Mural and Music Weave Through the Green Patch in Celebration of Country
In Trinity’s Junior School, it’s difficult to get very far without someone singing the praises of the Green Patch. At the heart of the School, the space has provided students and staff alike with new opportunities to cultivate connection and their wellbeing.
Spearheaded by Trinity’s Specialist Environmental Educator, Melinda Bargwanna, the Green Patch is a place where students learn more about the earth, how to cherish it, and their own place in our world.
This year, an exciting new initiative has been underway: a mural has been created in celebration of the journey of water from the Green Patch biodiversity pond all the way to Sydney Harbour.
Titled ‘Burramattagal Dreaming’, the mural’s impressive artwork spans 12 metres across the western wall of the Green Patch.
Junior School students collaborated with Indigenous multidisciplinary artist, David Cragg, to honour the Parramatta River and the lands of the many Indigenous peoples along its aqua pathway.
“Workshopping with the boys on the initial ideas for this mural was awesome. I was really blown away by how talented the boys were. They helped influence and shape the mural that’s coming together now. [The Green Patch] is such an incredible initiative and I think the boys are so lucky to have something like this.
“I’m really honoured to be involved,” David Cragg said during the mural’s creation.
The creativity extended beyond the mural, with Junior School Director of Music, Sue Goodman commissioning renowned Australian composer, Paul Jarman, to create an original work for students to perform at the unveiling.
Reflecting on the development of With Our Own Hands, Paul Jarman remarked, “The entire project was built on truth, honesty and connection, so I wanted the words to capture those qualities. During our workshop, we formed a special connection, and the piece continued to evolve through collaboration and shared creativity. We changed a few words, added some extra notes and removed others. It truly belongs to the School, the boys and the wider community.”
At this year’s Festival of the Arts, families gathered in the Green Patch Courtyard, ready to see the mural for the first time. As the mural was unveiled, the Junior School Choir and String Ensemble performed ‘With Our Own Hands’.
“Burramattagal Dreaming is a living teaching tool that helps our Green Patch boys understand their connection to Country through the story of water,” says Mrs Bargwanna.
“Together, art and music have woven a powerful story of Country, water, culture, and the boys’ ongoing stewardship of the patch.”
