Alwyn Doolan walks from Cape York to Hobart to Canberra to deliver message stick

It took him seven pairs of shoes and more than 11 months, but after an 8000km trek from Cape York to Hobart Alwyn Doolan is heading back to Canberra to deliver a message to the elected PM.

Alwyn Dolan has walked from Cape York to Hobart where he visited Aboriginal communities to collect messages about what was important to them. He arrived in Hobart yesterday and is pictured at Kingston Beach. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

It took him seven pairs of shoes and more than 11 months, but Alwyn Doolan has arrived in Hobart after walking 8000km from Cape York.

And now the Gooreng Gooreng Wakka Wakka man from central Queensland is heading back to Canberra to deliver a message to whoever is elected prime minister.

Mr Doolan will arrive in the nation’s capital with his message stick on May 18 in time to greet Australia’s leader.

“It’s exciting, I’m really ready for it because I’ve come such a long way and I’m feeling determined for when I do arrive in Canberra and hopefully that coinciding with election day means I’ll be heard when I get there,” he said.

“It’s a collaborative message of all the communities I’ve engaged with over the last 11 months.

“The messages all encompass the socioeconomics of the relative issues we are still facing in our communities.

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“Self-determination, self-governance all play a vital role of healing and for a treaty with the First Nations People.”

Mr Doolan visited more than 50 communities during his north to south trek.

Along his journey he stopped at places such as Townsville, Beaudesert, Casino, Bellingen, Sydney and the Victorian-New South Wales border before walking onto the Spirit of Tasmania for the final leg to Hobart.

Alwyn Dolan at Kingston Beach after walking from Cape York to Hobart. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

When he arrived in Hobart on Saturday he was greeted with a Welcome to Country ceremony on Parliament Lawns.

“I just believe in something bigger than myself and if I get rejected, or whatever happens in Canberra, all I hope for is I inflicted enough inspiration to the next generation, that I’ve laid down a banner and in the future they could pick up something I’ve started,” Mr Doolan said.

“This … Message Stick Walk [is] to inspire the younger generations and empower a movement for a better future for First Nations People.”

He said he hopes to submit a notice to the Australian Government to prepare for Aboriginal sovereignty rights and treaty negotiations.

After visiting Canberra he said he would walk to Uluru where a First Nations summit would be held.

“To unite the sovereign nations across Australia to come together to meet in the centre which [was] done pre-colonisation,” he said.

“It’s just uniting that aspect of our culture and law back into to place.

“We can sit down among ourselves in our traditional ways and format that treaty or healing motion of how we paint the picture and implement it into today’s society.”

Mr Doolan raised more than $10,000 to fund his journey.

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