72km Memorial Walk By Hawkesbury Local Troy Sciberras
Troy Sciberras walked for more than 14 hours on Sunday, 30 March 2025, and completed his Memorial Walk to raise awareness of road safety and to honour the memory of Hannah McMurtrie and all lives lost in road accidents.
The 72-km Memorial Walk is part of Hannah’s Blue Butterflies Awareness, a registered not-for-profit organisation founded by Diana and Graeme McMurtrie after their daughter’s tragic death due to a head-on collision outside Taree on the Mid Coast in March 2013.
The Hawkesbury local started his journey at a fast-food chain in McGraths Hill at 5 am, saying accidents usually occur during the early morning. When asked about why he decided to take on the challenge, he said he wanted to highlight how many roadside graves are around:
“The idea of someone not making it home on account of a car crash is unacceptable,” he said.
“Last year, we kept losing so many young lives, and the community has never recovered in some of these events, and it’s time for everyone to understand we all matter.”
Troy came across the memorial of teenagers Addison Bhimjiani and Matthew Simpson, who were involved in a 2024 car crash at McGraths Hill.
During his walk, he noticed most drivers were careful, although he pointed out some were on their mobile phones.
He encountered Wilberforce residents waving at him, along with some cyclists. One person also offered him a lift. At one of his stops, he met and had a chat with Mark at Tractor 828, Ebenezer. Mark reflected on losing his two mates on bicycles next to the Polo Fields two years ago.
Sackville North’s elevated terrain proved to be a challenging moment in his journey:
“The hill on Sackville North was a very challenging moment. It was very narrow and steep. I underestimated this hill on how high it was. I tried to compare it to Bell’s Line of Road as that’s the walk I did last year from Richmond to the Archibald Hotel.”
“I had a snake encounter on the way, but it was more cute than scary.”
He wishes the roads were more suitable for walking to encourage similar events.
Troy also mentioned that the state of roads was concerning: “The roads are a mess and the fixing of the roads looks like an amateur workman or someone with a no care factor does them.”
“The roads are dirty, the amount of litter along the way is bad. More concerned about the empty bottles and cans of alcohol on the road as well.”
When asked how roads could be made safer for everyone, he said mindfulness must be the number one priority.
“When you are in the car be only focusing on driving and being in the car, it doesn’t matter how much experience you have or how much confidence you get. The roads are always changing, and you never know what will happen.”
“We should really also start school driving programs at school as well, even if it is a simulation-based one.”
During the memorial walk, founder Diane and Troy had a 40-minute conversation on a Facebook livestream.
Troy pointed out that he has been thinking about the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) safety ratings in new cars and that while cars are being ‘safer,’ the drivers are getting less cautious on the roads.
“I think because their cars having all these safety features in it, they can be more racy about how they are on the road.”
Diane replied: “We get a lot of news releases from the ANCAP safety ratings and they are quite interesting. It’s not every new car is safer than the other. They are all different, and I think that’s a thing.”
“We can be in the safest car, but if you don’t take accountability for your actions and be responsible, then the safest car in the world isn’t going to save you,” she said.
Troy said: “I think these days to earn a 5-star safety rating from ANCAP, your cars got to have cameras looking for fatigue, making sure you’re paying attention on the road. It’s also got to have all the types of braking, anti-braking systems for pedestrians, and Lane Keep Assist.”
“That should be your own responsibility. You shouldn’t be waiting for something to go, ‘Hey, pull over, have a break, or pay attention on the road.’ That should be in the back of your mind.”
“You are driving a one-and-a-half-ton or more, and when that hit someone at 80 kms/h, there’s no chance of survival for that person on the road,” Troy emphasised.
In a message, Diane commended Troy’s effort in finishing the mammoth feat: “You marched through with a determination to keep lifting your feet even when your body screamed Stop. Fuelled by your unwavering resolve.”
Diane shared her and her family’s heart-wrenching journey with grief in an e-book, Hannah’s Legacy of Love.
Troy Sciberras completed the 14-hour walk at the same fast-food restaurant in McGraths Hill, which gave him a free meal and drink. With a total of 72,500 steps, he hopes the same number of lives saved from tragic accidents – and more.
He went home to have a long bath.
