What’s happening?
Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Killara Day Respite Centre has become a vibrant hub of connection and creativity thanks to a stunning First Nations mural uniting Redlands’ young and older community members. The mural was designed by Sara*, a Waka Waka First Nations woman and client of Anglicare’s Youth Homelessness Services, and took over two years to complete with the help of up to seven young participants.
Commissioned to celebrate the Redlands’ rich cultural heritage and connection to the bay, the mural gave young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness a chance to showcase their creativity. Youth Homelessness Service Coordinator Vicki Kelly explained, “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.”
Sara was given full creative control of the design, which she finalised impressively in just one afternoon before leading the stencilling and painting effort over the next two years.
Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Youth Homelessness Service Coordinator, Vicki Kelly, and Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Killara Lifestyle and Leisure Assistant, Donna Smith add their handprints to the mural to commemorate its completion.
Why it matters?
The mural project provided a safe, engaging outlet for vulnerable young people, giving them a sense of purpose, community belonging, and positive recognition. Ms Kelly said, “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.”
Local Impact
Older clients at Killara Day Respite Centre enjoyed watching the mural progress and chatting with the young artists, creating strong intergenerational bonds. Ms Kelly shared, “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.”
She added, “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.”
By the numbers:
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Two years to complete the mural.
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Seven participants. The Maximum number of young people working on the project at once.
Zoom In
Sara said she felt proud of the completed mural and the memories made during the project. “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.”
She described the inspiration behind her design: “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.”
Sara also incorporated turtles and stingrays, sticking to a marine-inspired colour palette accented with earthy browns and yellows. “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,” she said.
Importantly, the calming, cool tones chosen for the mural were selected to be dementia-friendly, creating a comforting environment for Killara’s aged care clients.
Zoom Out
This project reflects Anglicare Southern Queensland’s mission of walking alongside Queenslanders for over 150 years, offering support and care through services like aged care, foster care, family support, homelessness services, youth support, and counselling. By fostering inclusion and pride, Anglicare empowers vulnerable young people to build positive futures and meaningful connections within their community.
What to look for next?
Local families and community members are encouraged to visit Killara Day Respite Centre to see the completed mural and celebrate the powerful collaboration between Redlands’ young and older generations. For more information on Anglicare’s Youth Homelessness Services, visit their website. To learn more about Killara Day Respite Centre’s services, visit here.
Killara’s First Nation’s marine themed mural.
*Name has been changed to protect identity.
