A NEW mural by artist Georgia Burke on the “welcome wall” at Villanova College was a sign of its commitment to reconciliation as well as welcoming and encouraging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, a college leader said.
Brisbane auxiliary Bishop Ken Howell blessed the mural on the anniversary of National Sorry Day.
Dean of identity and mission Kate Garrone said it was “deeply moving” to see the mural being created.
She said being such a public display, in a prominent spot, it “felt like it’s a permanent, clear message to our community that I just celebrate”.
She said it showed that “we really want to welcome and encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island students at Villa”.
It is an original artwork painted by Georgia Burke, whose brother and father both went to Villanova, and was first created as part of the college’s jerseys for a reconciliation round of sport.
“I just am so excited that that’s the kind of the space we’re in as a college,” Ms Garrone said.
“I would hope that it would be a real signal to those in our community that we really want to welcome and encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to be at a Villa.”
She said it was important as educators to be telling the “true story of our history” and helping to facilitate reconciliation.
“If we are serious about being people who are reconciling, who recognise when a systemic injustice has been done, historically and even in the present, we have a collective responsibility to be working to rectify that,” she said.
Present at the mural was Joe Kelly, State Member for Greenslopes, Paula Hoctor, Deputy Chair of the Villanova Board, artist Georgia Burke and the Burke family, Indigenous students of Villanova, their parents and grandparents, Villanova parents, Blake Stockton, former staff member at Villanova and Marlon Riley from Brisbane Catholic Education who led the smoking ceremony.
There were also students representing St Laurence’s College, Iona College and Loreto College.
