| The RMH crest |
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The Royal Melbourne Hospital crest depicts the red cross underneath the staff of Aesculapius, a son of Apollo, and the Grecian God of the Medical Arts and Healing, surrounded by a serpent.
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The serpent is an object of worship and symbolic of healing. The belief being that the power to heal could be acquired by eating a part of a serpent, thereby assimilating the qualities derived essential to medical skill. It is also an emblem of eternity and wisdom.
The red cross is associated with modern medical science. The symbol has its origins in 1863 when Swiss banker, Henry Dunant, formed the International Committee of the Red Cross after witnessing the aftermath of the bloody Battle of Solferino in Northern Italy in 1859. The red cross on a white background is the reverse of the Swiss flag and came to represent a neutral organisation devoted to the care of the sick and wounded of armies at war. An earlier symbol of the cross, used in association with healing, can be traced to the Order of St John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitallers from the 12th Century.
The star in the upper, left hand quadrant indicates hope for the suffering. |
The RMH crest
(click on image to enlarge) |
The motto ‘Miseris Succurrere Disco’ is taken from Virgil’s Aeneid (Book 1, line 630). Dido is welcoming Aeneas and the Trojans to Carthage and tells them that she had known sorrow and hardship. This has taught her to give aid to other sufferers. Literally the line means ‘I am learning to succour the afflicted’ or ‘I have been learning to aid the wretched’. This has been modernised to “I learn to help the suffering”.
The hospital crest is interpreted to represent the evolution of the care of the sick. It was originally introduced in 1903 by Mr W.R. Andrews, Secretary to the Melbourne Hospital. In 1972, the crest was redesigned in a more modern style incorporating the colours red, gold and blue. At this time it was formally adopted by the hospital, as previously its dimensions, proportions and colours had never been officially regulated resulting in variations in use. In January 2005, the logo was redesigned to accommodate the newly introduced terms City Campus and Royal Park Campus.
The RMH logo developed in 2005.
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