Mary Malbunka grew up at Papunya. She finished school at the age of seventeen. She worked in a variety jobs including, seamstress, cooking for the school, serving petrol and groceries at Papunya Store, cleaner for the hospital and the Papunya Council Office. In 1985, Malbanka commenced work at Papunya School. From here she became a literacy officer, writing and illustrating Luritja books for Papunya School.
Malbunka participated in the creation of Papunya School Book of Country and History, which won the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books in the 2002 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards and was joint overall winner of the 2002 Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing.