On from Broome, with an over night stay in another of the Main Roads free camps, and here we are in Derby. the oldest town in the Kimberley's. Steeped in history, its a town of around 5,000 people, and services the outlying areas.
Derby developed slowly as a small town serving local tenacious
pastoralists who settled in the area despite the isolation and harsh
conditions.
In 1880, sheep stations were built nearby at Yeeda and a landing port was built. The massive 11 metres 36 feet tides, rips and scattered islands of the Dampier Archipelago made a port necessary for the development of the West Kimberley outback.
In 1885, a jetty was constructed to service the growing pastoral areas and the thousands that flocked to Western Australia for the gold rush. Troubles broke out between the European settlers and local aborigines, violence and hostility racked the towns development.
In 1880, sheep stations were built nearby at Yeeda and a landing port was built. The massive 11 metres 36 feet tides, rips and scattered islands of the Dampier Archipelago made a port necessary for the development of the West Kimberley outback.
In 1885, a jetty was constructed to service the growing pastoral areas and the thousands that flocked to Western Australia for the gold rush. Troubles broke out between the European settlers and local aborigines, violence and hostility racked the towns development.
Derby was the
western base in the 1960s and 1970s as the Gibb River Road was built for
the station owners in the outback to carry their beef from the remote
outback stations to abattoirs at either Derby or Broome in the West
Kimberley, or the Wyndham in the East Kimberley.
At Circular Wharf, the Derby jetty area, according if the tide is in or
out, you can either walk a jetty on huge stilts, high above the mud
flats and the saltwater crocodiles or be close to the brown and
dangerously rapid waters stirred up by Australias biggest tides as the
massive 11 metres tides rush in.
The port was actually closed by Derbys Department of Marine and Harbours in 1983. Remains of the original livestock loading facility can be seen right next to the jetty.
Today, beef is Derbys primary industry and oil is mined at nearby Blini. Derby holds its Boab Festival in July and is the Western Gateway to the rugged Gibb River Road through the Kimberley.
The port was actually closed by Derbys Department of Marine and Harbours in 1983. Remains of the original livestock loading facility can be seen right next to the jetty.
Today, beef is Derbys primary industry and oil is mined at nearby Blini. Derby holds its Boab Festival in July and is the Western Gateway to the rugged Gibb River Road through the Kimberley.
The Boab Prison Tree
In 1912, close by to the Derby Prison Tree, a man called Myall
originally sank a bore - Myalls Bore - to a depth of 322m. The water
from Myalls Bore was used to fill a 120m-long, 4.2m-wide cattle trough
known to be the longest in the southern hemisphere. Many, many thousands
of cattle would have drunk from that trough in the days when cattle was
king of the Kimberley.
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| Boab Prison Tree |
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| Termite Mound and Barry |
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| The Water Trough |
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| Azure Kingfisher |
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| The Dinner Tree |
So short of being the gateway to Windjana Gorge, and Tunnel Creek, that is Derby. Booked on the Gorge tour for tomorrow and then we will be heading on towards Fitzroy Crossing, Geike Gorge and the Bungle Bungles, Halls Creek and up towards Kununara.
Really looking forward to this next part of our journey - a photographers paradise, and will be so good. We come back over this way again, it will be with a totally off road set up, so that we can really get into the nitty gritty of this amazing part of Australia.
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