Wall to Wall 2016

In 2009, two mates, both police officers and both keen motorcyclists, started a conversation over a beer or two. “How about we organise some mates to ride to Canberra and meet at our National Memorial?”

Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy from the NSW Police Force and Inspector Brian Rix of the Victorian Police had been motivated and inspired by the immense popularity of an American police motorcycle and charity event held in Austin, Texas.

Known as the “Ride for the Fallen”, the ride is a special tribute that honours the service and sacrifices of the many law enforcement officers killed in the service of Texas over its long and proud history.

Around the same time, a chance meeting with Western Australia Assistant Commissioner Steve Brown invariably turned into discussions of motorcycling and plans for Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan to lead a children’s charity ride across the country.

So a few phone calls later and with the much valued support and assistance of the Police Federation of Australia, a group of like minded police, serving and retired, were brought together to develop Australia’s own memorial ride.

With the National Police Memorial as a focal point and highlighting the positive image of police in the promotion of motorcycle safety and awareness, this has now become a much anticipated annual charity event in commemoration of the service and sacrifice of our police and for each of the State’s to raise much needed funds in support of their police charity organisations.

Each of the Australian Police Forces has a dedicated place of remembrance and reflection, where they pay homage to and remember their police officers who have died as a result of their service to the community. From these sites a very special journey begins with the intention of arriving at the outskirts of our national capital to meet and join the other contingents of riders from across Australia.

In a final gesture of police solidarity and remembrance, the ride travels through Canberra to the National Police Memorial for a short, but poignant ceremony to commence the week in honour of our colleagues and mates; their names recorded on the touch stones of the memorial wall.

The Wall to Wall : Ride for Remembrance is promoted through a national organising committee under the auspice of the Police Federation of Australia and the National Police Memorial. Stringent operational and financial controls are maintained to ensure the charitable status of the event and that funds raised are directly used to support the identified policing legacy organisations and charities.

Fully supported by all the police jurisdictions, every State and Territory is represented. Our past rides have been led by the Police Commissioners of the Australian Federal Police, Western Australia, New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Tasmania, all of whom share the thrills and excitement found only on a motorbike and who are integral role models in demonstrating our message of motorcycling safety and awareness

Open to serving and retired members (sworn and unsworn) and all other friends, family and proud supporters of policing, the ride is not only a wonderful commemoration of service and sacrifice , but also a fantastic social event for enthusiastic motor cyclists across Australia in celebration of the police family.

So make this the year that you get the bike out from the back of the garage and serviced, renew or obtain you riders licence and join us on a special ride in support of all that is good within the motorcycling community and the policing across Australia.

There are bikes heading to Canberra from all over Australia with their respective routes and met up dates and times advertised on the Wall to Wall website.