Former Liberal MP Pat Farmer completes 14,400km Indigenous voice to parliament run at Uluru

Pat Farmer was greeted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his wife Tania, as he reached the finish line, topping off his run with a lap of Uluru.

Pat Farmer ends his awareness-raising run at Uluru. Picture: Martin Ollman / NCA NewsWire

Former Liberal MP Pat Farmer has been met with cheers at the foot of Uluru after completing a mammoth 14,400km run in support of the Yes campaign for the voice.

Mr Farmer was greeted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles, Mr Farmer’s wife Tania and tourists as he reached the finish line, topping off his run with a lap of Uluru.

The former Liberal MP for the Sydney seat of Macarthur from 2001-10 commenced his run in April from Hobart in a bid to raise awareness for the indigenous voice referendum.

“It‘s a big country, a hell of a journey, and one that is probably the most worthwhile journey in my life,” Mr Farmer said at the finish line.

Pat Farmer at the end of his 14,400km run. Picture: Martin Ollman / NCA NewsWire

“You get a unique set of skills from being a member of parliament and to combine that with the skills I‘d picked up from travelling the world as an athlete, as a runner, and then to be able to bring both those things together for such a worthy cause … I feel this is my purpose, this and everything I’ve ever done in the past is added up to this point of time,” he said.

Mr Farmer says when Uluru appeared in the distance from 40km away he broke down in tears.

“I have to say when I crossed over the 40km to go mark yesterday, and I could see Uluru in the distance, I got my first glimpse of Uluru, this crimson, beautiful, beautiful rock on in the distance I broke into tears, I just couldn‘t believe that I was finally at this destination.

“There is something very spiritual about this place behind us, there‘s no two ways about it, it’s like my eyes connected with my soul when I saw it, and I felt my I felt my purpose in life,” he said.

“There was never a moment when it ever crossed my mind of not finishing, but there was many moments when I wanted to stop, but this purpose was beyond anything that this body could throw at me.

Mr Albanese, who arrived at Uluru on Tuesday afternoon to meet with traditional owners, Central Land Council delegates and Uluru Statement artists, as part of a last-minute blitz ahead of Saturday’s referendum labelled Mr Farmer an “absolute inspiration”.

Anthony Albanese at Uluru on Tuesday. Picture: Liam Mendes

“What we‘re hoping Australians do isn’t run 14,000 kilometres, just walk a few feet into a polling booth and write three letters: YES, on the ballot paper to say yes to the request that came from Uluru back in 2017, a gracious request just to recognise our First Australians in our Constitution, and give them a voice through an advisory committee,” he said.

“(There) is nothing to fear, everything to gain here, and Pat Farmer has shown an absolute inspiration,” he said.

“It’s just an awesome effort from Pat.”

Indigenous leader Noel Pearson said “no greater love” had been shown to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander by anyone else in the campaign.

“Hundreds and 1000s and millions of Australians (are) not going to walk or run 14,500 km, they’re going to walk 20 meters to the polling booth on Saturday and follow Pat’s inspiration, I believe that now’s our chance,” he said.

“Pat’s been an inspiration to all of us, it’s been a long campaign with many ups and downs for people like me. In the darkness of night, when you’re feeling low, you think about Pat out on the highway and you revive a belief in the Australian people, your spirits pick up when you think about that, over such a long campaign as this,” he said.