5 May 2026

New Warakurna pool mural brings the community together

It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do when the whole community picks up a brush!

At the Warakurna Community Pool, local primary school teacher and artist Brendan, who paints under the name Hope, has been working alongside the community and Remote Pool Manager Lily Klemm to bring a new, colourful mural to life.

The design came together through conversations with Yarnangu families and Elders, and reflects Warakurna’s Tjukurrpa (Dreaming), including the story of the Four Parrots. Those stories are now painted right onto the pool walls for every family and visitor to see when they come for a swim.

The mural also celebrates four local students, Sheilanne, Bernadette, Jaylen, and Clem, who recorded the highest school attendance in Semester 2, 2025. Seeing them up on the wall is something the whole community can be proud of, and links to the No School, No Pool strategy, providing a positive incentive to improve school attendance.

Plenty of hands were involved in the painting, with many Warakurna artists as well as community members and kids all pitching in to help. Stretching around the pool building, the new mural combines portraits, colour and patterns that reflect Yarnangu voices and their stories.

Warakurna is part of Royal Life Saving WA’s Remote Pools Project and the pool is an important place for the community to swim and spend time together. The mural is bringing new life into a space the community uses every day.

This project came together through the efforts of Brendan, Lily, and the Warakurna community, supported by the Ngaanyatjarra Lands School.

Warakurna is part of Royal Life Saving WA’s Remote Pools Project, supported by the Department of Housing and Works.