James Martin, the son of a horse groom who walked 20 kilometres from Parramatta to Sydney and back every weekday in the 1830s so he could attend secondary school, has been honoured by school students recreating his education journey.
Martin would become Premier of New South Wales, Chief Justice and a passionate advocate for education.
The walk on August the 14th involved 25 students and seven teachers from Arthur Phillip High School, Marsden High School, Parramatta High School, Riverside Girls High School and Ryde Secondary College.
In 2025 the walk, which started in 2023, became an official activity for Public Education Week celebrating its theme ‘Ignite Your Potential’.
The event began at the James Martin statue in Martin Place, where students were welcomed by the Chief Justice, the Honourable Andrew Bell, NSW Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar, and Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib.
Murat Dizdar told the students that James Martin’s story teaches us all an important lesson, “that persistence is power, and every learner in NSW has the right to an enriching education”.
“Thankfully, kids no longer have to walk 20 kilometres every day to get to school but every single one of our 800,000 students deserves to pursue their passions through public education,” he said.
