Parramatta Public School, New South Wales (Grades 5-6)
In the heart of one of Australia’s oldest cities, Parramatta Public School is a place where past and present sit side by side.
An original school building connects students with more than 150 years of education in Parramatta, while a modern, multi-storey campus looks firmly towards the future. Beyond the school gates, the Parramatta River winds through a landscape shaped by Aboriginal history, colonial heritage, nature and a thriving contemporary city.
Inside the school is an equally vibrant community of around 625 students, representing many different cultures, languages, traditions and experiences.
Now, all of those elements are coming together on one previously blank wall, with Parramatta Public School representing New South Wales as a state winner in Keep Australia Beautiful’s Paint Australia Beautiful campaign.
And at the centre of it all is the creative vision of one Year 6 student.
From a sketch to a large-scale artwork
When Parramatta Public School decided to take part in Paint Australia Beautiful, it saw an opportunity to transform a large blank wall into something that could represent the people and place around it. The school wanted colour and creativity, but it also wanted students to feel genuine ownership over what was created.
That vision found its artist in Year 6 student and Art Club member Sanaayesha Doi.
A talented young artist with a particular skill for pencil drawing, Sanaayesha created the original artwork that would become the foundation of the school’s mural. She is now taking a leading role in turning her drawing into a large-scale painted artwork.
Around 20 students from Years 2, 3, 5 and 6 will contribute to the mural, supported by teachers Nicole Pixton and Jess Ross. Nicole has led the school’s Art Club for several years and is passionate about helping young artists develop their own ideas and skills, while Jess leads the school’s Drawing Club and Creative Writing Club, encouraging students to explore their imaginations across both art and storytelling.
They are also joined by young community artist Summer Pixton, who recently completed her Year 12 Visual Arts major work and brings particular experience in painting and portraiture. Together, they are giving students the unusual experience of watching an idea move from one student’s original drawing to a permanent artwork on the walls of their school.
Telling the story of Parramatta
The mural Sanaayesha designed is a celebration of Parramatta – its people, environment and community. Flowing through the artwork is the Parramatta River, one of the defining natural features of the local area.
The river has deep cultural significance, and the mural includes an eel in acknowledgement of the area’s connection to Burramatta, commonly understood as “the place where the eels lie down”, and the relationship of the Burramattagal people with the river and Country. Around it, native plants, birds and wildlife celebrate the biodiversity that continues to exist within Parramatta’s highly urban environment. Long-finned eels, water dragons, turtles, native birds and grey-headed flying foxes are among the wildlife found around the Parramatta River and nearby Parramatta Park.
People are just as important to the mural’s story. Figures throughout the design represent the many cultural backgrounds found within the school, while bright colours capture the energy and creativity of its students.
Together, these elements create a picture of a place where nature, culture, history and a diverse modern community belong side by side. Most importantly, the school wants students to be able to look at the finished mural and recognise something of themselves and the community they call home.
More than 150 years of learning
Parramatta Public School’s own story stretches back to 1873, with its origins in Parramatta South Public School. As Parramatta grew and changed, so too did the school. Today, the contrast between its historic and contemporary buildings provides a physical reminder of that journey. An original school building remains in use, while the modern school is housed within a distinctive U-shaped, multi-storey facility designed for flexible and collaborative learning.
The wider landscape tells an even longer story. Parramatta is a place where thousands of years of Aboriginal history, significant colonial heritage and a rapidly evolving modern city intersect. The river and Parramatta Park sit alongside landmarks including Old Government House and some of Australia’s oldest surviving colonial buildings and streets. For Parramatta Public School, that combination is central to its identity.
Its students and families represent Parramatta as it is today, while the landscape around them provides opportunities to understand the many layers of the place in which they live and learn.
Finding nature in the heart of the city
Despite its urban setting, Parramatta Public School is also creating opportunities for students to experience sustainability first-hand. On the school rooftop, garden beds are used to grow herbs, vegetables and fruit. Students can harvest that produce and use it through the school’s Kids Kitchen, helping them understand the journey food takes from garden to plate. Members of the student Garden Club volunteer their time to plant, maintain and care for these spaces. The school also supports native bees, participates in recycling and waste-reduction initiatives and has introduced additional green spaces into its urban campus.
Sustainability has even influenced the design of the modern school building. Natural airflow helps reduce reliance on air conditioning, with classroom indicators helping show when conditions are suitable for natural ventilation. For the school, these practical experiences are important. Rather than sustainability being something students only hear or read about, they can grow food, care for plants and wildlife, reduce waste and make choices that have a visible impact on the environment around them.
Students have also taken environmental messages beyond the school through initiatives such as the Truck Art Competition with City of Parramatta Council and Veolia, using their creativity to communicate messages about recycling and sustainability to the wider community.
Looking more closely at where we live
Paint Australia Beautiful has provided another opportunity to combine those environmental conversations with creativity. As the mural has developed, students have been prompted to look more closely at Parramatta itself. They have discussed the river and the meaning of Burramatta, local wildlife, Aboriginal connections to Country, the cultures represented within their community and the importance of protecting the natural environment for future generations. That is particularly significant in a busy urban environment. By placing native plants, wildlife and the river prominently within the artwork, the mural reminds students that nature hasn’t disappeared simply because they live in a city. It is still around them – in their waterways, parks, wildlife and school grounds – and it is something they have a role in caring for.
Becoming part of the school’s story
For Parramatta Public School, being named the New South Wales state winner is also an opportunity to celebrate its young artists. Students, staff and families have watched as a drawing by one Year 6 student has grown into something much larger. It is recognition not only of Sanaayesha’s artistic talent, but of what can happen when young people are given opportunities to express their ideas and see them taken seriously.
Once completed, the mural will remain long after the students painting it have moved on. For a school with more than 150 years of history, that idea carries particular meaning. Generations of students have already passed through Parramatta Public School. The school hopes future generations will look at the mural and continue to see their community, their environment and themselves reflected back at them. In that way, Sanaayesha’s original drawing becomes more than an artwork. It becomes another small piece of Parramatta Public School’s long story – celebrating where the school has come from, who its students are today and the place they share a responsibility for carrying into the future.
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