell Sub Branch RSL. Kedron-Wavell RSL is highly involved in the local area through community and charity groups, and offers strong support for local schools and universities through educational scholarships and bursaries for young people. Its president Gregory Peake says, “ANZAC Day has become one of the most significant dates on Australian and New Zealanders’ calendars. Our branch is enthusiastically involved in many community projects and we particularly enjoy our ongoing relationship with schools such as Wavell High State School. We congratulate both Wavell and Jodie on a stunning mural and an important reminder for all of us about the ANZAC spirit and legend.”

CREATIVEMOVE offers our sincere congratulations to Jodie Connolly and give special thanks to the following staff from Wavell State High School: Principal Jeffrey Major; Deputy Principal Christina Smeed; Business Manager Deb Deaves; Project Manager Mike Mahon; Art Teacher Liza Asmussen; and Wavell State High School students Charlotte Taylor, Izabelle Curran, Isabella Andrews, and Alainya Doyle. We would also like to especially thank President Gregory Peake, Kedron-Wavell Sub-Branch RSL; Cameron Mack and Travis Vinson, Graffiti Murals; Malcolm and Corinne Matthews, Innovative Sign Solutions for their contributions.

As exciting adjuncts to the mural project, three students from Wavell State High School, Alannah Baylis, Tamarya Johnson and Thomas Meincke, were highly commended in the goa billboards Project (ANZAC Commemoration), and three other students, Rhiannon Hassett, Samantha Ellis, and Alainya Doyle, departed for Gallipoli last week after winning places in the 2015 Premier’s Anzac Prize.

Contacts

Mr Jeffrey Major, Principal, Wavell State High School: (07) 3350 0333 Ms Christina Smeed, Deputy Principal, Wavell State High School: (07) 3350 0333 Jodie Connolly, Artist: 0409 155 223 and info@everydaydesign.com.au John Stafford, Director, CREATIVEMOVE, 0418 880 583 john@creativemove.com.au

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