CULTURAL CONCERNS RAISED AS ROTTNEST CHANNEL SWIM MARKS 35TH YEAR
BY ASAD KHAN
The South32 Rottnest Channel Swim will take place on Saturday, with swimmers set to cover the nearly 20-kilometre open water course from Mudurup (Cottesloe Beach) to Wadjemup (Rottnest Island).
As the event marks its 35th year, concerns have been raised regarding its cultural sensitivity due to the island’s history as a site of Aboriginal incarceration.
Ballardong Noongar man and Indigenous activist Desmond Blurton described the swim as a form of “dark tourism.”
“It is very culturally insensitive. It is dark tourism to generate an economy where blood was spilled,”
“There was child abuse perpetrated against children over in Wadjemup. This needs to be stopped. There should be no glorification on Aboriginal graves or sites,”
“People cannot just go there and start preparing for a race on sacred tribal ground where blood was spilled,” he said.
Event organisers have stated that they engage with the Wadjemup Aboriginal Reference Group and work closely with Noongar Elder Walter Maguire, who delivers a Welcome to Country at the start and finish lines. They also noted that traditional place names are incorporated into event communications.
Among the participants this year is a First Nations couple from Perth, Sasha Johnson and Tyson McEwan, who are undertaking a tandem solo swim.
Mr McEwan acknowledged the importance of discussions surrounding the event’s cultural significance.
“I haven't received personal criticism for participating in the swim over the years,”
“I think the event is an important platform to raise those concerns, but also to acknowledge the legacy, including the negative legacy, left on Rottnest Island,”
“I am very conscious of the history, and it is something that is always on my mind when I swim,” he said.
The Rottnest Channel Swim remains a major event on Western Australia’s sporting calendar, with thousands of participants and supporters each year.
However, discussions around the cultural and historical significance of Wadjemup continue to be raised by Aboriginal community members.
Listen to Ngaarda Media’s Asad Khan speak with Indigenous activist Desmond Blurton and swimmer Tyson McEwan: