November 5, 2026
A small smoking ceremony signalled the start of a celebration at Kingaroy State High School on Wednesday afternoon which was years in the making.
Students, their families and the wider community were invited to attend the official opening of the school’s new Yarning Circle, its associated gardens and mural.
The stone circle is situated near the Toomey Street entrance to the schoolgrounds.
It’s surrounded by a garden of bush tucker plants, all neatly labelled, and a stand of older native trees.
KSHS community education counsellor Toni Phillips-Petersen said the project to create the cultural space began almost seven years ago after a casual conversation with “Macca”, who was the school’s groundsman at the time.
Toni told Macca she needed a space at the school as the number of Indigenous students was growing.
He led her out to an area which “looked like a mess” … but they could seen there was potential.
Over the next few years, the weeds were cleared by students and volunteers, stone blocks were laid, bush tucker plants and trees were planted and then a mural was created …
“We created something we can all be proud about. A place of connection, culture and community,” Toni said.
KSHS principal David Thomson joined Toni in cutting the ribbon to open the Yarning Circle area.
He said it was a wonderful space for everyone to gather and strengthen connections to country and community.
Students from Kingaroy State School and Kingaroy State High School performed dances in the circle to the applause of the crowd.
Toni then invited everyone present to add a fingerprint to the mural wall.
A special moment was the presentation of a framed photograph to Bernice Danahay, the mother of the late Jed Danahay who did much of the early preparation work for the Yarning Circle.
Jed, who worked to clear the area and place the stone blocks, was killed in August 2022 after volunteering as a combat medic in Ukraine.
