A new hitting-wall mural celebrating seven-time Grand Slam champion Evonne Goolagong Cawley AC MBE has been unveiled at a Mackillop Education school in Maidstone, creating a vibrant space for students to stay active and connect through tennis.
The mural forms part of the Emirates Force for Good program delivered in partnership with Australian Tennis Foundation’s (ATF) and provides students with a permanent space to practice tennis and enjoy playing sport in a safe, welcoming environment.
Designed by local Naarm artist Hayden Dewar, the artwork reflects the natural environment of the area featuring native flora and fauna voted on by students.
Animals incorporated into the mural include the Rainbow Lorikeet, Eastern Long‑necked Turtle and Blue‑tongued Lizard, with students directly involved in shaping the final design.
Evonne Goolagong Cawley was selected as the focal point of the mural to inspire the school’s strong cohort of First Nations students, celebrating excellence, resilience and connection to culture.
“Tennis has given me so much throughout my life, and I love seeing it used as a way to bring young people together. If this mural and wall encourage students to feel confident, proud of who they are, and happy to give tennis a go, then that’s something really special,” she said.
The Move Breathe Belong program is one of 14 projects funded in the 2026 ATF Emirates Force for Good program. It supports special assistance schools working with young people experiencing neurodiversity, school refusal, trauma or involvement in the child protection system. Many participating schools do not have access to specialist physical education teachers, with the program providing weekly, structured tennis sessions delivered by trained coaches.
Teachers have observed improvements in student engagement, increased confidence as well as better teamwork skills and classroom behaviour.
Tennis coach Jack Hulls said the benefits of the program are clear.
“When these kids started, they could barely hold the racquet up… now there are great smiles and awesome rallies,” he said.
Executive Director of the Australian Tennis Foundation, Vicki Reid, believes the mural will create a lasting legacy on campus.
“This partnership between the Australian Tennis Foundation and Emirates is about providing opportunities for young people facing disadvantage across Australia with the opportunity to play tennis," she said.
"Evonne is the perfect icon to have on the mural – she stands for determination and excellence and fittingly this is how Evonne started her career playing against the hitting wall.”
The new hitting wall allows students to continue playing tennis on days the program is not onsite. Students now choose to play at lunchtime and organise games independently, with ATF providing and maintaining tennis equipment for ongoing use.
The program has been delivered at the Maidstone school for four terms and will be rolled out to other Mackillop education schools across Melbourne.