Within the scattering of run down houses and humpies on the 16 outstations that make up the larger community of Utopia, there is one place where there's a sense of expectation, even hope.
The new high school at Arlparra, the largest outstation in Utopia, opened earlier this year and already attendance is strong.
In a place where schooling consisted of one or two teacher primary schools scattered across the outstations, the concept of one, centralised high school is new for the community.
As principal Kerry Kasmira says, the new high school has all the trappings of a 'proper' school.
"This is a real school. It's got sirens, it's got bells, it's got a timetable, uniforms. We talk about the Maths teacher, the English teacher. And the feedback I get is, 'It's a real school.'"
With all the markings of a 'real' school, attitudes to education are starting to change. In the first week, young men who hadn't attended school for years signed up for the chance of gaining an education.
