Key points:
- A mural honouring seven-time Grand Slam champion Evonne Goolagong Cawley has been unveiled at MacKillop Education's Maidstone school to celebrate excellence, resilience and First Nations pride.
- Through the Emirates Force for Good initiative and Australian Tennis Foundation support, students have gained access to structured coaching and a new hitting wall, helping build confidence, calm and social connection.
- The Move. Breathe. Belong. program will expand to more MacKillop Education campuses as part of Emirates' broader investment in community sport programs supporting disadvantaged young Australians.
MacKillop Education's Maidstone campus aims to inspire disadvantaged young people through the legacy Evonne Goolagong Cawley
A mural celebrating seven-time Grand Slam champion Evonne Goolagong Cawley has been unveiled at MacKillop Education's Maidstone school in Melbourne, creating a lasting on-campus tribute to one of Australia's greatest sporting icons.
Designed by Melbourne-based artist Hayden Dewar and in partnership with Emirates and the Australian Tennis Foundation (ATF), the mural was commissioned as part of the Emirates Force for Good program, a AU$2.25 million, five-year commitment to inspire brighter futures for young Australians through tennis.
Alongside the mural, a purpose-built hitting wall also gives students the opportunity to engage with tennis independently throughout the school day, including at lunchtime, with the ATF providing and maintaining all on-site equipment for ongoing use.
Evonne Goolagong Cawley was chosen as the focal point of the mural to honour and inspire the school's strong cohort of First Nations students, a celebration of excellence, resilience and cultural pride through one of Australia's most beloved sporting figures.
Across her career the Wiradjuri woman won 86 WTA singles titles (including seven Grand Slams), 46 doubles titles (including six Grand Slams), and briefly became World No. 1 in 1971 and 1976.
"Tennis has given me so much throughout my life, and I love seeing it used as a way to bring young people together," Goolagong Cawley said.
"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."
MacKillop Maidstone is a specialist school which supports young people navigating neurodiversity, trauma backgrounds and school refusal.
The school joined the Move. Breathe. Belong. program at the outset of the Force for Good initiative and has since received four terms of structured weekly tennis coaching delivered by trained ATF coaches.
'Evonne is the perfect icon to have on the mural'
Australian Tennis Foundation executive director, Vicki Reid, said the partnership between ATF and Emirates "is about providing opportunities for young people facing disadvantage across Australia with the opportunity to play tennis".
"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," Ms Reid said.
Since the addition of the structured program teachers have observed students who had previously struggled to engage finding calm and building confidence on court.
They said following the installation of the hitting wall, students began organising their own games at lunchtime independently.
Emirates regional sales manager, Dean Cleaver, said MacKillop Maidstone "is exactly the kind of community we had in mind when we launched Force for Good".
"These are young people who deserve every opportunity to thrive, and tennis, through the ATF's expertise and dedication, has given them a space to do just that," Mr Cleaver said.
"Seeing students who once found it difficult to engage now independently organising their own games at lunchtime is a powerful reminder of what this program is really about.
"This mural is a permanent part of this school's story, and we are proud to have played a role in that."
The Move. Breathe. Belong. program is set to be expand to additional MacKillop Education schools across Melbourne.
In 2026, Emirates Force for Good is supporting 14 community tennis projects across five Australian cities, reaching young Australians who may not otherwise have access to structured sport and the lasting benefits it brings.
The Force for Good program forms part of Emirates' broader AU$230 million investment in Australian sponsorships across sport and the arts, including the Australian Open, Collingwood Football Club and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
