Anglican Bishop of Bathurst Ian Palmer starts his pilgrimage west to Dubbo

The couple left All Saints’ Cathedral at around 5.30pm following the evening service.

A hearty crowd of well-wishers were there to see them on their way. Some walked with them. 

Their journey will cover 217 kilometres, with Bishop and Mrs Palmer walking in the early mornings and evening to avoid the hottest part of the day.

The first leg of their journey will follow the Ophir Road, with an overnight stop at Abercrombie House. 

They will rise early and make their way to Orange, entering the city on Icely Road.

From there they will travel along the Burrendong Way to Wellington and then on to Dubbo, walking 30km a day.

They will take the scenic route to avoid highway traffic as much as possible.

Bishop Palmer expects the walk will take them five days. 

They are scheduled to arrive in Dubbo at lunchtime on Saturday.

The pair hope people will walk with them along the way. 

The same journey was made in the opposite direction, from Dubbo to Bathurst, in 1971 by then Bishop of Bathurst Ken Leslie. 

He was raising money to finish building All Saints’ Cathedral. 

When his funeral was held in All Saints’ Cathedral in 2010, his walking boots, hat and staff were displayed in the cathedral bell tower. 

It is fitting that all these years later Bathurst has another walking bishop. 

Some years ago the Palmers walked the 800km pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. 

They also see this walk as a pilgrimage. 

“We are using this walk to reflect on what the new look for the diocese might be,” Bishop Palmer said.

“We are going through a period of big change and we need to be able to look at things in a different way.”

Bathurst has been the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Bathurst for 150 years.

While Bishop Palmer will remain in the role, he will be taking up an additional role as parish priest in Dubbo. 

There is no money left in the church coffers to pay him.