Warakurna Campus

The Warakurna community

Warakurna is located at the Western end of the picturesque Rawlinson Ranges near an underground water supply. It is home to 180 Yarnangu people. The community is situated about 6 kms from the Giles Meteorological Weather Station.

The Giles weather station was established in 1956 on a site excised from the Lands to provide meteorological information to support the nuclear weapon testing. Those Yarnangu still living in the area were taken by Native Patrol Officers from their country to Warburton Mission or other government settlements in the region. This was done to protect them from rocket debris from the “Blue Streak” research project.

As a result some Yarnangu from this area were taken to Warburton Mission, and a few other communities. In the early 1970’s several factors, including the availability of government funding for homelands, easier road access, over-crowding at Docker River settlement and Warburton Mission, led to the return of families to their country. The community was incorporated in 1976.

Warakurna houses the administrative headquarters for the Ngaanyatjarra Lands School adjacent to the Warakurna campus buildings.

Services in our community

Warakurna has a community office, store, school, clinic, women’s centre, art centre, and media centre. Other facilities located 5km away on the Great Central Road - a health education facility, courthouse and police station, airstrip, radio transmission room and a roadhouse.

Our campus facilities

Warakurna has a wonderful new library, which is the focal point for school celebrations, a manual arts room, a home economics room, upper and lower primary classrooms, an Early Childhood Centre and a 0 to 3 facility. The reasonably large school grounds contain a basketball court and playground equipment, both of which are well used in the cooler months.

Our students

There are currently 44 students enrolled at Warakurna: 13 students in K - Year 1, 11 in years 2-4, 10 in years 4 - 6 and 10 in years 6 - 9.

Our teachers

There are 4 teachers, 1 Education Assistant, Principal, 4 part time AIEOs, and   part-time school officer, cleaner and gardener.

Our programs

We cover all learning areas. Our priorities are language, phonological awareness, the Aboriginal Literacy Strategy and numeracy. Other programs include a campus wide music program, a health program delivered in partnership with Ngaanyatjarra Health, nationally recognized training, sport and a playgroup.