About the Kimberley
The Kimberley region covers an area of approximately 423,000 square kilometres in the north of Western Australia. Its almost twice the size of the State of Victoria, and three times the size of the United Kingdom.
The Kimberley includes the Shires of Broome, Derby-West Kimberley, Wyndham-East Kimberley and Halls Creek. It is the states most northern region and is strategically located on the southern margins of South East Asia. The coastline meets the Indian Ocean to the west and the Timor Sea to the north. It is bordered by the Pilbara region to the south and the Northern Territory to the east.
To put some of the major towns in perspective; Broome is over 2,200 kilometres north of Perth, reached by a two and a half hour flight. Kununurra is 830km south west of Darwin, which is an hour's flight away. Characterised by its distinct wet and dry seasons, the Kimberley experiences a subtropical climate.
History & Local Economy
Following millenia of inhabitation by Aboriginal people, colonial exploration and mapping of the Kimberley coast began around 1823. This eventually opened up the vast and isolated region to modern development. The towns of Broome and Derby were proclaimed in 1883.
The pearl industry in Broome quickly became the largest in the world and gold discoveries in Halls Creek in 1885 led to the arrival of thousands of prospectors, although the boom was short lived. Industries established one hundred years ago are still operating, yet the region remains mostly underdeveloped. The pastoral, pearling, agricultural and mining activities have not led to the creation of significant secondary industries but population growth remains steady. Environmental sustainability needs to be addressed now to ensure intelligent, integrated and sensitive expansion into the future and to support an economic and socially sustainable future for the Kimberley.
The Kimberley region is almost twice the size of the state of Victoria, and three times the size of the United Kingdom.
Download Part 1 of the Kimberley Vernacular for general information on the analyses of critical climatic and environmental elements that should be considered for future built-form and can be applied in general to all areas within Kimberley.
