20th Nov 2024
ACM celebrates the importance of regional journalism with Walkley Award win
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2024 – Newcastle Herald reporter Matthew Kelly has been awarded a prestigious Walkley Award for his powerful series of stories that helped reunite a homeless man with his family after 30 years of living on the streets of Newcastle.
Matthew’s reporting won the Walkley Award for the Community and Regional Affairs category, which was presented at the 2024 Walkley Awards ceremony held in Sydney last night.
The stories, which followed the life of Alwyn Craig – known to many in Newcastle as “Pete” – were both deeply compassionate and meticulously detailed. Matthew’s investigative work revealed that “Pete” was in fact Alwyn Melville Craig, a Vietnam War veteran who had been lost to his family for decades.
Matthew’s reporting, which first uncovered Mr. Craig’s true identity in December 2023, led to a remarkable turn of events. A relative in Florida, upon reading the story, reached out, and earlier this year, Mr. Craig was joyously reunited with his brothers and other family members. In addition to his family, Matthew also spoke to Mr. Craig’s former comrades from the Vietnam War, who remembered him as a blond-haired private from Wollongong nicknamed “Shorty.”
The Walkley judges praised Matthew’s series, describing it as “joyous and moving.” They noted that Matthew’s reporting “was both nuanced and thought-provoking, reminding readers that homelessness is a complex issue, while celebrating his community’s generous embrace of a vulnerable man.”
Newcastle Herald editor Lisa Allan said, “Matthew’s story embodies the very essence of journalism—shining a light on the unseen and giving a voice to the voiceless. Through his investigation, quiet empathy, and compassion, he not only told Alwyn Craig’s story but helped transform his life. Bringing a Vietnam veteran from the streets to safety and reuniting him with his family is a powerful reminder of the impact that regional journalism can have, changing lives, restoring dignity, and reconnecting families.”
Picture supplied by Walkley Foundation
