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Indigenous History
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| Indigenous Australians have occupied the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of Australia's North West for at least 30,000 years. Unlike other early peoples around the world, Indigenous Australians did not build permanent structures or clear the earth to cultivate crops. Their spiritual beliefs and way of life were closely bound to the land, sea and sky. Their monuments and places of worship were the hills, rivers and plains surrounding them. |
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The Dreaming
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The Dreaming is the foundation of Indigenous culture and spiritual beliefs. The ancestral Dreaming spirits, who could change their form into animals, people or any physical feature, travelled across the country shaping the natural environment and establishing the religious and moral systems for Indigenous Australians. They also created the natural environment, and the humans and animal species that populated the land.
When their work was complete, the spirits transformed themselves into hills and other physical features, leaving evidence of their presence in the natural environment.
The Dreaming is an important source of information for day-to-day survival. Dreaming stories map out the location of water, places to gather food, campsites and significant landscape features, as well as linking distant tribes to other Indigenous communities. |
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Spiritual sites and Indigenous artists
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The Kimberley is covered in a network of Dreaming tracks, as well as historical Indigenous sites including ancient stone structures, ceremonial sites, burial sites and rock engravings.
Today, the Kimberley is home to many nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, and there are plenty of Indigenous art galleries and Indigenous art centres throughout the region showcasing their work. These artists keep Aboriginal culture strong by supporting cultural practice, recording important stories and celebrating artists' connections to their country.
The Kimberley Aboriginal Artists alliance brings together four Kimberley art centres - Mangkaja Arts, Mowanjum Art and Cultural Centre, Waringarri Aboriginal Arts and Warmun Art Centre. Aboriginal owned and governed, these centres bring economic independence to artists by building a viable business and supporting the social, cultural and financial aspirations of its members. All proceeds from the sale of art are returned to the artists and their community art centre.
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Natural history
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At 2,000 million years old, the rock formations of the North West are some of the oldest on earth. Turbulent events, from volcanic eruptions to ice ages, have created incredible ranges, gorges and caves.
120 million years ago dinosaurs roamed the Kimberley coast, today all that remains are amazing fossilised footprints. Along Broome’s Gantheaume Point and to Prices Point on the Dampier Peninsula the tracks of up to seven different dinosaur species, including Sauropods, Ornithopods and Stegosaurus, have been verified. |
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Pearling history
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| Coassack, located in the Pilbara region, was the first pearling port in the North West. By the turn of the century the pearling fleets had moved north to the rich grounds of Broome’s Roebuck Bay. This began the boom times in Broome, with over 300 pearl luggers plying the waters for the huge Pinctada Maxima oyster, whose mother of pearl shell was used to make buttons and fine cutlery for the world market. |
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