In this paper I draw on a particular case that encapsulates some of the most extreme elements of educational disadvantage - poverty, remote location, English as a foreign language, cultural diversity and Aboriginality - to provide a lens for understanding the complexity of coming to learn school mathematics. In so doing, I illustrate the need for a greater understanding of the intersection of various factors that limit the opportunities for success in school mathematics. The objective of this paper to provide an understanding of the complexity of teaching in remote contexts that will challenge current practice and move to a more holistic model for conceptualising research, practice and policy in mathematics education that may enable greater access to mathematics and schooling for some of the most disadvantaged students in Australian schools.