Charity walker Zachary Gordon Chapman found safe on Gibb River Road revealed as convicted fraudster

A man who attempted to walk from Darwin to Perth unaided to raise money for charity has been revealed as a convicted criminal for multiple fraud offences in Queensland. Zac Chapman, 29, came to media attention last Tuesday when police commenced a search for him on a remote section of the Gibb River Road after receiving a call from one his supporters who was concerned for his welfare. Police located his abandoned trolley and water around midday near the Durack River Crossing in 40 degree heat. Fortunately, Chapman was located less than an hour later at Ellenbrae station, 25km away. He was then brought back to Kununurra by police. Chapman had attempted to walk from Darwin to Perth unaided to raise money for mental health charity the Black Dog Institute. The charity has confirmed Chapman is a registered fundraiser and had raised $32,450 as of September 11. Since then Chapman has shut down his Facebook page zacspathtoperth and announced he has abandoned the walk posting on Monday, “I do stand by my decision to no longer walk. Not because I’m giving up or anything as such, a few things happened, a few things you know about and a few things you don’t. “I simply just want to be on my own and to focus on myself which is something I haven’t done for a VERY long time.” In another now deleted post Chapman discussed his past convictions for fraud saying, ‘”I have no shame in speaking about my past,” “I made significant leaps and bounds to be the best version of myself that I can be.” Chapman was jailed for two years in August 2020 after pleading guilty to 31 fraud related charges in Cairns Magistrate Court. The then 24-year-old used online marketplace Gumtree to make false advertisements about items for sale and then took deposits and payments for goods which he never supplied. Police estimated he made tens of thousands of dollars in profit. Earlier this year Chapman attempted to walk from Melbourne to Perth, however he had to stop his walk halfway due to “personal health reasons,” according to a Black Dog Institute spokesperson. The spokesperson said Chapman had a do-it-yourself funding-raising page that allowed members of the public to develop their own challenges to raise money for the charity. “All funds through this platform are directly donated to the Black Dog Institute,” the spokesperson said The Kimberley Echo does not suggest that Chapman defrauded or is suspected of defrauding any donors in relation to his abandoned Darwin to Perth fundraiser. The Kimberley Echo spoke to Chapman about his past conviction and his fundraising for the Black Dog Institute but he declined to comment on the record.