The first walk against want, held in 1967, was a gruelling 45km from Melbourne to Frankston. The first sponsored walk in Australia and Oxfam Australia’s first large-scale fundraising event, the Walk was a great success with 1600 walkers raising $14,500 for development projects in India and Africa.

Raising awareness

Aiming to raise awareness of the plight of women in the world’s poorest communities, the Walk symbolised the long walk these women take daily to collect clean water. Alan Willis, who went on to become a dedicated Walk participant, was forced to admit the Walk “nearly killed him”, and that exhausted, he took the train back to Melbourne.

Even Herb Elliot, famous for breaking the four-minute mile 17 times and winning Olympic Gold in the 1500m in 1960, acknowledged the “added physical challenge” of the Walk. “It was very satisfying. There was a great sense of community spirit…we jogged and ran along the route and arrived at the finish line by 11pm.”

A national phenomenon

The 60s was a decade of social revolution with a rise in civil rights, anti-war and human rights movements. Against this backdrop of activism and increasing international compassion, the walk against want became a national phenomenon. Sydney held its first walk in ’68, the distance a staggering 23 miles, and by ’69 regional centres such as Colac, Geelong and Warracknabeal were staging walks.

In some country areas it was a real community effort, with the police cooperating to hold up travelling livestock to allow walkers to pass. Sponsored at only 5 or 10 cents per mile, these were dedicated walkers. In the 20 mile Wagga walk of ‘69, more than 1000 band-aids were needed to treat blisters and many walkers finished the course with no shoes.

As the world made the transition to globalisation in the 1970s, developing countries saw the rise of a middle class and considerable economic growth in the wake of political independence. Nevertheless, catastrophes such as the Cambodian genocide, ongoing war in Vietnam and flooding in Bangladesh meant development aid was still desperately needed. Australians joined the walk against want in record numbers, the event becoming nation-wide by the end of the decade.

More than a walk

Melbourne led the challenge, turning the Walk into a fun family event with “I Spy” competitions to be answered en route and offering the “Order of the Golden Boot” award (an old boot sprayed with gold paint) to the walker rasing the most money.

Although walks had been staged in regional centres since the late 60s and in capital cites such as Adelaide and Canberra since 1970, it wasn’t until 1978 that coordinated walks were held around the country. In this year, Melbourne, Sydney and three country walks were held on the same day.

In Sydney, an ethnic market was set up at the finish point selling food and goods from developing countries with displays presenting some of the problems confronting the developing world. In Melbourne, for the Walk’s 25 th anniversary, a band in an open top bus toured the route, a “lolly bomber” helicopter hovered overhead dropping gifts, and a special reward was offered to “Jake the Peg” walkers.

The 80s was an unprecedented decade of change. The world witnessed the fall of the Berlin wall and the end of the Cold War, the eight year Iran-Iraq war, the Tiananmen Square massacre and the AIDS epidemic.

New ways to participate

The walk against want was also changing. In 1983 more participation options were introduced: not only could you walk courses ranging between 7.5 and 30km, but you could jog, cycle or fast for 24 or 48 hours. The highlight of the ’83 Melbourne walk was a family bicycle tour with more than 700 cyclists led by members of the Victorian Vintage Bicycle Club.

As in past decades, walks were never dull. Whether due to Bruce the Bagpiper playing for the good part of 30km, children walking in the national costumes of developing countries or the antics of WW Wombat (the WA walk’s mascot), it was always a colourful occasion.

Breaking records

During the 1980s, the world’s population increased by more than a billion, most of this increase occurring in developing countries. Raising money for Oxfam’s development projects was never more worthwhile, and the Walk, stepping up to the challenge, attracted record numbers of participants year after year, raising record amounts.

Although 1988’s walk was a record, run in more than 30 locations and raising more than $500,000, by 1989 this effort was surpassed; the ‘89 walk raised $945,000.

While participants enjoyed the day, competing for the coveted “battered sand-shoe award” (a well worn shoe mounted on a timber base with an engraved plaque) or the “most original walking gear”, the money they raised went into development projects ranging from training programs in Somalia to teach refugees health and hygiene, to micro-lending projects in India enabling poor villagers to buy animals to generate a steady income.

By 1990, the walk against want was taking place in 60 locations around Australia. With this decade bringing the fastest technological advances in history, explosive growth of the Internet and increased access to information, public awareness of development issues could only improve. The Walk continually received substantial media coverage and support, with many famous faces taking part.

Continued growth

Raising $1–1.5 million on average each year, the Walk was able to support projects abroad, such as literary schemes in Namibia and Bangladesh and well-digging projects in Ethiopia, as well as programs in Indigenous Australia.

Wheelchair routes were added and along with the long-running cycles and fasts, the 30 th Walk in ’96 saw the addition of triathlons, a competitive swim and, for the more adventurous, horse rides and bushwalks. In Sydney there was a “Dance Against Want” at the Basement nightclub. Festivals, such as the “Rock Against Want” took place after the Walk in major capital cities, and food stalls, performers and comedians made it a great day out for the whole family.

Support came from all sectors of the community and in ’94, several inmates of Mulawa Women’s Correctional Centre took part in the Walk from inside the prison grounds, raising $850.