About the Kimberley Region
The Kimberley region has a rich history in pearling and pastoral use and this is reflected in the culturally diverse population currently residing in the Kimberley. Tourism is now a major industry, as seen by the high number of tourist businesses operating in the larger towns.
There are about 198 Aboriginal communities in the region and many Aboriginal people also live in the towns. There are strong cultural links, with an annual round of traditional ceremonies and some 34 distinct languages spoken, plus the people maintain continuous attachments with the land.
The pastoral industry has traditionally been the main source of Aboriginal employment, but with the growth in tourism in the area there is great potential for Aboriginal people to develop their skills in this new area. Aboriginal businesses include the Kooljaman and Mid Lagoon resorts on the Dampier Peninsula, the highly successful Balgo Art Centre, a company based at Balgo Hills providing air charter and road transport services, and the Broome Aboriginal Media Association employing almost 30 people in six trading arms.
Local government in the Kimberley is made up of four shires:
- Derby - West Kimberley Shire occupies an area of 102,706 square kilometres and includes the towns of Derby and Fitzroy Crossing, and many Aboriginal communities.
- Broome Shire occupies a total area of 56,000 square kilometres and is characterized by its blue beaches.
- Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley includes the towns of Kununurra and Wyndham and outlying communities, and is 121,000 square kilometres.
- Halls Creek Shire covers 142,908 square kilometres and is a landlocked region that provides services and resources for its many outlying Aboriginal communities.
Language
The Kimberley region holds a special position in the distribution of Australian Aboriginal languages. There are five different traditional language families in the region and each language family has a number of different languages and dialects.
Since English came to the region the situation of traditional languages has changed drastically. Some languages are still spoken by adults and children but some have very few speakers left, and others are extinct. The Kimberley Language Resource Center in Halls Creek is a great place to start.