PO Box 94
Derby WA 6728

Phone: (08) 9191 0999
Fax: (08) 9191 0998

sdwk@sdwk.wa.gov.au

Our Community

An Overview

The Shire of Derby/West Kimberley originated as the West Kimberley Road Board in 1884, in 1961 the name was changed to the Shire of West Kimberley and a further name change occurred in 1983 to the current name of the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley.

The Derby town site was declared under the Land Act on 27th November, 1883 and was occupied by a Government Resident and a police detachment. Several stations existed by this time and Yeeda’s wool awaiting shipment was swept away by a tidal wave resulting from the Krakatoa volcanic explosion in Indonesia.

The town was named after Edward Henry Stanley, Lord Derby (1826-1893), Secretary of State for Colonies 1882-1885.

The Shire of Derby/West Kimberley covers a vast area of 118,560 square kilometres and is located more than 2,300 kilometres north of Perth. In our Shire there are numerous Aboriginal communities and two main towns – Derby and Fitzroy Crossing being the main population centres.

Derby is the major centre of the Shire and this is where the main administrative centre is located.

The Shire of Derby/West Kimberley offers its residents a unique and unparalleled way of life. On our doorstep are some truly stunning and untouched wilderness like the famed Buccaneer Archipelago, National Parks and gorges, the mighty Fitzroy River and the Gibb River Road. These pristine environments offer us the opportunity to get out camping, fishing and fourwheel driving and many are just, an hour away.

Derby remains a supply point for an important part of the Kimberley's pastoral, mining, oil and tourist industries and is the western terminus of the scenic Gibb River Road, which traverses some of the Kimberley's most spectacular cliff, river and gorge country.

The port once important for sheep and cattle exports is now a key facility designed for the export of zinc and lead from the mines of nearby Fitzroy Crossing. The Derby wharf provides an excellent vantage point from which to fish, catch mud-crabs or view the amazing tides and abundant bird life.

The area now known as the Shire of Derby / West Kimberley has a diverse Indigenous Australian heritage. Across this area a large number of language and cultural groups have a long history that predates European contact.

Generally, across this area the cultures and traditions of the desert and Kimberley meet. Traditionally, prior to contact, Aboriginal people from the Worowa, Bardi, Jawi, Ngarinyin, Nyikina, Mangala, Unggumi, Bunuba, Walmajarri and Gooniyandi groups (among others) would interact for law and ceremonial business.

The movement of people from traditional lands and lifestyles began with the influence of missionaries, the establishment of pastoral enterprises, government ration stations and later the establishment of facilities such as the leprosarium outside of Derby.

It was after the Pastoral Wage decision in 1968 that the movement to towns like Derby and Fitzroy Crossing accelerated with people no longer being able to stay on pastoral stations.

The Shire of Derby / West Kimberley provides a number of services to remote Indigenous communities including an award winning Environmental Health program, service delivery agreements for two major communities and is leading efforts to establish partnerships in the post Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission environment that will continue to improve the way that contracts for road maintenance and in the future other municipal services are delivered.

The Shire of Derby / West Kimberley is one of the first local government authorities in Western Australia to progress towards an Indigenous Land Use Agreement with the Nyikina / Mangala peoples, which will recognise them as the native title owners for a specific area of the Shire and committing to a process of involvement and consultation for future works. The ILUA is expected to be signed in 2005/2006.

This relationship is not without challenges with increases in service delivery to Indigenous Communities a growth area. However, commensurate increases in resources from other government agencies are not always provided.

As town based Indigenous Reserves seek to standardise municipal services such as roads, street lighting, power and water supply the same issue must be over come.

The Shire of Derby / West Kimberley looks forward to an ongoing partnership with Indigenous organisations to improve the well being of our Indigenous communities and residents.

Town Centres

Derby, Fitzroy Crossing and Camballin are the three town centres within the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley.

Below are the population figures according to the 2001 census.

*The total differs slightly to the ABS Shire of Derby/West Kimberley total because ABS had included communities which are actually outside the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley region.

Derby

Derby is located on the King Sound near the mouth of the Fitzroy River, 2366 kilometres by road from Perth. Derby was the first town in the Kimberley, gazetted in 1883. It is one of six centres. It services the pastoral, mining and tourism industries and Aboriginal Communities with a population of around 4 200. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people comprise 49% of the total population of the Derby / West Kimberley region.

The town is set on a peninsula of slightly evaluated land above the surrounding flat tidal marshland. The soil is predominantly 'pindan' - red/brown sand/clay. This supports a natural tropical savannah vegetation, with an understorey of grasses, a mid storey of woody shrubs, chiefly acacias and an upper storey of eucalypts and Boab trees.

As the gateway to the West Kimberley, the town boasts a proliferation of exciting natural tourist attractions as well as a range of activities for people seeking an outdoor lifestyle such as fishing, boating, canoeing and walking. Derby is also the stepping-off point for the picturesque Gibb River Road, a popular tourist route between Derby and Kununurra. Being centrally located in the Kimberley region, Derby provides easy access to other towns in the region.

Fitzroy Crossing

Fitzroy Crossing is located on the banks of the Fitzroy River some 2524 kilometres from Perth via the Great Northern Highway. It is situated in the heart of some of the best pastoral country in Australia, with other interests being mining and tourism.

The town is approximately 114m above sea level and is surrounded by the vast floodplains of the Fitzroy River. Soil type is a mix of 'pindan' or red/brown sand/clay and the productive 'black soils'.

From May to October, days are warm and dry and nights are cool whilst from December to March in most years, tropical storms transform the surrounding countryside into a waving sea of green.

Aboriginal Communities included within the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley

The following are the Aboriginal Communities that are included within the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley:

Our Community

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