School Mural

Painting the Alberton Primary School Mural

In August 2022 Alberton Primary School was gifted a mural for the Art Room wall celebrating the Gunaikurnai creation story of Boorun and Tuk. It was a great day with lots of people in attendance. The Wulgunggo Ngalu dancers were on site. The school captains, Kitty Brennan and Jed Serradura, did the acknowledgement to country. Shaun Braybrook, General Manager of the Wulgunggo Ngalu Learning Place in Gippsland, addressed the children, parents and visitors, sharing some stories of the local area. Shaun also explained the story of the mural which I have included below. It is now on display on the wall under the painting.

This mural was painted by the men of Wulgunggo Ngalu Learning Place in 2021. The process grew out of a visit to the school by the indigenous dance group where Peter Corser, their Art Teacher, suggested Wulgunggo Ngalu paint a mural for the school. Sometime later about 6 paintings arrived for the school to consider, and after consultation at all levels, a design for the space was put together. The finished mural arrived in 5 sections and was put in place, fitting perfectly. The story of the mural is also on a plaque underneath.

The Story of the Alberton Primary School Mural

Inspiration for the mural was based on the Gunaikurnai creation story of Boorun and Tuk.
The overall colour scheme is of the Koorie flag, red on the bottom, yellow in the middle and black on the top.

The red represents blood and Country in the mural. It contains the designs of Koorie people as used on pre-colonial shields.

The yellow represents the sun and a dreaming path in the mural. It contains animal totems including the totem of Boorun, the Pelican man, and Tuk, the Musk Duck woman, the ancestors of the Gunaikurnai people.

The black represents the people and the night sky in the mural. It contains the moon and the southern cross referring to the story of Narran and the Moon.

The story of Boorun and Tuk is told on the GLAWAC website. The mural shows Boorun meeting Tuk and heading off from Port Albert across to Snake Island to start the Gunaikurnai nation.

South Gippsland is the traditional land of the Brataualung people, one of the five Gunaikurnai clans. Our Story | Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation

The Gunaikurnai Nation with the five clans.

Indigenous Nations within Australia.