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Broome, WA



Chinatown, Broome


Carnarvon Street, Broome


Japanese Cemetery


Roebuck Bay


Cape Leveque


Geikie Gorge


Dinosaur footprints, Ganthaeume Point


Staircase of the Moon

Broome is an isolated old pearling town that in recent years has blossomed as a must-vvisit tourist destination, not only because it is the gateway to the Kimberley region in the far north of Western Australia, but also because of its many unique features.

Where is it?: Western Australia: Kimberley. Broome is situated 2,100 km north of Perth via Great Northern Highway.

Things to see and do:

At Gantheaume Point and 30 metres out to sea are dinosaur footprints believed to be from the Cretaceous Age approximately 130 million years ago. The tracks can be seen during very low tide.

Roebuck Bay, adjacent to Broome, is of international importance for the millions of migratory waders or shorebirds that use it seasonally on migration through the East Asian - Australasian Flyway from their breeding grounds in northern Asia. They feed on the extensive intertidal mudflats and roost at high tide on the red sand beaches of the Bay. They can be seen in the largest numbers in summer, but many of the younger birds remain throughout the first and second years of their lives.

Events:

  • Broome Courthouse Markets, every Sunday April to October
  • Staircase of the Moon viewing (see calendar)
  • August: Broome Cup
  • August: Opera Under The Stars
  • September: Shinju Matsuri Festival
  • November: Mango Festival

Surrounding area:

Beyond Broome, to the north, is Dampier Archipelago and Cape Leveque. The unique unspoilt coastline is painted in colours so stark and vivid, one could be excused for believing that photo taken here have been touched up.
To the east of Broome is the town of Derby, and inland, such well known natural features as Tunnel Creek, Geike Gorge and Windjana Gorge.


About Broome

Broome is situated at the southern end of the Kimberley Region of Western Australia, one of the world's true last frontiers. From a dramatic coastline of islands, cliffs and sandy beaches facing the Indian Ocean on which Broome is situated, this vast region stretches to north to the Timor Sea and west to the Australian outback, across gorges, escarpments, vast open plains, river valleys and cave systems to the arid Great Sandy Desert in the south and the Northern Territory in the east. The ancient Kimberley landscape is punctuated with astonishing gorges and waterfalls, spectacular cave systems, lush rainforest patches and abundant wildlife. It is like nowhere else on Earth.
For anyone planning to explore the Kimberley region, Broome is the obvious starting point. For those will less time or money who would still like a taste of what The Kimberley has to offer, Broome is also the place to go. The natural features found around Broome are nothing short of spectacular.

History: The Broome area was visited by European William Dampier in 1688 and again in 1699. Many of the coastal features of the area are named by him. In 1879, Charles Harper suggested that the pearling industry could be served by a port closer to the pearling grounds, and that Roebuck Bay would be suitable. In 1883, John Forrest selected the site for the town, and it was named after the Governor of Western Australia, Sir Frederick Broome. In 1889, a telegraph undersea cable was laid from Broome to Singapore, connecting to England. Hence the name Cable Beach given to the landfall site.
The town has an interesting history based around the exploits of the men and women who developed the pearling industry, starting with the harvesting of oysters for mother of pearl in the 1880s to the current major cultured pearl farming enterprises. The riches from the pearl beds did not come cheap, and the town's Japanese cemetery is the resting place of more than 900 Japanese divers who lost their lives working in the industry. Many were lost at sea and the exact number of deaths is unknown.
The Japanese were only one of the major ethnic groups who flocked to Broome to work on the luggers or the shore based activities supporting the harvesting of oysters from the waters around Broome. They were specialist divers and, despite political pressure to expel them in support of the White Australia Policy, became an indispensable part of the industry until World War II. Broome was attacked by Japanese aircraft on 3rd March 1942. The air raid killed at least 88 people. Following the end of the war in 1945, the town and its pearling industry gradually recovered from the disruptions of wartime.
The West Australian mining boom of the 1960s, as well as the growth of the tourism industry, also helped Broome develop and diversify; Broome is one of the fastest growing parts of Australia.

Climate: Being in the tropics, Broome has two seasons. The dry season is from May to November with nearly every day clear; wind and humidity increase in October and November. The wet season extends from December to March and has hot and humid weather with tropical downpours. The early pearl masters used to send their families to Perth to escape the wet season and beached their luggers to avoid the tropical cyclones that occasionally visit during the wet.

Broome International Airport provides transport to several regional and domestic towns and cities.


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Broome Western Australia
Broome Australia

Where Is It?: Western Australia: Kimberley