Join us in person for the Walking SA AGM 2026 to chat all things walking and plan for a great year ahead!

Get ready to join us in person for the Walking SA AGM 2026! It’s a great chance to catch up, chat about all things walking, and plan exciting adventures ahead. Whether you’re a seasoned walking club member, a bushwalk guide or new to the community, this event is for you. Don’t miss out on connecting with fellow enthusiasts and shaping the future of walking in SA.

6:00pm – 8:30pm Thursday 12 November 2026
Walking SA, shared with the Conservation Council of South Australia
55 Exchange Pl, Adelaide SA 5000

Public welcome.

Please RSVP on eventbrite.com.au

Walking Awards

Let’s celebrate! The Annual Walking SA Walking Awards provide promote the achievements of groups, organisations, local and state government, and volunteers in South Australia. The Awards are an opportunity for public and peer recognition of achievements in walking, and demonstrate to volunteers, community groups, the recreation industry, business, government, and the wider community the significant and positive impact that can be achieved through improving walkability. If you know someone that should be recognised put them forward – a little recognition goes a long way.

Schedule

Your Board has reviewed and prepared a draft revision of Walking SA’s Strategic Plan, and we’d like your input.

Our draft 2026-2030 Strategic Plan builds on our values to be interactive, immersed in nature, inclusive, and inspiring.

The draft 2026-2030 Strategic Plan provides Walking SA with clear priorities and actions for the next 4 years, and is reviewed annually by the Board of WalkingSA.

A simplified plan on a single page, our draft 2026-2030 Strategic Plan outlines the four strategic outcomes of Walking SA aligned to each value:

• Interactive: Active and walkable places
• Immersed in nature: Great walking experiences
• Inclusive: Walking for everyone
• Inspiring: A strong and sustainable WalkingSA

View the draft 2026-2030 Strategic Plan for your review and input.

We would like to invite you to complete a short survey – we welcome your feedback.

Walking SA held its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 16^th October at our new office at 55 Exchange Place Adelaide with an attendance of people from member clubs, organisations, supporters and the public. We greatly appreciate the attendance and engagement with those there on the night.

Thank you to Denise Schumann AOM, co-author of our excellent Kaurna Interpretive Sites Along Karrawirra Pari / River Torrens. Regrettably co-author Aunty Lynette Crocker was unable to attend. Denise presented an engaging talk highlighting how the Kaurna People understood their landscape through a cultural lense and presented a number of early European paintings of the Kaurna on their Country.

Neil Hendry, President of the Friends of The Heysen Trail, and Melanie Sjoberg, Vice-President of the Friends of The Heysen Trail, presented on the key influence the volunteer organisation has had on the trail being completed 40 years ago. They highlighted the ongoing work to improve and promote the trail, keeping the trail alive today.

Walking Awards

We presented the awards for the annual Walking SA Walking Awards. The awards recognises and promotes the achievements and work of groups, organisations, local and state government, and volunteers in South Australia:

• The WEA Ramblers Bushwalking Club Inc was awarded the Outstanding Group Contribution to advance walking inclusivity in South Australia.
• Lorraine Thomas was awarded the Outstanding Individual Contribution to walking in South Australia.

Bushwalking Leadership Graduations

As part of Walking SA Education, our first bushwalk guides were presented their graduation certificates. Congratulations to all.

Walking SA Education is offering bushwalking training and accreditation. This is a new addition to the range of services and support provided by Walking SA for the South Australian walking community. Our aim is to provide accessible training and accreditation for volunteers, youth leaders, teachers, personal trainers, support workers, therapists and outdoor educators at the nationally recognised standard.

2024/25 Annual Report

The 2024/25 Annual Report was distributed at the AGM and Rod Quintrell, Executive Director of Walking SA and Daniel Bennett, Chair, spoke to the report identifying a range of highlights from the past year.

Walking SA held its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 17^th October at The Joinery in Franklin St, Adelaide, with an attendance of people from member clubs, organisations, supporters and the public. We greatly appreciate the attendance and engagement with those there on the night.

Thank you to Kate Corner, Regional Ambassador, parkrun, who presented on parkrun. We particularly enjoyed hearing about how parkrun focuses on rewarding participation, not performance. While parkrun might seem focussed on the runners who finish the 5km course within 40 minutes, it’s the cohort who finish in the 40 to 60 minute bracket who get the most out of participating. With that in mind, parkrun measures their success in that with every passing year, the average time to complete a parkrun decreases, simply because more people are joining to walk or run at their own speed. It was good to hear how the number of parkruns across the State (and the world) has grown so rapidly, particularly as each parkrun is initiated, enabled and run by volunteers, often only with seed funding from local councils. parkrun is a free, community event where you can walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate. Each parkrun is 5km and takes place every Saturday morning. parkrun is positive, welcoming and inclusive, there is no time limit and no one finishes last. Everyone is welcome to come along.

Thanks to EXURBIA The Adventure Supply Co for the Lucky Door Prize vouchers which were drawn and won to spend in-store at EXURBIA.

We presented the awards for the annual Walking SA Walking Awards. The awards recognises and promotes the achievements and work of groups, organisations, local and state government, and volunteers in South Australia. The Awards process is an opportunity for public and peer recognition of achievements in walking, and demonstrates to volunteers, community groups, the recreation industry, business, government, and the wider community the significant and positive impact that can be achieved through improvements to walkability. This year the awards were expanded to include a new category, to an organisation or individual that makes walking more inclusive and an adjustment to an existing one, to value the commitment to walking of a volunteer.

Awards were presented to three organisations, a community group and one individual, celebrating their contribution to walking in South Australia. Awards were presented by Gabrielle (Gabby) Fisher, Preventive Health SA; Rebecca Tooher and Meredith Lawson, Co-Chairs Walking for Engagement and Inclusion Committee; Daniel Bennett, Walking for Transport Committee; Jim McLean, member of the Walking for Recreation Committee; and Rod Quintrell, Chair Walking SA.

Board

We welcome Naomi Struve and Brenton Banham as new Board members, and returning Board member Jim McLean, whilst thanking retiring Board members Bill Gehling and Dan Osborne for their enthusiasm and contribution to the Board over the past years. We also thank retiring treasurer Jinman Xu who has moved interstate. We welcome our new Treasurer onboard Simon Hillier.

2023/24 Annual Report

The 2023/24 Annual Report was distributed at the AGM and Sharon Kelsey, Executive Director of Walking SA and Rod Quintrell, Chair, spoke to the report identifying a range of highlights from the past year.

Walking SA held its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 9^th November at The Jade, with an attendance of people from member clubs, organisations, supporters and the public. We greatly appreciate the attendance and engagement with those there on the night.

Thank you to Travis Saunders who presented on challenges and strategies to enable more neurodivergent people to experience the life-changing benefits of bushwalking. Travis is a qualified bushwalking guide, accredited running coach and founder of Inclusive Trails; offering expeditions, bushwalking programs, run coaching and mentoring for neurodivergent adults. He has recently been awarded a Churchill Fellowship scholarship to “To investigate models of support that enable autistic people to access and enjoy bushwalking.”

Thanks to EXURBIA The Adventure Supply Co three random Lucky Door Prizes were drawn and won to spend in-store at EXURBIA: 1 x voucher valued at $200 to Liz O’Shea, and 1 x voucher valued at $100 Melanie Sjoberg, and 1 x voucher valued at $100 to Jeremy Carter.

Award Winners

We presented the awards for the annual Walking SA Walking Awards. The awards recognises and promotes the achievements and work of groups, organisations, local and state government, and volunteers in South Australia. The Awards process is an opportunity for public and peer recognition of achievements in walking, and demonstrates to volunteers, community groups, the recreation industry, business, government, and the wider community the significant and positive impact that can be achieved through improvements to walkability. This year the awards were expanded to include a new category, to an organisation or individual that makes walking more inclusive and an adjustment to an existing one, to value the commitment to walking of a volunteer.

Awards were presented to three organisations, a community group and one individual, celebrating their contribution to walking in South Australia. Awards were presented by Gabrielle (Gabby) Fisher, Wellbeing SA, and Rod Quintrell, Walking SA Chair.

Board

We welcome Michelle Nash and Kristen Willson as new Board members, whilst thanking retiring Board members Jim McLean and Ian Radbone for their enthusiam and contribution to the Board over the past years. Both Jim and Ian will continue in their roles on the Walking for Recreation Committee and Walking for Transport Committees.

2022/23 Annual Report

The 2022/23 Annual Report was distributed at the AGM and Sharon Kelsey, Executive Director of Walking SA and Rod Quintrell, Chair, spoke to the report identifying a range of highlights from the past year.

We also presented “Our Walking Journey 2023 – 2025” – Walking SA’s strategic plan for the next 3 years.

Our Walking Journey is a refresh of our Strategic Plan but you might view it as a significant step. It is. Walking SA is firmly focussed on our contribution to making SA a world-class walkable State. This Plan sets out our ambitious first steps. We also reinforce our mission for ‘More People walking more often’ and articulate our values of being interactive, immersed in nature, inclusive and inspiring. Read our Plan and join Walking SA on its journey to make a real difference for the benefit of every South Australian.

The Walking SA Board publicly declare our support for the constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and for a Voice that will provide a mechanism for First Nations peoples to actively participate and advise on policies and laws which affect them.

History tells us that previous First Nations representative bodies have been continually dismantled by the commonwealth government at will. By writing YES in the referendum, Australians can establish a permanent representative body that advocates for the needs and aspirations of First Nations people.

As the peak body representing all types of walking in South Australia we know that First Nations communities are at the front line of climate impacts in this country. We share a deep love of our country and actively pursue sharing this reverence with all Australians. By ensuring that First Nations communities are represented in shaping national policies, we can not only take substantive steps to close the gap, but also take steps towards achieving better health, environment and climate outcomes for all.

We know the names of all the parks and of those generous European benefactors who bequeathed land back to the government on their passing, but we struggle to tell the stories of those who lived on these places pre European settlement. There is work to be done.

Walking SA supports all elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, recognizing the focus is on the First Nations Voice to Parliament, while not diminishing the need to begin work on negotiating Treaty and embracing Truth-telling.

We encourage those who have not read the Uluru statement to do so. it is a hopeful and generous document and I quote:
In 1967 we were counted, in 2017 we seek to be heard. We leave base camp and start our trek across this vast country. We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.

ulurustatement.org/the-statement

We acknowledge the diversity of views on this issue and encourage all our members and the broader community to engage in these important processes in the hope that we all will be able to make an informed decision when voting in the upcoming Referendum on 14 of October 2023.

For more information contact:
Sharon Kelsey, Executive Director
Walking SA
www.walkingsa.org.au
office@walkingsa.org.au

Position statement as at September 2023.

Walking SA is delighted to announce that Sharon Kelsey has been appointed as our new Executive Director.

With over 15 years as an Executive leading local government and public sector organisations, she has formal qualifications in law, management and adult education. With lived experience in the Australian outback, Asia, Europe, the US and interstate, she brings business acumen with her lust for walking.

Her wanderlust developed from her early years spent accompanying her amateur botanist grandfather as he trekked across the Fleurieu Peninsula. It was here she became adept at not only spotting orchids but knowing where the best spots were to take in the expansive views and find sufficient shade for a well-earned rest. As an active walker she has completed much of the Great South West Walk, the Heysen Trail and walked from Port Augusta to Quorn via the Pichi Richi Pass.

With a good knowledge across all our focus areas of bushwalking, walking for transport and walking for health, she will be working to seek the best outcomes for all trail users.

With an extensive career in leadership in large urban and smaller rural community-based organisations both here in South Australia and interstate she will be a valuable asset in liaising with a range of diverse stakeholders.

As a strong advocate for the benefits of walking including the health, social and mental wellbeing that flow from active participation, she will help Walking SA to achieve its vision of seeing more people walking more often.