Trail group leading authors’ walk at Bacchus Marsh

THE Great Dividing Trail Association (GDTA) is leading a three-hour walk around Bacchus Marsh next Wednesday, taking in multiple sites of significance in the lives of famed authors Peter Carey and Frank Hardy, who both once called Bacchus Marsh home.

One of the walk’s two leaders, Tim Bach, said people who’d like to do the leisurely and informative mid-week stroll should register online through the GDTA website now as registrations close at midday on Monday 10 November.

Mr Bach said association members and non-members alike are welcome to participate in the walk, which is a loop covering about six kilometres and features plenty of stops to appreciate sites of significance in the lives of the two famous writers.

“This is a leisurely ramble, this time visiting the childhood locations of Peter Carey and Frank Hardy who were brought up in Bacchus Marsh,” said Gib Wettenhall, who will be co-leading the walk.

“Carey is the only Australian novelist to win the Booker twice and Hardy authored Power Without Glory, which sensationally sparked Australia’s only criminal libel suit.

“Although from different generations, they coincidentally lived in houses only a few doors apart.”

Mr Bach said the walk circuit is based on one of seven circuit walks that have been published in the new Lerderderg Track Guide.

“It will be about a six-kilometre walk and we’ll stop at each of their schools and each of their homes and talk about each one,” Mr Bach said.

“Other locations we will visit, all within easy strolling distance, include the site of the Carey servo and car dealership and we will also get to see Hardy’s caricatures which are now held in the Bacchus Marsh RSL and which launched his career as a journo.

“We will also see what’s left of the prefab iron church that was subconsciously inspirational to Carey’s Oscar and Lucinda.”

“Both Hardy and Carey wrote extensively about their childhoods. Carey’s novels are full of Bacchus Marsh characters if you know where to look.” Mr Bach said those planning to do the walk need to pre-book two days prior, through the GDTA events page which also has more information.