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There were loud and proud celebrations at Firebreak near Kalgoorlie this week, as the HOPE team celebrated the 100th Men’s Bush Trip.
“Men just keep coming back to be around other men in a safe place and to just relax knowing that they’re all going to be looked after here,” said Stephen Morrison, HOPE Aboriginal Cultural Practice & Capability Manager.
“We get out on country in the fresh air,” he said. “When we’re preparing the food, it’s not fast food, you’ve got to burn the (kangaroo) tails, do all of this preparation . . . so it’s letting them understand the process of things. “When we (discuss) alcohol and other drugs relapse, we let them know it’s a process, relapse just doesn’t happen.
Marking a milestone
The Firebreak Men’s Bush Trip was a celebration of all that the trips – and the men – have achieved together.
The trips began in 2021 as part of a suite of programs and activities provided by Mara Pirni Healing Place, WA’s first regional family and domestic violence and abuse (FDVA) hub.
This Kalgoorlie hub was co-designed with the community, who insisted that alongside FDVA services for women and children, there had to be services for men.
So in 2021, Stephen began taking men out on country, where they could connect with each other and yarn in a relaxed and judgement-free space. The first bush trip was run out of Kalgoorlie, but the program has since expanded to including trips run out of Leonora, Laverton, Esperance and Norseman.
Out bush, the men yarn about the issues that deeply affect them and their family like grief, loss, alcohol use, mental health, suicide and FDVA.
“I must stress that not all the men who attend the trips are violent or abusive, but everyone is committed to showing up and having conversations about how they can do better for themselves, their partners and their families,” Stephen says. “We light a fire, cook some food, go for a wander, have a yarn and a laugh, learn helpful things for life and build support for each other.”
At the time of the 100th Men’s Bush Trip celebration, the team had marked off more than 600 attendances and had travelled an estimated 17,300km, taking the men to different Goldfields locations. That’s more than the circumference of Australia by road.
Making a difference
The trips are making a difference to the men who attend and to the wider community, says Stephen.
“So often community service organisations can’t support men until they are in dire straits – until they are on the verge of suicide or they choose violence or they end up incarcerated,” he says.
“The Men’s Bush Trips were set up to prevent men from reaching those terrible end points, and we are having an impact.
“The men who attend the trips tell me they are drinking less, and they share with me the times they have walked away from a heated situation. These trips are actually making the community safer.”
The men themselves are also building connections with local community organisations and, importantly, with each other.
“Some of the blokes have even completed mental health first aid training, so they know how to recognise and respond to a mental health emergency, which is amazing. They will be using these skills to help each other and the wider community,” says Stephen.
Building connection
For many of the men who attend, the trips are invaluable. For George, the trips have led to a sense of belonging in his adopted community of Kalgoorlie.
“My favourite trip was my very first trip. I did not know what I was going to say. That day I realised I was not alone, and that I should never give up,” says George.
“On Wednesdays, when I am available, I jump on the trips when I can. I still get a lot of healing out of the trips. It helps me to know I am giving back, and I am not alone anymore.
“I have a connection with Stephen and a connection with the group. I am valued and respected. I feel like I belong here [in Kalgoorlie].”
Working in partnership
HOPE runs Men’s Bush Trips throughout the Goldfields, and wherever possible partners with local organisations to deliver the trips.
The team works with Waalitj Foundation in Leonora, Pakaanu Aboriginal Corporation in Laverton and Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation in Esperance.
Mens Bush Trips are free and open to any man to attend. Details of upcoming trips can be found on the Goldfields Hope Community Services Facebook page.
