My therapy is helping people.
It’s the best cure for depression.
Find someone who is worse off than you and help them.
But it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to be shat on.
My spiritual awakening happened in 2011.
It was looking at me.
It said it's time to reconnect with your ancestors.
It was a blue eye looking at me.
From 2007 onwards, many people would claim to have similar visitations from their ancestors to get back to their roots of the land.
When I tell people this story they think I'm crazy. When I tell the elders of the land, they see it as a calling I must follow through.
My therapy is helping people.
It’s the best cure for depression.
Find someone who is worse off than you and help them.
But it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to be shat on.
I’m a Wongi.
My father comes from the Western Deserts.
It was our aim to collect grievances along the way like closing down remote communities and present them to Malcolm Turnbill and the Governor General.
I was asked to be the driver. The guy pulled out at last minute. It was at Heirisson Island (Matagarup). I hadn’t met Noonie yet. We had seen each other but that was about it.
It seemed a good cause. Clinton had fire in him and I needed a road trip.
I had family all over the Western Desert so I agreed.
On the morning of 8th September 2016, I went in to pick up Noonie and Clinton on the island.
I took a trailer with me to pick up their stuff up for the trip. I said where’s your stuff. And they said, ‘there.’ There was two cardboard boxes, two tents, two sleeping bags and two plates. And that was it.
I asked them again, where’s your stuff. And they said, ‘that’s it there.’
This was amateur hour at it's best so I went home and got my camping gear.
I spent the day welding some bars on the trailer for reinforcement and collecting up my gear I thought we’d need for the trip. I also started collecting chairs and tables from roadside collections and hit the op shops for pots, pans, cups, plates, and cutlery.
Our first night was camped outside of Perth in a reserve. We were told to move on the next day by rangers. It was fine with us. We had a tight schedule to reach Canberra. Our aim for five months.
From Perth to Kalgoorlie we camped at way stations. They are spaced 25 kilometers apart. It was the original pony express route for the gold rush where people were transported by horse and carriage.
For firewood all the way to Kalgoorlie we picked up the gluts off the side of the road that fell off from the trucks. I also picked up some big chunks of steel too that fell off the trucks. It could have killed someone if hit the driver’s windshields.
My great grandmother’s partner was Arthur C. Ashwin, 1850-1930, prospector and pastoralist who wrote Gold to Grass. This trip was becoming very personal to me. It wasn't only Clinton's Walk for Justice but a chance for me to get in contact with my family that was scattered all over the state.
By day three of the walk, we made our way to Northam. Clinton had walked ninety to a hundred kilometers at that stage.
From Northam, we looked ahead. There was Cunderdin, Tammin, Kellerberrin, Doodlakine, Hines Hill, Merredin, Burracopping, Carrabin, Bodallin, Moorine Rock and Southern Cross. We'd pass them all, spaced about 25 kilometers apart.
It felt like we were stockman of another era. Every kilometer was covered by me in the car at about five kilometers an hour. Noonie initially walked his bike next to Clinton for support, supplying him with drinks and food.
Around Warburton, I told Noonie to give Clinton some space and hang back. Everyone needed their space. I told Noonie to be useful and take photos of Clinton who was always saying, 'Take my photo.'
It was here in Northam that I found a cheap pair of walking shoes for Clinton.
They were half price and his first pair of walking shoes. I bet you didn't know that the driver bought them? Of course you didn't.
While we were camped at the park in Northam, we were visited by Leon Davis' mother and father. He plays for Collingwood. They told us about the history of the town and said that their son would catch up with on the road sometime after we left Northan.
He did catch up with Clinton. I never met him. I was busy buying supplies for our trip.
We stayed about three days in Northam Bernard Park. The ranger told us to move on. 'You are damaging the grass,' she said. I said no we weren't. She looked at our campfire and said, 'You are damaging the ground.'
I said no we weren't, a fire won't damage sand. The park was basically one large sand pit with a few tufts of grass.
Then Clinton got worked up and called her racist. Then she said she was part aboriginal and got right up him.
We had decided early on to camp as often out in public to create more awareness for our cause.
On Monday we let Northam. I think we camped in Meckering the next day. There, they have a little campground and a museum on the earthquake of 1968.
It was normal for total strangers to pull up at our campsite like Gary and his wife who cooked us stew for dinner. Gary even brought out a didgeridoo which was owned by his brother who had passed away. He asked me to play it.
People were welcoming from the outset and fed and housed us on our journey. This was a recurring pattern.
The weather was cold. It was late September as we passed the wheat belt on The Great Eastern Highway
When we reached Merredin Clinton was still eleven kilometers short and would have to cover the distance the next day. That would be a recurring pattern. We'd mark the spot on the road where he stopped and make sure he started there the next morning.
We stayed with my other nephew Clayton Ashwin for a couple of nights where we also met up with Mick Hayden who organized a welcome. We had to take Clinton back out to town to start the walk again. We got a welcome from the Naji Naji people who organized a BBQ in the park for us.
The next day Mick took us for a tour at a reserve where his mob use to camp in the old days. Clinton was also handed a message stick to deliver to prime minister which outlined how their rural communities could be better served by the government.
During the day Clinton did a talk at the local primary school to one hundred inquisitive school children.
These talks would be a big part of the walk in every town we passed through.
The cops pulled me up as we left Meridian. We had lost an aboriginal flag from Noonie's bike trailor he used to transport food and water for Clinton's walk. When I asked a lady picking up her child if she had seen it, her response was to call the coppers and complain about my strange behavior. When I told the copper this he just laughed and wished us a safe trip.
I never did find that flag.
In Kellerberin I went to the pie shop. It was closed so I knocked on the door. The owner eventually came to the front door and opened it. After telling him about our walk, he gave me a big bag of pies and cakes.
Clinton was averaging about 25 kilometers a day.
From Kellerrin to Merredin, Clinton posted his manifesto to his followers.
On paper it looked great:
It was mine and Noonie's job to make this happen. I was the driver and Noonie was a big part of the support team.
My father comes from the Western Deserts.
It was our aim to collect grievances along the way like closing down remote communities and present them to Malcolm Turnbill and the Governor General.
I was asked to be the driver. The guy pulled out at last minute. It was at Heirisson Island (Matagarup). I hadn’t met Noonie yet. We had seen each other but that was about it.
It seemed a good cause. Clinton had fire in him and I needed a road trip.
I had family all over the Western Desert so I agreed.
On the morning of 8th September 2016, I went in to pick up Noonie and Clinton on the island.
I took a trailer with me to pick up their stuff up for the trip. I said where’s your stuff. And they said, ‘there.’ There was two cardboard boxes, two tents, two sleeping bags and two plates. And that was it.
I asked them again, where’s your stuff. And they said, ‘that’s it there.’
This was amateur hour at it's best so I went home and got my camping gear.
I spent the day welding some bars on the trailer for reinforcement and collecting up my gear I thought we’d need for the trip. I also started collecting chairs and tables from roadside collections and hit the op shops for pots, pans, cups, plates, and cutlery.
Our first night was camped outside of Perth in a reserve. We were told to move on the next day by rangers. It was fine with us. We had a tight schedule to reach Canberra. Our aim for five months.
From Perth to Kalgoorlie we camped at way stations. They are spaced 25 kilometers apart. It was the original pony express route for the gold rush where people were transported by horse and carriage.
For firewood all the way to Kalgoorlie we picked up the gluts off the side of the road that fell off from the trucks. I also picked up some big chunks of steel too that fell off the trucks. It could have killed someone if hit the driver’s windshields.
My great grandmother’s partner was Arthur C. Ashwin, 1850-1930, prospector and pastoralist who wrote Gold to Grass. This trip was becoming very personal to me. It wasn't only Clinton's Walk for Justice but a chance for me to get in contact with my family that was scattered all over the state.
By day three of the walk, we made our way to Northam. Clinton had walked ninety to a hundred kilometers at that stage.
From Northam, we looked ahead. There was Cunderdin, Tammin, Kellerberrin, Doodlakine, Hines Hill, Merredin, Burracopping, Carrabin, Bodallin, Moorine Rock and Southern Cross. We'd pass them all, spaced about 25 kilometers apart.
It felt like we were stockman of another era. Every kilometer was covered by me in the car at about five kilometers an hour. Noonie initially walked his bike next to Clinton for support, supplying him with drinks and food.
Around Warburton, I told Noonie to give Clinton some space and hang back. Everyone needed their space. I told Noonie to be useful and take photos of Clinton who was always saying, 'Take my photo.'
It was here in Northam that I found a cheap pair of walking shoes for Clinton.
They were half price and his first pair of walking shoes. I bet you didn't know that the driver bought them? Of course you didn't.
While we were camped at the park in Northam, we were visited by Leon Davis' mother and father. He plays for Collingwood. They told us about the history of the town and said that their son would catch up with on the road sometime after we left Northan.
He did catch up with Clinton. I never met him. I was busy buying supplies for our trip.
We stayed about three days in Northam Bernard Park. The ranger told us to move on. 'You are damaging the grass,' she said. I said no we weren't. She looked at our campfire and said, 'You are damaging the ground.'
I said no we weren't, a fire won't damage sand. The park was basically one large sand pit with a few tufts of grass.
Then Clinton got worked up and called her racist. Then she said she was part aboriginal and got right up him.
We had decided early on to camp as often out in public to create more awareness for our cause.
On Monday we let Northam. I think we camped in Meckering the next day. There, they have a little campground and a museum on the earthquake of 1968.
It was normal for total strangers to pull up at our campsite like Gary and his wife who cooked us stew for dinner. Gary even brought out a didgeridoo which was owned by his brother who had passed away. He asked me to play it.
People were welcoming from the outset and fed and housed us on our journey. This was a recurring pattern.
The weather was cold. It was late September as we passed the wheat belt on The Great Eastern Highway
When we reached Merredin Clinton was still eleven kilometers short and would have to cover the distance the next day. That would be a recurring pattern. We'd mark the spot on the road where he stopped and make sure he started there the next morning.
We stayed with my other nephew Clayton Ashwin for a couple of nights where we also met up with Mick Hayden who organized a welcome. We had to take Clinton back out to town to start the walk again. We got a welcome from the Naji Naji people who organized a BBQ in the park for us.
The next day Mick took us for a tour at a reserve where his mob use to camp in the old days. Clinton was also handed a message stick to deliver to prime minister which outlined how their rural communities could be better served by the government.
During the day Clinton did a talk at the local primary school to one hundred inquisitive school children.
These talks would be a big part of the walk in every town we passed through.
The cops pulled me up as we left Meridian. We had lost an aboriginal flag from Noonie's bike trailor he used to transport food and water for Clinton's walk. When I asked a lady picking up her child if she had seen it, her response was to call the coppers and complain about my strange behavior. When I told the copper this he just laughed and wished us a safe trip.
I never did find that flag.
In Kellerberin I went to the pie shop. It was closed so I knocked on the door. The owner eventually came to the front door and opened it. After telling him about our walk, he gave me a big bag of pies and cakes.
Clinton was averaging about 25 kilometers a day.
From Kellerrin to Merredin, Clinton posted his manifesto to his followers.
On paper it looked great:
“I well go the hell and back to fight for my people free. The love I have for my people and the love I have for my people land. Well give me the power to keep on going until I reach Canberra to fight for justice for them. I know I’m the first of my people to walk across all different country. But I hope I won’t be the last of my people to walk across on our ancestor land.”
It was mine and Noonie's job to make this happen. I was the driver and Noonie was a big part of the support team.
If only he’d start walking at the crack of dawn, he might cover more distance. Summer wasn’t far away and walking early mornings was the best way to beat the extreme temperatures that awaited us in the desert.
But so far we were making a good whip-cracking pace. We were still on schedule to reach Canberra at our designated date.
When we eventually left Kalgoorlie, Clinton had no plans of visiting communities. And I told him if you didn’t want to visit communities, you might as well turn around and go home. That’s the only reason we got to go to all these places like Jameson, Blackstone, and Wingellna straddling the Tri-State Border.
After the first few weeks, I thought about leaving Noonie and Clinton in Kalgoorlie. Clinton told everyone he went up the Pilbara and lived off the land with the elders.
The cunt couldn’t even light a fire.
But so far we were making a good whip-cracking pace. We were still on schedule to reach Canberra at our designated date.
When we eventually left Kalgoorlie, Clinton had no plans of visiting communities. And I told him if you didn’t want to visit communities, you might as well turn around and go home. That’s the only reason we got to go to all these places like Jameson, Blackstone, and Wingellna straddling the Tri-State Border.
After the first few weeks, I thought about leaving Noonie and Clinton in Kalgoorlie. Clinton told everyone he went up the Pilbara and lived off the land with the elders.
The cunt couldn’t even light a fire.
But if I didn't continue with the journey, they'd have no chance of making it through the desert alive. I'm a man of my word, and when I say I'm going to do something, I stick to my word.
On the way to Merredin, Clinton's posts on Facebook and on his blog reached a feverish pitch.
A man called Kevin Rudd called him.
'Anything you need, just ask me and I'll see what we can do for you.'
Kevin donated $500 for the trip.
Ask for a four wheel drive I said. I'm sure Kevin could have heard me. But Clinton was stunned by the headlights again. We'd need a good vehicle to go through the desert, especially in the rainy season as we hit the Northern Territory.
We never heard of Kevin again after that call. He wanted to remain low key, and not be splashed all over social media.
A four-wheel drive would have made a big difference. In the Commodore I trust, a holden motor, it would have to do for the rest of the trip.
A man called Kevin Rudd called him.
'Anything you need, just ask me and I'll see what we can do for you.'
Kevin donated $500 for the trip.
Ask for a four wheel drive I said. I'm sure Kevin could have heard me. But Clinton was stunned by the headlights again. We'd need a good vehicle to go through the desert, especially in the rainy season as we hit the Northern Territory.
We never heard of Kevin again after that call. He wanted to remain low key, and not be splashed all over social media.
A four-wheel drive would have made a big difference. In the Commodore I trust, a holden motor, it would have to do for the rest of the trip.
We were bridging the distances to Kalgoorlie. From Perth, it was about 584 kilometers.
Get up, start a campfire, feed the mob and walk.
We were covering the distances.
There was a purpose in the mission and the word was getting out.
All Clinton had to do was walk and we'd gain momentum.
Canberra was over there and we were still in our home state.
Another campfire, more greetings from well-wishers and let's walk some more.
Steve and his fiance Sylvia met us forty kilometers outside of Koolgardie where we were camped.
I had never met them before until they turned up.
They came to explain they coming to support us and what they were about. They gave us two containers of fuel, brought us $200 of food and Clinton three knee braces. That evening they took us out for dinner.
They came out to the site where Elijah was murdered. A stray kitten came up to Slyvia and she adopted it. ‘It was almost dead,’ she told me recently. It’s now a well adjusted ‘teenage’ cat running amuck in their Greenwood home in Perth.
Sylvia believes it was the spirit of Elijah who was run over by a white guy. She sees the spiritual connection. ‘It walked right up to the spot he was run down,’ she says.
Clinton had been complaining about his knee for days.
Get up, start a campfire, feed the mob and walk.
We were covering the distances.
There was a purpose in the mission and the word was getting out.
All Clinton had to do was walk and we'd gain momentum.
Canberra was over there and we were still in our home state.
Another campfire, more greetings from well-wishers and let's walk some more.
Steve and his fiance Sylvia met us forty kilometers outside of Koolgardie where we were camped.
I had never met them before until they turned up.
They came to explain they coming to support us and what they were about. They gave us two containers of fuel, brought us $200 of food and Clinton three knee braces. That evening they took us out for dinner.
They came out to the site where Elijah was murdered. A stray kitten came up to Slyvia and she adopted it. ‘It was almost dead,’ she told me recently. It’s now a well adjusted ‘teenage’ cat running amuck in their Greenwood home in Perth.
Sylvia believes it was the spirit of Elijah who was run over by a white guy. She sees the spiritual connection. ‘It walked right up to the spot he was run down,’ she says.
Clinton had been complaining about his knee for days.
Put the dam knee support on, I'd say.
He was overcompensating on one knee which caused the build-up of fluid on the other. Initially, he wouldn't wear it. 'I'll call up Steve if you don't, and you'll have to deal with him,' I said, as a half threat.
About the crutch rashes, I wasn't his mother and didn't want to tell him all he needed to do was buy a pair of sport's underpants. But those rashes would plague him in the future and slow down the walk.
Noonie never had any issues. He's sixty-one years old and never complained of crotch rash.
Telcom powder and lose underwear does wonders, right?
But me and Noonie were with him all the way.
Hello There! If you like what you read, consider clicking this link.
About the crutch rashes, I wasn't his mother and didn't want to tell him all he needed to do was buy a pair of sport's underpants. But those rashes would plague him in the future and slow down the walk.
Noonie never had any issues. He's sixty-one years old and never complained of crotch rash.
Telcom powder and lose underwear does wonders, right?
When we left Kalgoorlie, Clinton had no plans of visiting communities. And I told him if you didn’t want to visit communities, you might as well turn around and go home. That’s the only reason we got to go to all these places like the Tri-State Border, Jameson, Blackstone and Wingellna. That’s where the Tri-State border is, South Australia, WA, and the Northern Territory.
From the posts on his Facebook and blog, everyone thought Clinton was walking along like a hobo with a bag of clothes on a stick. A lot of people thought he didn’t have anyone along with him.
Even the Twitterverse was compounding that.
Even the Twitterverse was compounding that.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull might not know it yet, but there's a man walking across Australia determined to see him. Whadjuk man, Clinton Pryor is walking across Australia to get what he calls justice for his people.
But me and Noonie were with him all the way.
Hello There! If you like what you read, consider clicking this link.
