Broome Rubibi (Yawuru) | |
|---|---|
 Broome jetty | |
  Broome | |
| Coordinates:17°57′43″S122°14′10″E / 17.96194°S 122.23611°E /-17.96194; 122.23611 | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Western Australia |
| LGA | |
| Location | |
| Established | 1883[1] |
| Government | |
| • State electorate | |
| • Federal division | |
| Elevation | 19 m (62 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 14,660 (2021 census)[3] |
| Time zone | UTC+08:00 (AWST) |
| Postcode | 6725 |
| Mean max temp | 32.3 °C (90.1 °F)[4] |
| Mean min temp | 21.3 °C (70.3 °F)[4] |
| Annual rainfall | 628.0 mm (24.72 in)[4] |
Broome, also known asRubibi by theYawuru people, is a coastalpearling and tourist town in theKimberley region ofWestern Australia, 2,046 km (1,271 mi) north ofPerth. The town recorded a population of 14,660 in the2021 census.[3] It is the largest town in theKimberley region.
Broome is located on Western Australia's tropicalKimberley coast on the eastern edge of theIndian Ocean.
Being situated on a north–south peninsula, Broome has water on both sides of the town. On the eastern shore are the waters of Roebuck Bay extending from the main jetty at Port Drive to Sandy Point, west of Thangoo station. Town Beach is part of the shoreline and is popular with visitors on the eastern end of the town. It is the site of the "Staircase to the Moon", where a receding tide and a rising moon combine to create a natural phenomenon that resembles a staircase reaching for the moon. On "Staircase to the Moon" nights, a food and craft market operates on Town Beach. The phenomenon only occurs in one other location in the world, the Nile River in Egypt.[5]
Roebuck Bay is of international importance for the millions of migratingwaders or shorebirds that use it seasonally on migration through theEast Asian – Australasian Flyway from their breeding grounds in northern Asia. They feed on the extensive intertidalmudflats 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. TheBroome Bird Observatory, sited inpindan woodland close to the northern shore of Roebuck Bay, was established byBirds Australia in 1988, and formally opened in 1990. The purpose of the observatory is to study the birds, learn how to protect them and educate the public about them.
A mixedblack flying fox andlittle red flying fox colony of around 50,000megabats lives all year inmangroves next to Broome township's small Streeter's Jetty. They chatter and socialise loudly before flying out at dusk each evening. The bats are key pollinators and seed dispersers for native trees and plants.
Named for the Java-to-Australia undersea telegraph cable that reaches shore there, Cable Beach is situated 7 km (4.3 mi) from town along a bitumen road. The beach itself is 22.5 km (14.0 mi) long with white sand, washed by tides that can reach over 9 m (30 ft).[6] Located directly east of Cable Beach over the dunes is Minyirr Park, a coastal reserve administered by a collaboration of theShire of Broome and theYawuru people.
Broome is situated on the traditional lands of theYawuru people.[7] In 2006, the Yawuru people were formally recognized as the Native Title holders of their traditional lands and waters, acknowledging their ongoing connection and rights.[8]
Prior to European arrival, the Yawuru people lived a sustainable lifestyle, relying on the abundant resources of their Country. They practiced traditional hunting, gathering, and fishing, utilizing their knowledge of the environment to ensure resource availability.[9]
Extensive trade networks existed among different language groups on the Dampier Peninsula and throughout the Kimberley region, facilitating the exchange of goods and knowledge.[10]
It is often mistakenly thought that the first European to visit Broome wasWilliam Dampier in 1688, but he only visited the north of what was later named theDampier Peninsula. In 1699 he explored the coast from Shark Bay to La Grange Bay, from where he headed north leaving the Australian coast. Many of the coastal features of the area were later named for him. In 1879,Charles Harper proposed the formation of a Government Station at the Roebuck Bay Pastoral and Agricultural Association's site at Cape Villaret, at the south end ofRoebuck Bay, to provide facilities for the extension of the Pearl Shell Fishery, and to form a port and base of operations for intending pastoral and agricultural settlers.[11][12] In 1883,John Forrest chose the site for the town, and it was named afterSir Frederick Broome, theGovernor of Western Australia from 1883 to 1889.[13]
The 1880s saw the commencement of Broome's pearling industry, which initially involved slavery[14] andindentured labour,[15] pearl diving being an occupation reserved for specific ethnic groups, most prominently from Japan and followed by other Asian countries. This led to numerous racially motivated conflicts, most notably the1920 race riots between Japanese and Malay residents, resulting in 8 deaths and at least 60 injuries.[16] The Broome community came to "reflect the hierarchy of the pearling industry, which was based on occupation and ethnicity".[17] White collar occupations and positions of power were exclusively held by Europeans. As a consequence, racial segregation was common in Broome until the 1970s.[17]
In 1889, atelegraphundersea cable was laid from Broome toBanjuwangi,East Java, connecting toEngland. Hence the nameCable Beach given to the landfall site.[13]
In the early part of the 20th century, Aboriginal children from Broome were sent to live at the Beagle Bay mission, north of Broome. Children at Beagle Bay were often sent against their parents' wishes, on account of being "half-caste", and many lost contact with their families. George Walter, who was in charge of the mission described Beagle Bay as "working in the interests of the blacks".[18]
Broome was attacked at least four times during World War II as part of theJapanese air raids on Australia. The worst attack in terms of loss of life was an air raid on 3 March 1942 in which at least 86 people (mostly civilian refugees from theDutch East Indies) were killed, making it the second deadliest Japanese attack on Australia after thebombing of Darwin. Twenty-two aircraft were destroyed, most of them flying boats, the remains of which can still be seen in the harbour at low tide.
Over 200 Japanese residents of Broome, were interned as "enemy aliens" during the war. This included three Aboriginal women married to Japanese residents.[19]
"The Common Gate" is the local term for the fences that defined Broome's town limits. Initially, these barriers were built to prevent livestock from entering the town. However, with the implementation of Western Australia'sAborigines Act of 1905, they became tools of racial segregation, severely restricting Aboriginal people's freedom of movement. Until 1954, Aboriginal people could only enter if they had "lawful employment" and they were locked out of the town from 6pm.[20]
In 1950, Broome was the setting forArthur Upfield's novelThe Widows of Broome, his 12th novel featuring Detective InspectorNapoleon Bonaparte ("Bony").
Until 1967, Broome's outdoor movie theater Sun Pictures was segregated, with prime seating only forwhite people. Malays, Filipinos and First Nations sat on the side or had to stand, and they were required to enter via a separate entrance.[21][22] As late as 1971, Indigenous people were not accepted into restaurants in Broome.[23] Patrons at the Roebuck Hotel and the Continental were segregated, with Aboriginal people drinking at the front bar at the Roebuck Hotel.[24] In later years, the separated Indigenous bar at the Roebuck Hotel was abolished and it is now The Lounge Bar.[25]
Dinosaur footprints dated as EarlyCretaceous in age (approximately 130 million years ago) were discovered 30 m (98 ft) out to sea atGantheaume Point in the 1960s. Thetracks can be seen only during very low tide. In 1996, some of the prints were cut from the ground and stolen, but have since been recovered.[26]
Broome entered into asister city agreement withTaiji,Japan in 1981 as historic ties between the two towns date back to the early 1900s, when Japan became instrumental in laying the groundwork of Broome'spearling industry. The annualdolphin hunt in Taiji was the subject of the 2009 documentaryThe Cove, and sparked a unanimous decision by Broome's council, headed by Graeme Campbell, to end the relationship with Taiji if the dolphin hunt were to continue. The decision was reversed in October 2009.[27]
Lord Alistair McAlpine'sPearl Coast Zoological Gardens was opened in August 1984 to serve the burgeoning tourist industry in the town, as was theMalcolm Douglas Crocodile Park opened that same year.[28] By 1987, tourism started to boom in the town, thanks in part to the bitumen road which had been completed and linked Highway One with Broome and the Kimberley.[29] According to Martin Peirson-Jones, involved with real estate in the 1980s, there was a large shortage of accommodation between Broome and Kununurra, another town which was experiencing arrivals of bus tours for the first time. Land prices also rose exponentially within a short space of time, in reaction to the town's newfound potential, as recounted by Peirson-Jones:
"There were large subdivisions taking place and that led to a change of focus in the town. It was interesting to watch the land auction prices rise from hundreds of dollars to thousands and then tens of thousands, all within the space of a few years. As more people came in they wanted more facilities, better roads and were expecting more. Prior to this nobody worried too much and the expectations were not there."[29]
The Broome community led a campaign to protest against a proposal by Woodside Energy[30] to industrialiseJames Price Point outside Broome with gas refineries.[31] The campaign received ardent support from public figures such asJohn Butler,Missy Higgins,Clare Bowditch, Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly, Xavier Rudd, Shane Howard, Rob Hirst, Pigram Brothers and former leader of the Australian Greens, DrBob Brown. The campaign was one of the biggest in Australian history with many actions leading to arrests including 25 in one day on "Black Tuesday", 5 July 2011[30] when over 100 riot police were sent to Broome to break up a month long blockade. A concert for the campaign was held on 5 October 2012 atFederation Square in Melbourne and was attended by approximately 6,000 people.[32] A long term protest camp operated at James Price Point. One of the campaign points was to protect the significant "dinosaur highway" of dinosaur tracks that are found in the intertidal zone outside Broome. The campaign has since remained a divisive topic amongst locals, with many blaming the "no" decision for the slow economic growth that characterises the region.
FossilisedMegalosauropus broomensis dinosaur footprints dated as earlyCretaceous in age are 30 m (98 ft) out to sea atGantheaume Point. Thefossil trackway can be viewed during very low tide. Plant fossils are preserved extensively in theBroome Sandstone at Gantheaume Point and in coastal exposures further north.[33][34]
The fossil trackways at Broome include possibly the largest knowndinosaur footprints,sauropod tracks upwards of 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) long. It is suspected that the sauropod that made these tracks might have been 7–8 m (23–26 ft) tall at the hip.[35][36]
The town has a history based around the exploits of the men and women who developed the pearling industry, starting with the harvesting of oysters formother of pearl in the 1880s to the large present-daycultured pearl farming enterprises.[37]
At first,Indigenous people, especially women and girls, were forced to dive for pearls by European pearlers, and many died working in the industry. Report of abuses in the early days of pearling led to legislation in 1871 and 1875 regulating native labour and prohibiting the use of women as divers.[17][page needed]
By 1910, Broome was one of the leading producers of pearls globally. At that time, roughly 3,500 of the town's then population of approximately 5,000 worked in the industry. At the beginning ofWorld War I, many of the town's pearlers were requisitioned for the war effort.[38]
Asia-Pacific men, especially Japanese, excelled at pearl diving, with many of them becoming valued citizens in the town. Many Chinese and Japanese traders set up ventures in the town.[38] Indeed, many people with Japanese names thrive in the community. Pearling was a dangerous and sometimes deadly occupation and the town'sJapanese cemetery is the resting place of 919 Japanese divers who lost their lives working in the industry.[17][page needed]
Each year Broome celebrates the fusion of different cultures brought about by the pearling industry in an annual cultural festival called Shinju Matsuri (Japanese for "festival of the pearl").[39]
In 2010, the Shire of Broome and Kimberley commissioned a Memorial to the Indigenous Female Pearl Divers.[40] In April 2019, the skeletons of 14Yawuru andKarajarri people which had been sold by a wealthy Broome pearler to a museum inDresden in 1894 were brought home. The remains, which had been stored in theGrassi Museum of Ethnology inLeipzig, showed signs of head wounds andmalnutrition, a reflection of the poor conditions endured by Aboriginal people forced to work on the pearling boats. As of May 2019[update], the remains are being stored inPerth until facilities have been built to accommodate them in Broome.[41]
According to the2021 census, there were 14,660 people in Broome.[3]
Under theKöppen climate classification, Broome has ahot semi-arid climate (BSh), being a little too dry to be classified as atropical savanna climate (Aw);[42] like most parts of the Australian tropics, it has two seasons: adry season and awet season.[43] The dry season is from April to November with nearly every day clear and maximum temperatures around 30 °C (86 °F). The wet season extends from December to March, with maximum temperatures of around 35 °C (95 °F), with rather erratic tropical downpours and high humidity. Broome's annual rainfall average is 615.1 mm (24.22 in), 75% of which falls from January to March.[44] Broome observes an average of 48.4 days a year that record measurable precipitation.[44] According to the indigenous Yawuru calendar, there are six seasons.[45]
| Name | Month(s) | Translation | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man-gala | December–March | Wet season | Strong winds,monsoon |
| Marrul | April | Let-down from the wet | No wind, high tides, hot |
| Wirralburu | May | Dry season | No rain, hot days, cool nights |
| Barrgana | June–August | Cold season | Some fog, dry winds |
| Wirlburu | September | Warming season | Days and nights getting hotter |
| Laja | October–November | Buildup to the wet season | Hot and humid |
Broome is susceptible totropical cyclones and these, along with the equally unpredictable nature of summer thunderstorms, play a large part in the erratic nature of the rainfall. For instance, in January 1922, Broome Post Office recorded just 2.8 mm (0.11 in) of rainfall[46] while in the same month of 2018, the airport received 945.4 mm (37.22 in).[47]Dewpoint averages 24 °C or 75.2 °F in the wet season, but is as low as 8.4 °C or 47.1 °F in the dry season.[44]
Frost is unknown; however, temperatures during the cooler months have dropped to as low as 3.3 °C (37.9 °F).[44]
The average temperature of the sea ranges from 24.7 °C (76.5 °F) in July and August to 30.2 °C (86.4 °F) in March.[48]
| Climate data forBroome Airport (17°57′S122°14′E / 17.95°S 122.24°E /-17.95; 122.24, 7 m AMSL) (1939–2024 normals & extremes) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 44.1 (111.4) | 42.7 (108.9) | 42.2 (108.0) | 41.1 (106.0) | 38.7 (101.7) | 36.2 (97.2) | 36.0 (96.8) | 40.5 (104.9) | 41.3 (106.3) | 43.4 (110.1) | 44.6 (112.3) | 44.8 (112.6) | 44.8 (112.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.3 (91.9) | 33.0 (91.4) | 34.0 (93.2) | 34.3 (93.7) | 31.7 (89.1) | 29.3 (84.7) | 29.0 (84.2) | 30.4 (86.7) | 31.9 (89.4) | 33.0 (91.4) | 33.7 (92.7) | 33.9 (93.0) | 32.3 (90.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 26.4 (79.5) | 26.1 (79.0) | 25.5 (77.9) | 22.7 (72.9) | 18.3 (64.9) | 15.3 (59.5) | 13.7 (56.7) | 14.9 (58.8) | 18.5 (65.3) | 22.5 (72.5) | 25.3 (77.5) | 26.6 (79.9) | 21.3 (70.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 19.0 (66.2) | 15.2 (59.4) | 16.0 (60.8) | 12.6 (54.7) | 7.7 (45.9) | 5.2 (41.4) | 3.3 (37.9) | 4.8 (40.6) | 8.9 (48.0) | 13.3 (55.9) | 16.6 (61.9) | 17.4 (63.3) | 3.3 (37.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 198.7 (7.82) | 177.8 (7.00) | 98.8 (3.89) | 25.6 (1.01) | 27.0 (1.06) | 18.3 (0.72) | 6.2 (0.24) | 2.1 (0.08) | 1.4 (0.06) | 1.4 (0.06) | 9.6 (0.38) | 63.0 (2.48) | 628.0 (24.72) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.3 | 9.0 | 6.2 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 3.9 | 35 |
| Average afternoonrelative humidity (%) | 65 | 67 | 60 | 45 | 38 | 36 | 33 | 35 | 45 | 54 | 57 | 61 | 50 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.2 (75.6) | 22.9 (73.2) | 17.7 (63.9) | 12.9 (55.2) | 10.0 (50.0) | 8.4 (47.1) | 9.5 (49.1) | 14.4 (57.9) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.5 (70.7) | 23.2 (73.8) | 17.3 (63.2) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 257.3 | 223.2 | 269.7 | 294.0 | 291.4 | 282.0 | 303.8 | 325.5 | 312.0 | 334.8 | 333.0 | 294.5 | 3,521.2 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 63 | 62 | 71 | 84 | 83 | 85 | 88 | 91 | 87 | 86 | 86 | 72 | 80 |
| Source:Bureau of Meteorology (1939–2024 normals & extremes)[4] | |||||||||||||
Broome contains six schools: five government, Broome Primary School, Broome North Primary School in the northern suburb ofBilingurr, Cable Beach Primary School inCable Beach, Roebuck Primary School in the northern suburb ofDjugun, andBroome Senior High School;[49] and St Mary's College, a Catholic K–12 school.
Broome hosts a lawn bowling club[50] and a golf club.[51]
Broome is considered to be among the best places in the world to catchsailfish.[52]
Foursoccer clubs compete in the localBroome Football Association's BLiga competition each dry season. FC Meatworks, Pearlers, Racing G and Broome Town field sides across men's and women's divisions.
The town has fourAustralian rules clubs; Broome Bulls[53] (established 1949), Broome Saints, Broome Towns and Cable Beach all competing in theWest Kimberley District League with games played at Haynes Oval.
Broome is home to theSun Picture Garden, the oldest operating open-air cinema in the world.[54]
Marrugeku is a dance company led by co-artistic directorschoreographer/dancer Dalisa Pigram and director/dramaturg Rachael Swain, who have worked together for 23 years. The company hasIndigenous and non-Indigenous Australians working together to create new dance performances, and works from two bases, one in Broome and the other atCarriageworks inSydney.[55]
Broome has a 35 km bitumen road connecting toHighway 1.
Broome International Airport is the regional air hub of northwestern Western Australia and is considered the tourism gateway to theHorizontal Falls and the wholeKimberley region.[56]
TheBroome Tramway was an industrial tramway used to convey goods between Mangrove Point and the town centre from 1898 until the 1960s.[57]
The town's electricity is provided by 17 gas generators and 9 back-up diesel generators, for a total of 42 MW.[58]
Since 1992 Broome has been home to a local community newspaper, theBroome Advertiser, published each Thursday, part of theSeven West Media group.[59][60] Previously Broome had a Saturday weekly newspaper, published from 1912 to 1930,The Nor-West Echo, the successor to theBroome Chronicle and Nor'West Advertiser (1908–1912).[61]
ABC Kimberley, a part of theABC Local Radio network, broadcasts from studios on Hamersley St in Broome.
Locally, television stations available includeSeven (formerlyGWN7),WIN9,WDT10,ABC,SBS andGoolarri Media's Goolarri Television.[62][63][64] Seven Regional WA broadcasts a half-hour local news program for regional WA,Seven News, at 5:30pm weeknights; Seven Regional WA has a district newsroom covering Broome and surrounding areas based in the town.[citation needed]
The Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park is located about 16 kilometres (10 mi) from Broome.[65] It was established in 1983 by the wildlife documentary makerMalcolm Douglas, and holds 30 adult crocodiles that have been captured in the wild after threatening humans. The park is home to Fatso, a saltwater crocodile who on 12 July 2010 bit a Melbourne man, Michael Newman, who climbed into his enclosure.[66]
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
Broome travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
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