From Mt Stromlo to the Australian War Memorial
Day 6 began at Mt Stromlo, a place that still carries the memory of the 2003 Canberra bushfires. It was cold when the team arrived, with the morning still holding onto the chill.
From there, the walkers moved through the edges of Canberra, stopping at Ruth Park in Coombs for egg and bacon sandwiches and breakfast drinks. Mist was lifting off the pond, giving the morning an eerie feel at first. But as the sun came through, it turned into a beautiful day for walking.
The theme for the day was the march on Canberra, with the devotional focus: “Following Jesus – Saved by Grace.”
Breakfast at Coombs
Before the walking got properly underway, the team stopped at Ruth Park in Coombs for breakfast.
It was the kind of breakfast that works perfectly on pilgrimage — egg and bacon sandwiches and breakfast drinks, shared outdoors before the day’s march.
The mist was still lifting off the pond, and for a little while the morning had a quiet, eerie feel to it. But then the sun started to break through.
The mood shifted.
The day opened up.
There was a sense that the group was stepping into something significant.
Today was not just another walking day. It was the march into Canberra.
Walking with HMAS Canberra Members and Veterans
One of the special parts of the day was being joined by several members of HMAS Canberra, along with other veterans.
For Jamie, a Defence veteran walking with the group, those conversations mattered.
He spoke about chatting with members serving on HMAS Canberra and hearing more about service as it is today.
“I chatted to a few people serving on HMAS Canberra. That was really enjoyable. Just hearing from them, talking and understanding service as it is now on the LHD they’re serving on.”
That is part of what The ANZAC Way is about.
It is not only remembering the past. It is also connecting with those who serve now, listening to their stories, and honouring the continuing thread of service across Army, Navy and Air Force.
The group set a solid pace through the day. Jamie called it a “cracking pace” — and they needed it, because there was an important destination ahead.
The Australian War Memorial.
Conversations Along the Way
As with many days on the ANZAC Way, some of the best moments came through simple conversations on the road.
Jamie spoke about chatting with serving personnel from HMAS Canberra, hearing about their current service and life aboard the large Landing Helicopter Dock vessel.
There was also the familiar rhythm of a group now getting to know each other properly: shared stories, quick jokes, sore feet, and plenty of banter.
Jamie said Bishop Grant Dibden brought a good sense of humour to the day, and that the “dad jokes” were well and truly flying.
It is one of the understated gifts of a pilgrimage like this. People walk together, talk together, remember together, and slowly become a community on the road.
Lunch at Lake Burley Griffin
The group stopped for lunch down near Lake Burley Griffin down from the Arboretum.
It was here that General David Hurley, former Governor-General of Australia, and his wife Linda Hurley joined the team.
From there, they walked with the pilgrims to the Australian War Memorial.
Their presence was a real encouragement to the group. It added another layer of significance to the march, especially as the team moved towards the Last Post Ceremony.
This was not a rushed or casual moment. It was a shared walk into remembrance.
Pilgrims, veterans, serving members, leaders, supporters, chaplains and friends — all moving together towards one of Australia’s most solemn national places.
The Last Post Ceremony
The most meaningful moment of the day came at the Australian War Memorial.
Jamie was asked to present one of the wreaths during the Last Post Ceremony. He said it was unexpected, deeply moving, and a great honour.
“Unquestionably, presenting one of the wreaths at the Last Post Ceremony. I didn’t expect to be asked to do that, and it was a great honour.”
The ceremony remembered 413220 Pilot Officer Donald William Mason RAAF, who was born in Wagga Wagga on 28 September 1918.
Before the war, Donald Mason worked as a hairdresser and a baker. He married Annie Sylvester Lee in Orange in 1938, and their daughter Judith was born in July 1940.
In August 1941, aged 22, Mason volunteered for service in the Royal Australian Air Force. He trained in Queensland and later at Wagga Wagga, where he earned his pilot’s wings.
After being sent overseas, he served in Britain as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme. He later flew Hawker Typhoon fighter-bombers with RAF squadrons and completed more than 100 combat operations.
On D-Day, 6 June 1944, Mason flew operationally. Less than two weeks later, on 18 June 1944, his aircraft was hit by flak during an attack on German vehicles south of Caen in Normandy.
He tried to return towards the Allied lines, but his aircraft never made it back.
For decades, his family believed his Typhoon had gone down in the English Channel. Then, in 1993, the wreck was discovered in farmland in Normandy. His remains were recovered, and he was buried with military honours at St Charles de Percy War Cemetery.
His family chose the words for his grave:
“He gave his tomorrows that we shall have today.”
For Jamie, and for the ANZAC Way team, being part of that act of remembrance was powerful.
“It connects us into the whole scenario.”
Saved by Grace
The devotional theme for the day was drawn from Ephesians 2:8–9:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Jamie reflected on how the day brought together remembrance and faith.
He spoke about the freedom Australians enjoy because of the service and sacrifice of others. He also reflected on the deeper spiritual freedom Christians believe is given through Jesus.
In Jamie’s words, Jesus’ service for us is, in some ways, reflected in the service of Australian men and women who gave themselves for others.
“We live in freedom, relative freedom, spiritually, we live in absolute freedom, because of what Jesus has done.”
It was a day that held both things together: gratitude for those who served Australia, and gratitude for the grace of God.
Dinner at St John's Church
After the Last Post Ceremony, the team gathered for dinner at St John’s Church.
The catering team provided a wonderful meal, and the walkers were thankful for the kindness and hospitality shown to them.
General David Hurley and Linda Hurley joined the dinner, along with Bishop Mark Short, the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia.
After a long day on foot, and a moving afternoon of remembrance, it was a fitting way to finish.
A Day of Honour, Grace and Gratitude
Day 6 was not just another walking day.
It began in the cold at Mt Stromlo, moved through mist and sunshine, carried the team through Canberra, and ended at one of the most sacred places of national remembrance in Australia.
There were sore feet. There was laughter. There were conversations with serving personnel. There was hospitality. And there was the deep honour of remembering Pilot Officer Donald William Mason RAAF.
For Jamie, the day came back to grace.
Not something earned.
Not something boasted about.
But something received.
And on this day, walking into the Australian War Memorial, that message landed with weight.
