It is difficult to imagine a more remote community in Australia, but this is the land which the Luritja speaking people call nganampa nguru wiru - 'their beautiful land.'

The Finke River Mission, under the auspices of the Lutheran Church of Australia, has had a presence in the Walungurru community for over 30 years. In spite of this presence and the Mission managing Yirara College, attendance of students at Yirara was sporadic and short-term. Homesickness, cultural and social activities in the community and the distance between Yirara College and Kintore were unsettling obstacles for students trying to adjust to boarding school life in Alice Springs.

After many years of grappling with these problems, a Yirara teacher was placed in the community, initially just teaching Yirara College students for the second half of a term. Students would travel to Alice Springs for 6 weeks and return home for the last weeks of the term. This was made possible by the NT Education Department which provided a teaching space and teacher accommodation in the local primary school.