In the summer of 1892/1893 Australian Poet and
Author Henry Lawson walked with a friend from Bourke in Outback
New South Wales to Hungerford in Outback Queensland. He spent
just a day in Hungerford, then turned around and walked back to
Bourke, a total journey of 450 km (280 miles).
This walk, and Lawson's experiences during it,
influenced much of Lawson's subsequent writing. Lawson
battled with alcoholism and depression to become one of
Australia's most famous and acclaimed writers.
On January 1, 2011, brothers Gregory Bryan
and Barrie Bryan set out from Bourke, with the
support of Sean Morahan and Jane Crowle to re-enact
Lawson's entire walk of about 450 km from Bourke to Hungerford
and back. There were many reasons and motivations for
this walk, but by completing this walk, they aimed to help
raise awareness and funds for Beyond Blue, the National
Depression Initiative. They chose to support Beyond Blue
because of Henry Lawson's depression, and their personal
connections to Australians who have benefited from Beyond
Blue's work in addressing and managing depression.
Before embarking on the walk, Barrie entered a
competition run by Johnnie Walker to tell your story of your
inspiring walk to Steve Waugh. After completing the Henry
Lawson walk, Barrie received notification that he was one of
the three national winners and a brief video of his interview
with Steve Waugh at the SCG is below.
