Kimberley (Western Australia)
Kimberley Western Australia | ||
---|---|---|
Population | 34,364 ( Federal division(s) Durack | |
The Kimberley is the northernmost of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami deserts in the region of the Pilbara, and on the east by the Northern Territory.
The region was named in 1879 by government surveyor Alexander Forrest after Secretary of State for the Colonies John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley.[1]
History
The Kimberley was one of the earliest settled parts of Australia, with the first humans landing about 65,000 years ago.[2] They created a complex culture that developed over thousands of years. Yam (Dioscorea hastifolia) agriculture was developed,[3] and rock art suggests that this was where some of the earliest boomerangs were invented.[4] The worship of Wandjina deities was most common in this region, and a complex theology dealing with the transmigration of souls was part of the local people's religious philosophy.[5]
During the 18th century,
In 1837, with expedition support from the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain, Lieutenants George Grey and Franklin Lushington and 12 men sailed on the schooner Lynher from Cape Town, South Africa. They reached Hanover Bay on 2 December 1837. The exploring party started inland on 19 January 1838. Leaders and men were totally inexperienced, their progress was delayed by flooded country, and they abandoned many stores along the way. The party was constantly split up although they had to contend with large numbers of hostile Aboriginals. On 11 February, Grey was speared and became critically ill but, after two weeks, continued the exploration. The party found and named the Gairdner River, the Glenelg River, the Stephen and Whately ranges and Mount Lyell before returning to Hanover Bay in April. There they were picked up by HMS Beagle and Lynher and taken to Mauritius to recuperate.[7][8]
In 1879, Western Australian government surveyor
In 1881, Philip Saunders and Adam Johns, in the face of great difficulties and dangers, found gold in various parts of the Kimberley. Early in 1881, the first five graziers, who called themselves the Murray Squatting Company, took up 49,000 hectares (120,000 acres) behind Beagle Bay and named it Yeeda Station.[9] In 1883 they were the first men to shear sheep in the southern Kimberley. Additional Anglo-European settlement occurred in 1885, when ranchers drove cattle across Australia from the eastern states in search of good pasture lands. After gold was discovered around Halls Creek, many other erstwhile European miners arrived rapidly.
In the 1890s, the area was the site of an armed insurrection of indigenous people led by Jandamarra, a Bunuba warrior.[11]
During
Demographics
The 2011 estimated permanent population of The Kimberley was 34,794 but it rises dramatically during winter when it attracts a seasonal population. On Census night in 2011 (9 August), it was 50,113. The population is fairly evenly distributed, with only three towns having populations in excess of 2,000:
Urban centres and localities
Rank | UCL | LGA | Population | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 census
|
Ref. | 2006 census
|
Ref. | 2011 census
|
Ref. | 2016 census | Ref. | 2021 census | Ref. | |||
1 | Broome | Broome | 15,242 | [1] | 11,547 | [2] | 12,766 | [3] | 13,984 | [4] | 14,660 | [5] |
2 | Kununurra | Wyndham–East Kimberley | 5,219 | [6] | 3,748 | [7] | 4,573 | [8] | 4,341 | [9] | 4,515 | [10] |
3 | Derby | Derby–West Kimberley | 3,662 | [11] | 3,093 | [12] | 3,261 | [13] | 3,325 | [14] | 3,009 | [15] |
4 | Halls Creek | Halls Creek | 1,264 | [16] | 1,211 | [17] | 1,443 | [18] | 1,546 | [19] | 1,605 | [20] |
5 | Fitzroy Crossing | Derby–West Kimberley | 1,450 | [21] | 928 | [22] | 1,144 | [23] | 1,141 | [24] | 1,022 | [25] |
6 | Wyndham | Wyndham–East Kimberley | 784 | [26] | 669 | [27] | 787 | [28] | 604 | [29] | 745 | [30] |
7 | Bidyadanga (La Grange) |
Broome | 510 | [31] | 425 | [32] | 595 | [33] | 617 | [34] | 593 | [35] |
8 | Balgo | Halls Creek | 456 | [36] | 460 | [37] | 508 | [38] | 359 | [39] | 472 | [40] |
9 | Warmun |
Halls Creek | 315 | [41] | 210 | [42] | 297 | [43] | 366 | [44] | 457 | [45] |
10 | Yungngora |
Derby–West Kimberley | 245 | [46] | 288 | [47] | 283 | [48] | 409 | [49] | 434 | [50] |
11 | Looma |
Derby–West Kimberley | 285 | [51] | 393 | [52] | 374 | [53] | 531 | [54] | 412 | [55] |
12 | Kalumburu |
Wyndham–East Kimberley | 335 | [56] | 413 | [57] | 467 | [58] | 412 | [59] | 388 | [60] |
13 | Bardi (One Arm Point) |
Broome | 310 | [61] | 214 | [62] | 334 | [63] | 365 | [64] | 325 | [65] |
14 | Bayulu | Derby–West Kimberley | 253 | [66] | 259 | [67] | 320 | [68] | 322 | [69] | 308 | [70] |
15 | Beagle Bay |
Broome | 293 | [71] | 199 | [72] | 285 | [73] | 348 | [74] | 307 | [75] |
16 | Lombadina |
Broome | — | — | 245 | [76] | 395 | [77] | 253 | [78] | ||
17 | Wangkatjungka | Derby–West Kimberley | — | — | — | 254 | [79] | 231 | [80] | |||
18 | Mindibungu |
Halls Creek | 215 | [81] | 144 | [82] | 257 | [83] | 150 | [84] | 202 | [85] |
Indigenous languages
The Kimberley has been noted as a region of great linguistic diversity, rivalled in Australia only by the
- Nyulnyulan languages, including languages spoken on the Dampier Peninsula and along the Fitzroy River
- Bunuban languages, including languages spoken in the Fitzroy River Basin
- Worrorran languages, including languages spoken in the northern Kimberley, north of King Sound, up to Wyndham
- Kununurra.
Pama-Nyungan languages spoken in and around the Kimberley region include the
Presently, many indigenous languages are no longer spoken on a daily basis. In addition to
Politics
At the federal level, the Kimberley is represented by the member for Durack. At state level, the Kimberley electorate takes in all of the region and its towns.
The Kimberley region consists of the
Art
Rock art in the Kimberley is some of the oldest in Australia and could date back 40,000 years.[16] The best known examples of rock art from the Kimberley are Wandjina and Gwion Gwion. The earliest form of Kimberley rock art was hand stencils,[17] and rock art continued up to the 1960s when Wandjina were still being repainted.[18]
Some of Australia's best known indigenous artists came from the Kimberley. These artists painted in a style unique to this area, a style initially associated with the Krill Krill ceremony but later known as the Kimberley Art Movement.[19] These artists include Rover Thomas, Jaminji Paddy Bedford and Queenie McKenzie.
Art and culture still flourishes today, with many contemporary artists being supported by the Mowanjum Aboriginal Arts and Cultural centre.
Geography
The Kimberley is an area of 423,517 square kilometres (163,521 sq mi), which is about three times the size of
The Kimberley consists of the ancient, steep-sided mountain ranges of northwestern Australia cut through with sandstone and limestone gorges and steep ridges, from which the extreme monsoonal climate has removed much of the soil. The southern end of the Kimberley beyond the Dampier Peninsula is flatter with dry tropical grassland and is used for cattle ranching. In parts of the Kimberley, such as the valleys of the Ord and Fitzroy Rivers in the south, the soils are relatively usable cracking clays, whilst elsewhere they are lateritic Orthents. Although none of the mountains reach even 1,000 metres (3,281 ft), there is so much steep land as to make much of the region difficult to traverse, especially during the wet season, when even sealed roads are often flooded. The coast is typically steep cliffs in the north but flatter in the south, all subject to high tides.
Climate
The Kimberley has a
The Kimberley is one of the hottest parts of Australia, with the average annual mean temperature around 27 °C (81 °F), and with mean maximum temperatures almost always above 30 °C (86 °F), even in July. The hottest part of the year is November before the rains break, when temperatures frequently reach above 37 °C (99 °F) on the coast and well over 40 °C (104 °F) inland. Mean minimum temperatures in July range from around 12 °C (54 °F) in the south to 16 °C (61 °F) along the coast, whilst in November and December they are generally around 26 °C (79 °F).[21] Record high temperatures range from around 47 to 48 °C (117 to 118 °F), while record lows are around 2 to 3 °C (36 to 37 °F), although some parts of the central Kimberly plateau can drop below 0 °C (32 °F) during the dry season.
The Aboriginal people of the Kimberley recognise six traditional seasons based on meteorological events, as well as on observations of flora and fauna.[22]
Geology
During the
This area is also known as the Kimberley Block physiographic province, of which it is part of the larger
physiographic sections.Coastline
In Bureau of Meteorology weather reports the "North Kimberley Coast" is the WA border to Kuri Bay section of the coast, while the "West Kimberley Coast" is from Kuri Bay to Wallal Downs. Significant sections of the coastline between Broome and Wyndham have no means of road access, and boat or helicopter are the only means. Due to the isolation, a number of tourist operations on the coastline have been called "wilderness" locations.
Ecology
The rugged and varied sandstone landscape is home to a distinctive mixture of wildlife, which has been thoroughly mapped and described by the Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management.[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] There are habitats similar to the Kimberley across the border in the Northern Territory, including the valleys of the Victoria and Daly Rivers but these have been less carefully studied.[35][36]
Flora
Much of the Kimberley is chiefly covered in open
Flora regions
In 1979, Beard identified four phytogeographic districts within the Northern Botanical Province:[38]
- Gardner District (Ga) in the north (and further divided into the West Gardner (WGa), Central Gardner (CGa) and East Gardner (EGa))
- Fitzgerald District (Fi) in the centre
- Dampier (Da) and Hall (Ha) Districts in the south
Fauna
Animals found here include the huge
A species of endemic gecko, Gehyra kimberleyi, is named after the Kimberley region.[39]
The gorges of central Kimberley are known for their
Threats and preservation
Little of the Kimberley has been subject to wholesale clearance other than particularly fertile parts of the Ord Valley (and areas of Kimberley-type habitat across in the Daly River basin in the Northern Territory) but the pastureland in the southern areas has been affected by 100 years of livestock grazing and other threats including introduced weeds (such as
The largest protected areas are the
The Kimberley is a popular tourist destination, with areas such as the
Other parks in the region include
Visitors to the area should be aware that the area can be subject to controlled burns at any time of year. In September 2011, a fire burned five people, two severely, who had been competing in the Kimberley Ultramarathon, an endurance cross country footrace.[41]
Save the Kimberley campaign
On 5 October 2012, a concert was held at Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia, to raise awareness of the campaign; the protest event attracted approximately 6,000 people.
On 24 February 2013, an estimated 20,000 people gathered for a charity concert[42] in Fremantle, Western Australia to raise awareness and funds to help protect the Kimberley, with performances from Ball Park Music, Missy Higgins, and John Butler.
Economy
The Kimberley region has a diverse regional economy. Mining, construction, tourism, retail, agriculture, and pearling are major contributors to the region's economic output.[43]
The town of
One third of the world's annual production of
Traditionally, the economy depended on pastoral leases, with most of the region covered by the leases.
More recently agriculture has been focused on the Ord River Irrigation Area near Kununurra. Irrigation was also trialled in the West Kimberley by way of the now defunct Camballin Irrigation Scheme. There are also fruit growers in Broome and in other areas in the West Kimberley. Beef cattle are grown in the Kimberley and exported live. Wyndham features the last remaining meatworks in the Kimberley - there were formerly works at Broome and Derby but financial constraints have caused these to be closed.
Some of Australia's most prominent indigenous artists and art centres are in or adjacent to the Kimberley region. Artists such as Paddy Bedford and Freddie Timms have an international profile, and there are a number of Aboriginal-owned and controlled art centres and companies that assist artists, arrange exhibitions and sell works. The art centres in the region are also organized through the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists. Issues have been raised regarding the exploitation of indigenous artists by businesses and individuals, including in the Kimberley, which were canvassed in an Australian Senate parliamentary committee report.
Tourism is expected to remain one of the Kimberley region's major growth industries. Averaged across 2010, 2011, and 2012, there were 292,600 domestic and international visitors to the Kimberley annually.[43]
See also
- List of pastoral leases in Western Australia
- Kimberley-Perth Canal
- Kimberley Plan
References
- ^ "Legislative Council". The West Australian. Perth, WA. 31 August 1880. p. 1. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- S2CID 142776859. Archived from the originalon 17 February 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-74237-748-3.
- ^ "Kimberley rock art could be among oldest in the world". ABC News AU. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "Ungarinyin Religion | Encyclopedia.com".
- ^ "Plate LXXXVII. Fig. 2. World.", Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol. II (1st ed.), Edinburgh: Colin Macfarquhar, 1771.
- ^ Grey, George (1841). Journals of two expeditions of discovery in North-West and Western Australia, during the years 1837, 38, and 39, describing many newly discovered, important, and fertile districts, with observations on the moral and physical condition of the aboriginal inhabitants, etc. etc. Vol. 1. London: T. and W. Boone. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ Grey, Sir George (1812–1898). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Archived from the original on 18 September 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
{{cite book}}
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ignored (help) - ^ a b The Australian Encyclopaedia, Vol. V, The Grolier Society, Sydney
- ISBN 9780522861310. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- ISBN 1-875641-60-2.
- ^ Frei (1991), pg 173–174.
- ^ "High Census Night Ratios, Western Australia". Perspectives on Regional Australia: Comparing Census Night and Usual Resident Populations in Local Government Areas, 2011. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 16 September 2013. Archived from the original on 15 August 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ "Kimberley - All people - usual residents". 2011 Census QuickStats. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 16 September 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-415-30808-3
- OCLC 795867696.
- ^ "Kimberley Rock art | Kimberley Art | Kimberley cace painting". Aboriginal Bark Paintings. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
- ^ "Alec Mingelmanganu wandjina | wondjina | sell Alec Mingelmanganu". Aboriginal Bark Paintings. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
- OCLC 29776440.
- hdl:2027.42/94749
- ^ Bureau of Meteorology (Australia) http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/temperature/index.jsp?maptype=1&period=an
- ^ "Yawuru calendar". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation (2007). "The Devonian 'Great Barrier Reef'". Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2007.
- ^ Miles, J. M., and A. A. Burbidge. editors. 1975. A biological survey of the Prince Regent River reserve, north-west Kimberley, Western Australia. Wildlife Research Bulletin no. 3. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Perth
- ^ Kabay, E. D., and A. A. Burbidge. editors. 1977. A biological survey of the Drysdale River National Park, north Kimberley, Western Australia. Wildlife Research Bulletin no. 6. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Perth.
- ^ Burbidge, A. A., and N. L. McKenzie. editors. 1978. The islands of the north-west Kimberley, Western Australia. Wildlife Research Bulletin no. 7. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Perth
- ^ McKenzie, N.L. editor. 1981a. Wildlife of the Edgar Ranges area, south-west Kimberley, Western Australia. Wildlife Research Bulletin no. 10. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Perth
- ^ McKenzie, N.L. editor. 1981b. Mammals of the Phanerozoic South-west Kimberley, Western Australia: biogeography and recent changes. Journal of Biogeography 8: 263–280.
- ^ McKenzie, N.L. editor. 1983. Wildlife of the Dampier Peninsula, south-west Kimberley, Western Australia. Wildlife Research Bulletin no. 11. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Perth.
- ^ Western Australian Museum. 1981. Biological survey of Mitchell Plateau and Admiralty Gulf, Kimberley, Western Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth
- ^ Burbidge, A. A., N. L. McKenzie, and K.F. Kenneally. 1991. Nature conservation reserves in the Kimberley, Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Perth.
- ^ McKenzie, N. L., R. B. Johnston, and P. G. Kendrick. editors. 1991. Kimberley rainforests of Australia. Surrey Beatty & Sons, Sydney.
- ^ Wheeler, J.R. editor. 1992. Flora of the Kimberley region. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Perth.
- ^ Kenneally, K. F., D. C. Edinger, and T. Willing 1996. Broome and beyond. Plants and people of the Dampier Peninsula, Kimberley, Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Perth.
- ^ Price, O., D. Milne, G. Connors, B. Harwood, J. Woinarski, and M. Butler. 2001. A conservation plan for the Daly Basin bioregion. Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, Darwin.
- ^ "Kimberly tropical savanna". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- ISBN 978-0-7309-5221-3
- ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Kimberley", p. 141).
- ^ Lane, J., R. Jaensch, and R. Lynch. 1996. Western Australia. Pages 759-943 in A directory of important wetlands in Australia. Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Canberra, Australia.
- ^ "Inquiry into the 2011 Kimberley Ultramarathon". Economics and Industry Standing Committee, Western Australian Legislative Assembly. August 2012. Report No. 13. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ^ "Music Icons Unite Over JPP Fight - Save The Kimberley". www.savethekimberley.com. Archived from the original on 23 March 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Economic Activity". Kimberley Development Commission. Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- General
- Frei, Henry P. (1991). Japan's Southward Advance and Australia. From the Sixteenth Century to World War II. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 0-522-84392-1.