Walking in Two Worlds: Why Rockingham's Silent Truth-Telling Tour Is an Unmissable Experience
From ancient Nyitting creation stories to local timber history, Monique Boucher from Hidden DeTours and Whadjuk guide Steven Jacobs bring Moordiboordip's deep past to life along the foreshore using silent disco technology.
By Myah Loo & Wade McColl (24/09/2026)
Steven Jacobs of In Culture Tours welcoming the Moordiboordip Truth Telling Tour. Photo by Wade McColl, Baldivis Times, 2026.
We were invited to experience the Moordiboordip Truth Telling Tour, a unique joint initiative created by Monique Boucher of award-winning small-group operator Hidden DeTours and Whadjuk Maman guide Steven Jacobs of In Culture Tours.
Monique handed each participant a pair of wireless silent disco headphones. Equipped with two channels, the technology allowed us to switch seamlessly between both guides as we walked, blending Noongar kaartdijin (knowledge) and European settler history into immersive audio.
Sacred Steps: Smoke, Sand, and Saltwater
Myah Loo, Baldivis Times Assistant Director, participates in smoking ceremony on Rockingham foreshore. Photo by Wade McColl, Baldivis Times, 2026.
Moordiboordip (Rockingham) sits close to the traditional boundary between Whadjuk and Bindjareb country, making Moordiboordip a historical place of gathering and movement. Standing on the shoreline, Steven opened the journey with a Welcome to Whadjuk Noongar Country.
He invited the group to take part in a traditional sand throwing ceremony, explaining how casting sand back into the sea signals respect to the spirits of the land and ancestors. Following a smoking ceremony on the beach, the physical and spiritual journey along the foreshore was officially underway.
Ancient Nyitting Lore: The Battle of Wagyl and Yondok
Steven Jacobs of In Culture Tours addressing the Moordiboordip Truth Telling Tour. Photo by Wade McColl, Baldivis Times, 2026.
Looking out across the Derbarl Naraa (Cockburn Sound), Steven shared how the submerged land between Moordiboordip and Meeandip (Garden Island) was once dry ground thousands of years ago. The area served as an ancient burial site for Noongar ancestors before sea levels rose, bestowing immense cultural and spiritual sanctity on these waters.
Steven brought the Nyitting (Dreaming/Creation period) to life with the epic story of Meeandip's creation. In Noongar lore, a fierce battle took place between the Wagyl (the Rainbow Serpent) and Yondok, a giant spirit crocodile. During the struggle, the Wagyl tore Yondok into pieces:
The Body: Cast into the ocean to become Meeandip (Garden Island).
The Head: Settled nearby to form Ngooloormayup (Carnac Island).
The Tail: Tossed far north to the mouth of the Swan River to act as a natural barrier, keeping saltwater from invading fresh water upstream.
Living Off the Land: Local Noongar Bush Tucker
Steven Jacobs of In Culture Tours sharing cultural knowledge on the Moordiboordip Truth Telling Tour. Photo by Wade McColl, Baldivis Times, 2026.
As the walk progressed along the Rockingham Foreshore path, Steven paused beside a patch of Coastal Sword Sedge (Lepidosperma gladiatum). He highlighted its practical uses in Noongar culture, showing how the tough leaves were harvested by women for weaving baskets, bags, and rope.
Demonstrating traditional bush tucker practices, Steven plucked a handful of the strappy leaves, revealing the white base near the root of the plant. Edible raw, the stem yields a mild, refreshing crunch with a taste closely resembling celery, demonstrating how coastal flora sustained local families for generations.
Paving London’s Streets: Rockingham's Timber Export Legacy
Monique Boucher of Hidden Detours addressing the Moordiboordip Truth Telling Tour. Photo by Wade McColl, Baldivis Times, 2026.
Switching headphone channels over to Monique, the narrative shifted into the 19th and 20th centuries to explore local early colonial industry.
Long before Rockingham developed into a bustling residential shoreline, it served as a crucial port hub for Western Australia's timber trade. Dense forests of Jarrah and eucalypt harvested inland were transported to the coast and shipped worldwide. In fact, durable Jarrah wood block paving from the district was exported to the United Kingdom, where it lined the busy streets of London during the late Victorian era.
Truth-Telling: Totems, Exemption Passports, and Resilience
Steven Jacobs’ ancestor and their exemption passport which they were required to apply for to continue living as a white women, and not have the same restrictions of an Aboriginal person at the time. Photo by Wade McColl, Baldivis Times, 2026.
At the core of the tour is a commitment to truth-telling. Steven shared personal reflections on kinship lines and the significance of totems, explaining how his parents bestowed the emu (weitj) as his lifelong totem during childhood, placing a duty of care on him to protect the species and its habitat.
The dialogue also addressed the painful history of colonisation, including the Stolen Generations and systemic government control under figures like A.O. Neville. Steven detailed how Noongar families were subjected to the Native Exemption system, which issued "passports" or "dog tags" to Aboriginal people. To obtain basic civil rights, employment, or protection for their children, individuals were forced to legally renounce their cultural identity, language, and connection to family.
In a poignant moment, Steven revealed a chapter from his own lineage: his wadjela (white) female ancestor who married a Noongar man. Under the restrictive state laws of the era, her marriage automatically stripped her of her rights as a white citizen, reclassifying her under Aboriginal legal restrictions and requiring her to apply for an exemption passport, a historic document his family retains to this day.
(L-R) Steven Jacobs In Culture Tours, Wade McColl Baldivis Times, Monique Boucher Hidden DeTours. Photo by Myah Loo, Baldivis Times, 2026.
Walking Forward Together
Experiences like the Moordiboordip Truth-Telling Tour demonstrate the power of local storytelling. By pairing Whadjuk Noongar lore with local history through modern technology, Monique Boucher and Steven Jacobs offer an essential journey for anyone looking to connect deeply with the land beneath their feet.
To learn more about upcoming tour dates or book a group experience, visit Hidden DeTours and In Culture Tours.