Melbourne Daily Photo

Hello, I created this blog because Melbourne is my city and I want people to see what a beautiful place it is. So come with me on a journey of discovery as we traverse the dining precincts, the culture, the laneways and hidden gems that make Melbourne marvellous.




Waltzing Australia

Tuesday 28 September 2010

Mingary - the quiet place

Mingary ~ A peaceful sanctuary for people of all cultures and religions. Mingary is a Gaelic word meaning 'the quiet place'

Here, rocks, water and light have been brought together in harmony. These elements are the ancient and contemporary symbols of life, strength and spiritual elevation.


Mingary has been developed as a place for quiet reflection and offers an escape from the hectic demands of city life. It is a place for solitary contemplation. Mingary is dedicated to healing, restoration, inspiration, vision and empowerment.

The feature light which is 2 metres across and wall lights were designed by Stephen Hennessy Art & Design and made in 1999.

Water
On entering the gates, you will see a rough-hewn rock. Water falls down it from above reminding us of the gift of life coming to us, unsought. At the base, are numerouse small stones representing us as individuals.

Mingary
The lighting is subtle and unobtrusive, providing a relaxing glow in the room. The small candle lights define the edges of the space, and the large feature light, situated directly above the sculpture, illuminates the scultpure without drawing too much attention within the room.


Bowl of Welcome
As you enter the sanctuary, you see the Bowl of Welcome - it is set on two stones. One, a fragment of green marble from the island of Iona, the other, a gift from the Aboriginal Mia Mia tribe who it is believed once lived on this sacred site.

Water flows down the table-rock and into the Bowl of Quietness and Peace.

Seating
Plain chairs are placed around the room close to the walls.

Enter in silence ~ leave in silence.


Garden
Part of the garden around Mingary. Mingary is part of St. Michael's Uniting Church 120 Collins Street, and you enter from Russell Street.

I found this place quite by accident on one of my city walks. The place was empty when I arrived, thus I was able to take photos. Other people came and sat down. It was a very peaceful experience and it's really wonderful that Melbourne has such a place to offer for those just wanting some time out from their busy lives.


About the artist

 
The sculpture was created by the Japanese artist, Akira Takizawa and called in Japanese, Seinaru-ishi - sacred rock. It is composed of three large rocks, a surge of white marble, and the magnificent water bowl at the base. He was born in Japan and has been resident in Australia since 1978. He has responded to many commissions in Melbourne and Osaka, Japan and has participated in many solo and group exhibitions. (Photo from State Library of Victoria)


Today's Quote: If you reflect within yourself and find nothing to be ashamed of, how could you have anxiety or fear ~ Confucius

20 comments:

Lois said...

What a lovely and serene place! Thank you for sharing it with us.

Coffeeveggie addict. said...

wonderful p0st.the mingary lo0ks really a peaceful place to go.i surely will love that place.
visit my 99th post

EG CameraGirl said...

I'm impressed! I would love to visit Mingary in person.

Halcyon said...

Really beautiful work! I especially like that welcome bowl. Neat stuff.

B SQUARED said...

This is really very interesting.

Luis Gomez said...

Gorgeous pictures. What a great place.

joo said...

It's a fascinating place and fascinating idea! I love the photos and the quote:)
have a great weekend ahead:)

magiceye said...

absolutely fascinating!

johnny said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Wow - that light is breath-taking! At first I thought it was a view through a window. Amazing!

Carver said...

I'd love to have somewhere like that to visit. It looks like such a great spot for quiet contemplation. I like the art and feel of it very much.

johnny said...

Oh¡ Cómo me gustaria sentir esos estados de conciencia¡¡
Gran artísta.
Saludos

Lowell said...

I agree that it is wonderful you have such a place in Melbourne. Our lives seem to get more harried even as we devise more technology to make them easier.

This would be a great place to unwind and think on the important things rather than on the things we think (sometimes) are important and are not.

I also like the fact that spirituality appears to be one of the emphases, but not religion per se.

Fine post, BFG!

DeniseinVA said...

A wonderful, wonderful post and all the photos are equally so. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, it's been a very nice visit here.
An English Girl Rambles

Leif Hagen said...

Like no place I've visited before your posting I think. Very interesting!

The foreign language translator worked great on my blog thanks to you! Vielen Danke! Merci beaucoup! Domo arigato gozaimashita! Tack sa mycket! Grazie mille! Tusen takk!

Randy said...

That is awesome! I think every city should have such a place. Love the photos.

Cezar and Léia said...

I would love to visit there someday, it's beautiful!
The first picture is my favorite, it's really impressive!
hugs
Léia

diane b said...

I would like to go there . I like silence. You wouldn't want your mobile to ring.

ruma said...

It is a wonderful design...

Thank you for a visit.
ruma

lewi14@gmail.com said...

I like the 1st photo and it's geometry very much. The other shots are also excellent.

Melbourne Daily Photo

Hello, I created this blog because Melbourne is my city and I want people to see what a beautiful place it is. So come with me on a journey of discovery as we traverse the dining precincts, the culture, the laneways and hidden gems that make Melbourne marvellous.