‘WINDOWS ON THE WORLD’

The five panels that make up the St Paul’s Court mural have come to be seen as “windows on the world” by the more than 90 artists who contributed to the painting. 

The “tree of life” window depicts Australian country life, the origin of many of the artists. The object in the centre of the picture, an Australian gum tree, is the tree that stood in the forecourt of St Paul’s until, as is the cycle of Life, it died and was duly felled during the painting of the mural. 

The “rose” window represents the beautiful stand of roses at the entrance gate to St Paul’s Court. Many of the residents have expressed their love of roses and mentioned that they had roses in their own gardens prior to moving to St Paul’s. 

The crucifix that hangs in the Chapel of St Paul’s Court is the model for the centre-piece of the “spiritual” window of the mural. It was the special request of one of the artists who whispered to me, apropos of Christ’s death, that “we are all God’s creatures and without him we are lost”. 

Similarly, one of the many volunteers at St Paul’s Court likened the connecting love and affection felt by the artists towards their friends at St Paul’s to “a string of precious gems”, hence the border around the “heart” window. As a tangible acknowledgement of their legacy, each artist’s name is recorded within the central heart of the window which, of course, symbolizes human Love. 

The fifth and final panel, the “twilight of Life” window, celebrates nature and the spirit of the “joy of life” as reflected across the whole of a lifetime.