The school spent the first term planning and designing the mural to decorate the swimming pool fence, and then engaged Herbert artist Liz King to help make it happen.
It depicts the role of the pioneers who first settled right through to the present, with the progressive closure of neighbouring schools over the years contributing to the "rich picture" of a rural school with links to its community.
The scenes shown on the mural include a moa dig from 1894, Elephant Hill, Kapua Swamp with moa roaming around it, strawberries, the Waihaorunga School sign, Ikawai Memorial Hall, the old Douglas School and the unopened bottle of beer at the Waihao Forks Hotel - a memorial to Ted d`Auvergne, the soldier who never returned home.
Principal David Pirie said it was a big art project for the pupils - the school has a roll of 36 - and they loved it.
An unveiling assembly to launch the mural was held recently.
