Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Douglas Smith Indigenous affairs reporter

Walking for truth: Travis Lovett’s 500km journey to remind Albanese of his promise to create a First Nations truth-telling commission

Travis Lovett begins the final day of the Yoorrook Justice Commission Walk for Truth, in Melbourne as spectators look on
Travis Lovett begins the final day of the walk for truth in Melbourne in 2025. On Sunday, he will begin another 38-day trek from Victoria’s state parliament to the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP

Travis Lovett’s kangaroo skin cloak bears the words, “Truth is not about blame, it’s about healing”. It’s a message that will be delivered to Anthony Albanese via a slow, 38-day walk from Melbourne to Parliament House in Canberra, and a reminder of the importance of facing uncomfortable truths.

Lovett, a Kerrupmara Gunditjmara man, served as a commissioner and co-chair on the Yoorrook Justice Commission, the country’s first formal, Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry. He completed the first stage of his walk for truth in May last year, when he trekked 486km from Portland in Victoria’s south-west, on Gunditjmara country, to the steps of state parliament in Melbourne.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.