Susanna Freymark
Geoff Reid is in his 70s and he’s walking from Ballina to Myall Creek to visit massacre sites along the way.
It’s a long walk – 474km with a lot to think about on the way.
Geoff started at East Ballina Cemetery and then went on to Goanna Headland at Evans Head. At that site, it is believed that 100 Aboriginal people were killed.
IndyNR.com met him on Day 9 of his walk on Plains Station Road where he was near the Pagans Flat massacre site which was more than a kilometre away.
Geoff is not indigenous yet he felt compelled to do something after the Voice Referendum failed.
How does he feel visiting and highlighting these massacre sites?
“I feel awkward,” he said.
“I don’t know how to be respectful.”
He said the history of the massacre sites was confusing – accounts about what happened vary and as most records are kept by non-Indigenous people and newspapers, the facts are mostly disputed. Especially the reasons why the massacres occurred.
Still, Geoff wanted to pay his respects.
“We’re not raising money – we’re raising awareness,” he said.
He has based his information about the massacre sites on research from the University of Newcastle.
He has a support van following him and Ann (surname not given) has joined him on part of the walk because she wanted to.
Geoff is keeping things simple, staying at pubs and camp grounds and in the day – walking, walking, walking.
One man, six massacre sites, countless Aboriginal deaths in a history most people are not aware of.
The least Geoff hopes for is to change that.
Today, he would have walked over the Tenterfield Range heading to Bluff Rock, then Deepwater and Myall Creek massacre sites.
Follow Geoff on Facebook at Walk 4 Stolen Children.