Story: Aboriginal culture
Episode: 2
Presenter: Scherri-Lee Biggs
Air Date: 3rd December, 2022

Rottnest Island is a very important to the Whadjuk Noongar people. Scherri-Lee learns some of the important history and cultural heritage of the Island.

• Wadjemup is the Noongar name for the island and the traditional owners are the Whadjuk Noongar people.
• Rottnest island acknowledges and celebrates the Indigenous heritage of the island. When stepping off the jetty, visitors are welcomed by a sculpture, representing the past and present of the island.
• The nine-metre-high sculpture, depicting a Noongar warrior and breaching whale was designed by Western Australian artists Sharyn Egan and Jahne Rees with significant input from the Whadjuk Noongar community.
• It is encouraged that visitors take some time to explore the stories of the Wadjemup through the island’s Aboriginal heritage.
• Archaeological evidence reveals that the island has been occupied by the Noongar people for tens of thousands of years as a place of cultural significance.
• Rottnest has a newly renovated museum, which showcases many exhibits that tell the story of the islands past. Including, the original mill stone on display that Aboriginal prisoners on the island used to crush the grain from crops and make flour under a regime of forced labour.

For more information:
rottnestisland.com