Australian schools are being encouraged to turn blank walls into lasting lessons in sustainability, as entries continue for the 2026 Paint Australia Beautiful School Mural Competition.
Run by Keep Australia Beautiful, with support from Dulux Australia and the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, the free national competition invites students to design nature-inspired murals that explore litter prevention, waste management and biodiversity.
Article published 26/06/2026 in: SCHOOLS NEWS AUSTRALIA
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The program is open to early learning centres, kindergartens, childcare centres, primary schools and junior secondary schools up to Year 9.
Students can enter individually, as a small group, class, grade or whole-school project. Each submission includes an Eco-Vision statement explaining the inspiration behind the mural and how it connects to the local environment and school community.
For educators, the competition offers a practical way to bring sustainability learning out of the classroom and into the everyday school environment.
Rather than treating environmental education as a single lesson or awareness day, Paint Australia Beautiful gives students the opportunity to think deeply about the natural world around them, the impact of waste and litter, and the role young people can play in protecting biodiversity.
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The process is designed to be simple and classroom-friendly. Students brainstorm nature-inspired ideas, design a mural for a publicly visible internal or external school wall, and explain the story behind their artwork.
Eight winning schools, one from each state and territory, will receive expert guidance from the Dulux Paint Team, along with premium Dulux paint and supplies to help bring their mural to life. Winning schools will also receive commemorative plaques and student keepsakes, creating a permanent reminder of the students’ contribution to their school and local environment.
Keep Australia Beautiful said the competition was designed to help students see sustainability as something visible, creative and connected to place.
“Paint Australia Beautiful gives students a practical and creative way to explore what sustainability means in their own community,” said Laura Carrazza, Head of Community Programs at Keep Australia Beautiful.
“A mural is more than paint on a wall. It becomes a lasting statement of what students value, and a daily reminder that young people have an important role to play in caring for the places where they live and learn.”
Previous entries have shown how strongly students connect environmental themes with local identity, culture and community pride.
In 2025, Bexley Public School in New South Wales was named the National People’s Choice Champion for its mural, Our Living Country. The student artwork explored the connection between people, nature and Country across three panels representing the past, present and future.
The mural celebrated Aboriginal culture, local biodiversity, community action and hope for a cleaner, more sustainable Australia. It also showed children working together to plant trees, reduce plastic waste and care for the environment.
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The 2026 competition is now calling for the next generation of school murals.
Entries officially close on Friday 3 July, with a special consideration extension available until Friday 24 July for schools requiring additional time. To request special consideration extension, contact admin@kab.org.au
Schools can register interest, access teacher resources and submit entries via the Keep Australia Beautiful website.
Learn more: https://www.kab.org.au/paint-australia-beautiful/schools-2026