NT ‘Walkabout Chef’ Stephen Sanchez Sunk pleads guilty to sending ‘collectable’ pistol in mail

A highly respected Territory chef had his collection of 200 firearms seized after he pleaded guilty to sending a 99-year-old pistol through the mail.

Humpty Doo celebrity chef Steve Sunk, aka the Walkabout chef, leaving Darwin Local Court after pleading guilty to sending a firearm in the mail. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Police have seized 200 firearms from the Humpty Doo home of a Territory celebrity chef after he was busted sending a 99-year-old pistol through the mail.

Stephen Sanchez Sunk, aka the ‘Walkabout Chef’, appeared before Darwin Local Court Judge Sally Ozolins two weeks ago to plead guilty to three breaches of the Firearms Act.

The 70-year-old admitted to illegally sending a semiautomatic pistol with a missing serial number through the mail on February 26, 2024.

Steve Sunk forging knives in his Humpty Doo workshop.

Court documents, seen by the NT News, said Mr Sunk hid a model 1926 .22 calibre Walther semiautomatic pistol in a video cassette recorder, which he sent off to Western Australia via the Humpty Doo post office.

The still functioning weapon had no visible serial number, but it was not alleged Mr Sunk sanded it off.

The “suspicious” package was detected by WA Police on March 6 when an X-ray of the VCR revealed the deadly weapon inside.

NT Police said a 70-year-old man attempted to send a prohibited firearm in the mail in March 2024. Picture: NT Police

When NT Police rocked up at his door, Mr Sunk declined to answer questions and was issued a notice to appear.

While Mr Sunk had a shooters and a gun collector’s licence, the court heard he was not an authorised firearms dealer.

On Wednesday February 26, his defence lawyer James Stuchbery said these circumstances were “somewhat unusual”, particularly given Mr Sunk’s 30 year history of safe firearms ownership.

“It realty is a collectable, rather than something that is used,” Mr Stuchbery said.

He said Mr Sunk was of “exceptional character” with a long history of contributions to his community.

Walkabout Chef, Steve Sunk filming a cooking demonstrations for the menu cards he has created for people in remote communities.

The chef with his own published cookbook has spent decades working with remote communities to create bush tucker recipes to promote nutritious and locally sustainable cooking.

For his work in culinary education, the former Charles Darwin University lecturer has been honoured with an Order of Australia Medal and was the finalist for the 2010 NT Australian of the Year.

Ms Ozolin said she recognised his contribution to the Territory community, but ruled she still had to record convictions for sending a firearm through the mail, possessing a gun with an altered ID and failing to dispose of that firearm.

She fined him $1800 and imposed a $450 victims levy.

Following the conviction NT Police confirmed the Mr Sunk’s firearms licence had been revoked for 10 years, seizing his collection of 200 registered guns.

Acting Senior Sergeant Aaron Chapman said any breaches of the Firearms Act would be thoroughly investigated.

“Firearm ownership is a privilege granted to responsible licence holders, not a right,” Mr Chapman said.

Originally published as NT ‘Walkabout Chef’ Stephen Sanchez Sunk pleads guilty to sending ‘collectable’ pistol in mail