First Nations mural sparks intergenerational connection in the Redlands
Local
Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Killara Day Respite Centre has united a group of Redlands’ young and older people through a First Nations mural created to celebrate the region’s rich cultural heritage and connection to the bay
Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Killara Day Respite Centre has united a group of Redlands’ young and older people through a First Nations mural created to celebrate the region’s rich cultural heritage and connection to the bay.
The artwork was designed and brought to life by Sara*, a Waka Waka First Nations woman and client of Anglicare’s Youth Homelessness Services for young people at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness.
The First Nations mural at Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Killara Day Respite Centre (16 June 2025)
Youth Homelessness Service Coordinator Vicki Kelly said the project was a labour of love that took over two years to complete.
“When our Team Leader at Killara approached me with the idea, I thought this would be a terrific opportunity to get our young people out in the community where they could have some fun, show off their creative flair and engage in a meaningful project that would bring joy to the lives of older members of the community,” Ms Kelly said.
The First Nations mural at Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Killara Day Respite Centre (16 June 2025)
“They absolutely loved it. Sara was given creative control of the project and crafted the final design in one afternoon, which was incredible. She oversaw the stencilling of the linework and, with a team of up to seven participants, completed the colourful mural bit-by-bit over two years.
“It was always so heartwarming to hear the kind words from Killara’s older people who loved to come outside and have a conversation with the young group as they carried out the painting.
“The young people also enjoyed having a chat with the older people and it was terrific for them to receive positive recognition of their hard work.
“When young people turn to Anglicare for support, they’re coming from a very vulnerable place in life and can be dealing with a range of mental, emotional and self-esteem challenges.
“I heard firsthand from the participants that the activity was positively affecting their mental wellbeing and gave them something to look forward to.
“Being able to provide them with an outlet to express themselves, develop meaningful connections within the community and complete a task that gives them a sense of pride is so important,” Ms Kelly said.
Sara said she was proud of her efforts and hoped the Killara aged care clients would enjoy the artwork for years to come.
“It feels good to finally complete this project. It’s great to see everyone’s hard work up on the fence and many memories have been shared over the last two years,” Sara said.
“When Vicki first asked me if I’d like to design the artwork, it was important to me to include elements that were special to the Redlands and Killara’s close connection to the bay.
“The dolphin is the totem animal of the Redlands and the Quandamooka People, so the artwork features a pod of dolphins swimming in the waves.
“I’ve also added some turtles and stingrays and have stuck to a marine colour palette with some earthy brown and yellow colours in the mix,” Sara said.
Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Youth Homelessness Service Coordinator, Vicki Kelly, and Youth Homelessness client Noah add handprints to the mural to commemorate their hard work on the project on 16 June 2025
The colours featured throughout the mural are also friendly for older people visiting Killara who have dementia because of their calming, cool tones.
For more information on Anglicare’s Youth Homelessness Services, please visit here. For more information on Killara Day Respite Centre’s services, please visit here.
*Name has been changed to protect identity
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