Celebrating National Walk for Truth
The National Walk for Truth was an epic 905km walk advocating for a national truth-telling process for healing, justice and meaningful change.
Kerrupmara Gunditjmara man and Executive Director of the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Truth Telling and Dialogue, Travis Lovett and his wife Renata walked (and swam) 905km (907.52km to be exact) from Parliament House in Naarm/Melbourne to Parliament House in Canberra.
A continuation of his original 513km Walk for Truth in 2025 to deliver the final report for Yoorrook Justice Commission after a four year truth-telling process in Victoria with royal commission powers that saw hundreds of testimonies finally heard, authorities acknowledge the wrongdoings of the colonial project, summarised into 9 reports and over 100 recommendations on land, sky, and water, education, health, housing, economic prosperity, child protection system, criminal justice system and more.
The Walk was an invitation for all people to come walk together; to come, listen and learn with Traditional Owners and the reclamation of the message stick tradition. Travis’ incredible wife Renata walked each step with him, managing the admin and socials which included daily update posts from Travis before, during and after the walk. The insight of the journey showed the days where it was a gruelling 35km in the heat, or the 32km walking for days along the Hume Highway in the pouring rain, to the public days where school kids showed up to walk with him, farmers came to walk, the elderly came with their walking frames and people of all walks of life. For over 5 weeks, Travis and his team traversed through 3 states (VIC, NSW, ACT), many Countries (including Wurundjeri, Taungurung, Yorta Yorta and Bangerang in Victoria) with over 6000 people joining him on public days.
The public days included opportunities to be part of Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony, dance, song, message stick handover ceremony and truth-telling from local Traditional Owners. Hearing lived experiences from people so generously sharing their personal life, their family’s history and the cultural significance, knowledge and Country’s witness of the impact of colonisation. As uncomfortable as it can be hearing some of this, it is the whole truth and the complete shared history of this place we all now call home. It is also a celebration of the strength, protest, advocacy and resistance of First Peoples; a celebration of First Peoples’ connection to Country and knowledges of seeing, doing and being; a celebration of 65,000 years strong!
“Truth telling is not a threat, but a foundation. Not something to fear but something to build with.” - Travis Lovett
Reconciliation Victoria was proud to support Travis and the National Walk for Truth with promoting the Walk through the Victorian community (online and in person) and with the Australian Reconciliation Network, encouraging people to sign the Open Letter, attending 5 of the 39 days of the Walk, collaborating and creating the educational resource for educators to educate on truth-telling and the National Walk, hosting a live session with 220 students from ELC to secondary and educators during the Walk (after they had swum from NSW to VIC!), and livestreaming the final section of the Walk in Canberra at Parliament House.
Congratulations Travis Lovett, Renata and the National Walk for Truth team for completing the epic journey!
We continue the call for truth-telling, we continue to walk together, and we invite you to join us too.
