Meat Morgz

A Butcher On A Mental Health Mission

By Victoria Velton

Harry Morgz is on a mission to raise awareness for men's mental health, walking from Cairns to the Gold Coast in an effort to shed light on the struggles faced by men, particularly in the butchering industry. A butcher by trade for over 30 years, Morgz is using his journey to highlight the mental health challenges, long hours, low pay, and high rates of addiction and suicide that have plagued the industry for decades.

Morgz started his journey on March 10th with just $50 in his pocket and a determination to speak for those who often go unheard.

“I started in Cairns and walked 16kms to the first butcher shop. I told them I was doing it for a charity, walking back to the Gold Coast. They thought I was mad, and they've been one of the biggest supporters ever since!” laughed Morgz.

His walk includes long stretches, such as the 240kms trek to Townsville, which took him three and a half days to complete, saying “I just carry a swag and a backpack, and I walk in my gum boots.”

Along the way, Morgz has been grateful for the kindness of strangers, from butcher shops that support his cause to 24-hour gyms that offer him hot showers.

“They pay what I would earn to the charity. What they give me is something to eat, and then I start marching again,” he shared. His journey is not only a personal one but also a way to raise funds so people can come together to discuss men's mental health and get the help they need.

“I’ve met lovely people on the way,” Morgz says, highlighting the shared struggle of mental health across various sectors, from truck drivers to miners to the homeless. One encounter that stood out to him was with a homeless man in Townsville, who had been living under a bridge for seven years.

“He was a lawyer, but with life, he went through a really bad patch and today he’s content with how he’s living,” Morgz reflected this chance meeting gave him a deeper appreciation for life’s simple comforts, like a warm bed or a hot shower.

As a butcher, Morgz has seen firsthand the toll that the industry can take on mental health. He says, “We don't sugar coat anything. We're as raw as the meat we handle, and at the end of the day, I'm doing this for the ones that are struggling, the ones that have struggled. We have lost a lot of butchers to suicide, it really has had a huge effect on more people and families than we think.”

Morgz hopes that his walk will break the stigma surrounding men's mental health, especially in industries where emotions are often suppressed.

“This is why I wanted to do this walk. I wanted to walk for the people who don't have a voice.”

With significant community support, his journey can be followed on Instagram and TikTok @meatmorgz.

Morgz’s efforts can also be supported through donations via the QR code to MyCause under “Walk With Morgz.” Morgz hopes his journey will serve as a reminder that it's okay to not be okay and that seeking help is the first step forward, his next stop is Mackay and we wish him good health and safe travels on his journey.

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Harry Morgz with the team at Master Butchers in Cannonvale: Danielle Carr, Daniel Obrien, Archie Yuskan, Marcus Galbraith, Clinton Miles. Photo Credit Victoria Velton.

Harry Morgz with managers, Danielle Carr and Alex Wordsworth of Master Butchers. Photo Credit Victoria Velton.

Harry Morgz at Master Butchers in Cannonvale.

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