“Man oh man I was FREE! Free to have a beer, have a smoke, happy, what you can call, all the time. They was free days”
This is Russian Jack or Barrett Crumen.
The only thing is, Russian Jack wasn’t Russian and his name wasn’t Barrett Crumen.
He was Latvian, born in the village of Alexandra in 1878 and his name was possibly Barnis Krumen.
He arrived in New Zealand on the night of June 23rd 1912 when, as a crewman on the British steamer Star of Canada, he was shipwrecked off the Gisborne coast during a wild Southern gale.
To save money, he decided to walk to Wellington city, a journey of some 600 kilometres.
He didn’t stop walking until ill health forced him off the road in 1965. 53 years of walking.
Russian Jack was a swagman or swagger.
The term swagger originated in Australia (“Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong, under the shade of a Coolibah tree…”) and describes an itinerant farm worker who carries all their worldly possessions on their back, in a ‘swag’. Russian Jack was reputed to carry the largest swag of all the swaggers. He did not beg, he worked and in his youth he was known for his strength.
There is a whole history of swaggers in New Zealand dating back to the hard times of the 1880’s.
But Russian Jack was the last swagger and, as it happened, walked the roads around where I live.
There was opposition to this statue. “It commemorates swaggers.” they said. Others thought he didn’t deserve the honour.
Hahahaha
“Such a cool statue honouring freedom.” I said to myself as I walked by …
One Kindred Spirit
Reclaimed Blue Polaroids - One Kindred Spirit Colour Image - Margaret MacPherson (District Nurse) On the road near Waituna West, Manawatu 1960
