16 October 2026
Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service (WACHS) was honoured to welcome Chris Mason and his friends for lunch as he continued his remarkable journey along The Long Walk Home — a 723-kilometre walk from Brewarrina to Penrith, NSW.
For Chris, this is much more than a physical challenge. It is a deeply personal journey shaped by loss, identity, survival and recovery, with a powerful message about First Nations mental health, wellbeing and the importance of ensuring no one feels they have to face their struggles alone.
Chris is a proud Ngemba man from Brewarrina and a survivor of the Stolen Generations. Born under the Aboriginal Protection Board system, he was adopted as a young child and grew up in a loving adoptive family. However, as he reached his teenage years and began searching for a sense of identity and belonging, he struggled with the reality of being separated from his family, culture and heritage.
Growing up without a clear connection to his identity left Chris searching for answers about who he was and where he belonged. His experiences reflect the lasting effects that forced removal can have on Aboriginal people, families and communities — impacts that can continue across generations.
Chris has spoken openly about the difficult road he travelled, including his experiences with addiction, trauma and reaching rock bottom. His story is a reminder that the effects of losing connection to family, culture and identity can be profound, but that healing and recovery are possible.
Chris’s journey has not been defined by hardship alone. It is also a story of determination, recovery and finding purpose in helping others.
After years of personal challenges, Chris committed himself to recovery and has now been clean and sober for 26 years. That achievement represents decades of dedication to rebuilding his life and finding a way forward.
For the past 10 years, Chris has worked at The Glen Rehabilitation Centre, supporting people as they navigate addiction and work towards rebuilding their lives. Drawing on both his professional experience and lived experience, he understands the importance of compassion, connection and having someone who believes in you.
Chris has also developed the S2R – Survival to Revival program, which operates at The Glen and inside Long Bay Correctional Centre. The program aims to support men working through addiction, violence, trauma and hopelessness, helping them move towards recovery and a more positive future.
Through his work, Chris has turned some of the most difficult experiences of his life into a source of understanding and support for others. His story demonstrates that a person’s past does not have to determine their future, and that with the right support, change is possible.
The Long Walk Home is Chris’s way of starting conversations that are too important to ignore.
Across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, mental health challenges, suicide, addiction, homelessness, family violence, grief and trauma continue to affect individuals and families. Chris wants to shine a light on these issues, particularly the ongoing impacts of forced removal and the loss of cultural identity experienced by the Stolen Generations and their descendants.
By walking from Brewarrina to Penrith, Chris hopes to encourage people to speak openly about mental health, seek help when they need it and recognise that recovery is possible, even after experiencing profound hardship.
His message is especially important for young people who may be struggling with their identity, feeling disconnected or facing challenges they do not know how to express.
Through this journey, Chris wants people to understand that they are not alone, their lives matter and their stories deserve to be heard.
The walk also aims to encourage greater understanding of the relationship between trauma, identity, culture and wellbeing, while promoting conversations about suicide prevention, healing and recovery.
For Chris, reaching Penrith is only one part of the journey. The greater goal is to leave a lasting impact by helping people feel seen, heard and supported.
During his journey, Chris stopped at WACHS in Wellington, where he and his friends were welcomed for lunch by the WACHS team.
The visit provided an opportunity to connect, share a meal and recognise the important message behind The Long Walk Home. It was a privilege for WACHS to welcome Chris and acknowledge the work he is doing to raise awareness of First Nations mental health and wellbeing.
As an Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation, WACHS recognises the importance of culturally safe support, strong community connections and conversations that encourage people to seek help without fear of judgement.
Chris’s story highlights how important it is to create spaces where people feel safe to share their experiences, reconnect with their identity and access support on their journey towards healing.
Chris Mason’s 723-kilometre journey is a powerful reminder that healing can take many forms. Sometimes it begins with a conversation, a helping hand or the courage to share a story that has remained unspoken for years.
Through The Long Walk Home, Chris is using his lived experience to encourage others to keep going, seek support and believe that a different future is possible.
His journey also asks all of us to listen more closely, understand the challenges faced by First Nations communities and play a part in building stronger, more connected communities.
WACHS acknowledges Chris’s courage in sharing his story and his commitment to supporting others through their own journeys of recovery.
To learn more about Chris Mason and The Long Walk Home, visit The Long Walk Home website.
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