Gibb River Road

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Kimberley region map
Road train on the Gibb River Road
Stretch of the Gibb River Road

The Gibb River Road is a road in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Description

The road is a former cattle route that stretches in an east–west direction almost 660 kilometres (410 mi) through the Kimberley between the towns of Derby and the Kununurra and Wyndham junction of the Great Northern Highway.[1] Like its namesake river, which does not actually cross the road but runs nearby at 16°06.108′S 126°31.075′E / 16.101800°S 126.517917°E / -16.101800; 126.517917,[2] it is named after geologist and explorer Andrew Gibb Maitland. The Gibb River Road is one of the two major roads which dissect the Kimberley region—the other being the extreme northern section of Great Northern Highway which runs further to the south.

The road is often closed due to

4WD
vehicles are still recommended due to the water crossings and numerous heavily corrugated sections.

Map
Sign
Sign

The Gibb River Road has scenic views of geological formations and natural scenery,

Charnley River Station
.

History

From 1948, an

Commonwealth Government grant to build a road was given in 1949 and the following year construction of a road to Derby commenced, one of a number of roads built as part of the so-called "Beef Roads Scheme". This southern section, which is sometimes referred to as the Derby-Gibb River Road, was completed in 1956 at a cost of £713,677 and was used for trucking live cattle.[5]

The northern section of the road was under the control of the Shire of Wyndham–East Kimberley until 1996 when Main Roads Western Australia took over control and upgraded the full length of the highway.[6]

Native title

A joint

litigation on 27 August 2004.[8][9][10]

See also

Australian Roads portal

Footnotes

  1. cultural bloc
    known as Wanjina Wunggur. Worrorra is the name of the people, Dambimangari their land; the land of the Wunambal Gaambera people is known as Uunguu; and that of the Ngarinyin is Wilinggin.

References

  1. ISBN 978-1-86500-456-3
    .
  2. ^ Bonzle map showing Gibb River
  3. ^ "Road opening delay frustrates locals - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 27 April 2008.
  4. ^ "Stock route cuts a picturesque trail : thewest.com.au". The West Australian. Retrieved 27 April 2008. [dead link]
  5. ^ "History of Western Australia's Highways And Main Roads WA - the organisation that built them". OZROADS: Australian Roads Website. Retrieved 16 February 2009.[self-published source]
  6. ^ "The Gibb River Road". westernxposure.com.au. Archived from the original on 31 December 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  7. ^ "Wanjina-Wunggurr (Native Title) Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC". Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Copy of Native Title Map". Kimberley Land Council. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  9. ^ "WCD2004/001 - Wanjina - Wunggurr Wilinggin Native Title Determination No 1". National Native Title Tribunal. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Wanjina/Wunggurr-Wilinggin (WC1999/011)". National Native Title Tribunal. Retrieved 9 November 2020.

Further reading

External links
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