Noise's Top 10 Mace Designs

In celebration of UNSW’s 75th anniversary, a Ceremonial Mace Design Competition has been set up for students and staff to enter their own mace designs for consideration. While Noise has no intention of submitting mace designs, we’ve specially curated a list of Top 10 Mace designs based on suggestions from our team. Whether you’re looking to submit a mace design in one day, or simply curious about our picks, there’s a mace design for everyone’s taste! 

What’s a Mace?

Formerly a weapon, maces are a typical feature in institutions’ formal ceremonies, and are usually wielded by a high-ranking official moonlighting as a mace-bearer. At UNSW, the mace serves as “a ceremonial staff symbolizing authority and tradition” of the university. UNSW’s current ceremonial mace, presented in 1962, has seen decades of graduation ceremonies, among other events. 

Every mace design on our Top 10 List has its own merit, highlighting the University’s strong commitment to innovation and relentless pursuit of knowledge. Most of them are multifunctional; all of them are Not Like Other Maces™. 

In no particular order, we present:

Boomwhacker(s)

Trotting out the same old mace for multiple events over the years? Boring! A set of boomwhackers, wielded by a Band of Mace-Bearers with the potential for crafting infinite, yet distinct tunes? Gold. Such is the power of boomwhacker maces. To contribute some much-needed novelty to yearly events, we suggest that a different song be boomwhacked at every event. The boomwhackers promote the crucial value of harmonious teamwork, and the universal appreciation of music strengthens the bonds between the University and its global partners at events. 

What’s not to like?

Hitachi Wand

One of the great scientific inventions of the twentieth century, the Hitachi Wand’s invention draws and builds upon millenia of interdisciplinary knowledge - a fitting representation of a University encompassing multiple faculties devoted to innovation. 

It features a very comely design better suited for climactic university events than any other mace. While its mass-produced plastic shell leaves people wanting more, the Wand can definitely be reworked for a grander, more solid look representative of the University’s academic distinction. Noise suggests that it be plated in solid gold, and engraved, fittingly, with the University’s motto for the wielder’s pleasure - Scientia Corde Manu et Mente (Knowledge by Heart, Hand, and Mind). The Wand-Mace’s rounded head can be engineered to fit a microphone, so as to amplify the University’s messages in formal ceremonies. 

While not in use, the Wand-Mace’s much smaller dimensions (30cm [L] x 6.4cm [Head]) ensures that it can be displayed in any good ol’ glass cabinet, bringing good vibes to all. 

Fork

The humble fork hails from UNSW’s natural flora and fauna; ubiquitous across campus and indispensable (unless disposable). It is also a great representation of knowledge’s nourishing qualities, much like that of food. The fork’s design lends itself to strong symbolism - in accordance with the University's motto, the four tines symbolize heart, hand, mind, and knowledge respectively.

Design-wise, the fork’s production process makes it an excellent choice for a cost-effective mace. A sustainable fork-mace can be constructed with materials such as recycled wood, and is able to be replaced quickly in cases of theft or damage.

Vuvuzela

A staple of South African football matches, the vuvuzela’s loud and commanding presence makes it a perfect candidate for a University mace. Projecting authority with every toot, it is suited for large university events to call attention to crucial proceedings, and an effective eye-opener after snoozeworthy speakers.

Giant Pencil

The giant pencil is all about versatility. Other maces might be locked in display cases during downtime, but not this one! Commonly associated with academics, the pencil champions the University’s ideals of knowledge and innovation. Easily and comfortably wielded due to its ergonomic design, it is an eye catcher in the University’s colours of yellow and black. Outside of formal events, the mace can triple up as a functioning pencil and lecture pointer. 

Baseball Bat with a Fuckton of Nails on it

This mace design has its roots in horror media. No, we aren’t talking about the horrors of academia. 

Unlike other mace designs, this design encourages input and collaboration from the many faculties at UNSW. Each nail in the end of the bat is representative of a different faculty. Every faculty is able to contribute their own unique nail design that symbolises the pain that they inflict on their students through deadlines and nail-biting hurdle requirements, in addition to the general horrors of university. 

This mace design also has an excellent intimidation factor, allowing the UNSW mace-bearer to gain social status amongst other NSW Universities–

Oops. Perhaps we are talking about the horrors of academia. 

Novelty Inflatable Mace

The art of mace-wielding is much harder than it looks - especially for a mace whose dimensions can reach up to 1.2m (L) x 0.2m (W) x 0.2m (H) and weigh up to 5kg as stated on the University’s website. To reduce the mace’s capacity for injury should it be accidentally dropped on Mace-Bearer feet, Noise proposes an alternative - the novelty inflatable mace. 

This mace carries the same design as the usual ornamental mace for a fraction of the cost. 

Not only that, the novelty inflatable mace is light, convenient, and can be easily transported in a flat pack. Filled with air on-location, it weighs a lot less than its predecessor, and is therefore less injurious.

Mace (Spray)

This mace breaks the glass display case of maces. 

This mace comes in the form of a spray can. 

This mace is for the avant-garde, the nonconformists, the innovators, and of course, the snarkers in comment boxes.

‘The new mace has gone WOKE!’

Psst. Silence.

Lion Head Stick Toy

Noise suggests a novelty lion head stick toy, featuring UNSW's beloved mascot Clancy the Lion.

This is a callback to UNSW Chancellor Sir John Clancy, after whom our mascot is named, and to whom the original UNSW mace was presented back in 1962. 

While unconventional, we believe that innovation and rule-breaking is key to a good design. Additionally, a fluffy lion head is far more entertaining to students than other options. 

Stress Ball

Official events can get seriously stressful for the mace-bearer. In a radical reinvention of the University mace design, Noise proposes a stress ball. The immaculate roundness of the stress ball emphasizes the excellent all-rounded education that one can expect to receive at UNSW. Less slippery than a mace and ten times less stressful to hold, the stress ball is, put simply, a-mace-balls. 

Less ponderous handling - more pondering the orb.