Walter McGuire
Class of 1981
Class of 1981
Noongar Elder & Cultural Tourism Award Winner
Walter was born in Noongar-Ballardong country, and is a Traditional Owner of Noongar (or Bibbulmun) Boodjar which includes the Whadjuk lands on which Perth City stands.
Born in the small town of Beverley, Walter grew up, 3rd eldest of 6 siblings, in and around Kellerberrin, going to school, hunting kangaroos, and labouring on the farms and railways with his father on school holidays. He rode his racing bike everywhere, played football, was Captain of his regional and school football teams and Champion Athlete at Kellerberrin District High School
before the family moved to Perth.
Walter was born and raised away from his ancestral Whadjuk lands as a result of Australian government policies which had been determining and impacting the lives of Australian Aboriginal People for generations. By the late-1970s, Walter's parents, thought it safe to move the family closer to the river and coast of Perth considering it would provide more work and higher educational opportunities for their young family.
Walter started at Mount Lawley as a Year 10 in 1979, graduating Year 12 in 1981. He was a popular student during his time at the school, excelling in sports, particularly football. He was also Champion Boy at the athletics Carnival in both Year 11 and 12. In his final year, Walter was voted in as Head Boy of the School by his peers but never realised this opportunity when the students' vote was overruled.
Walter's first few jobs after leaving school were in the public service, and over the next few decades, he worked across Indigenous health, housing, education and justice in a variety of government and nongovernment programs in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. He met and married his wife Meg, a Government Librarian at the time, in 1988. As a Dad, Walter modelled love, respect and character to his two daughters, Lucy and Ilona,
both strong, successful women who now excel in their respective fields of endeavour.
In 1995, Walter joined Curtin University as a mature age student to study a Bachelor of Applied Science (Aboriginal Community Management & Development), graduating in 1998, working remotely in a fulltime managerial role as he completed his studies.
In 2015 he returned to his studies, completing a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and launched 'Go Cultural Aboriginal Tours and Experiences' with Meg as a full time proposition in April of 2016.
As principal guide and traditional owner of the Perth region, Walter tells the 'First Story' of Perth through his world-class authentic cultural walking tours and experiences, Welcome to Country ceremonies and cultural activities and events. Since running his own business, Walter has shared stories and culture with thousands of local, interstate and international visitors to Perth City and Wadjemup (Rottnest Island). His tour customers range from local school kids to international VIPs. Meg says that, "Wal has a big heart and a lot of time for people…".
As a business, Go Cultural has been a huge success, receiving Gold at the Australian Tourism Awards in 2018, Silver in 2019, and Bronze in 2021. Three Golds at the WA Tourism Awards in 2018, 2019 and 2021, saw the business inducted into the WA Tourism Hall of Fame. In 2023, Walter was awarded the Individual Excellence in Aboriginal Tourism Award, with the judges describing him as "a passionate and driven ambassador for cultural tourism in WA, who also supports up and coming businesses in the industry".
Looking back on his achievements, it is clear that Walter has always been a leader, and realised many of his childhood dreams as he matured, despite the many challenges faced by him, and his family, amidst the socio-political
landscape of his adolescence - the 1970s and 80s.
After reconnecting with the school, Walter describes Mount Lawley as, "thankfully, an inclusive, welcoming community, that has come a long way from the past".