History of Broome (wikepedia)

Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, 2,200 km (1,400 mi) north of Perth. The permanent population is estimated at 14,436, growing to over 45,000 per month during the tourist season. Broome International Airport provides transport to several domestic destinations.

History

Broome is situated on the traditional lands of the Yawuru people.

It is often mistakenly thought that the first European to visit Broome was William Dampier in 1688, but he only visited the north of what was later named the Dampier 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 suggested that the pearling industry could be served by a port closer to the pearling grounds and that Roebuck Bay would be suitable. In 1883, John Forrest chose the site for the town, and it was named after Sir Frederick Broome, the Governor of Western Australia from 1883 to 1889.

In 1889, a telegraph undersea cable was laid from Broome to Singapore, connecting to England. Hence the name Cable Beach given to the landfall site.

Headstones in the Japanese Cemetery

The town has an interesting history based around the exploits of the men and women who developed the pearling industry, starting with the harvesting of oysters for mother of pearl in the 1880s to the current major cultured pearl farming enterprises. The riches from the pearl beds did not come cheaply, and the town’s Japanese cemetery is the resting place of 919 Japanese divers who lost their lives working in the industry Many more were lost at sea, and the exact number of deaths is unknown. The Japanese were only one of the major ethnic groups who flocked to Broome to work on the luggers or the shore based activities supporting the harvesting of oysters from the waters around Broome. They were specialist divers and, despite being considered enemies, became an indispensable part of the industry until World War II.

Each year Broome celebrates this fusion of different cultures in an annual cultural festival called Shinju Matsuri (Japanese for festival of the pearl) which celebrates the Asian influenced culture brought here by the pearling industry.

Broome was attacked at least four times by Japanese aircraft during the Second World War,and the worst attack was the 3 March 1942 air raid in which at least 88 people (mostly civilians) were killed.

In 1950, Broome was the setting for Arthur Upfield novel “The Widows of Broome”, 12th novel featuring Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte (‘Bony’)

The West Australian mining boom of the 1960s, as well as the growth of the tourism industry, also helped Broome develop and diversify. Broome is one of the fastest growing towns in Australia

Gantheaume Point, circa 1910.

At Gantheaume Point and 30 m (98 ft) out to sea are dinosaur footprints dated as Early Cretaceous in age (approximately 130 million years ago). The tracks 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. Plant fossils are also preserved extensively in the Broome Sandstone at Gantheaume Point and in coastal exposures further north

Racial segregation was common in Broome until the 1970s

Broome entered into a sister city agreement with Taiji, 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’s pearling industry. The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji was the subject of the 2009 documentary The Cove, and sparked a unanimous decision by the town’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.

Cable Beach

Named in honour of the Java-to-Australia undersea telegraph cable which reaches shore here, 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). The beach is almost perfectly flat. Caution, is required when swimming from November through March as box jellyfish are present during those months. There have been cases where crocodiles have been sighted off the shore, but this is a rarity and measures are taken to prevent these situations. Four wheel drive vehicles may be driven onto the beach from the car park. This allows people to explore the beach at low tide to a much greater extent than would be possible on foot. Sunset camel rides operate daily along the beach.

Cable Beach is home to one of Australia’s most famous nudist beaches. The clothes optional area is to the north of the beach access road from the car park and continues to the mouth of Willie Creek, 17 km (11 mi) away.

Located directly east of Cable Beach over the dunes is Minyirr Park, a coastal reserve administered by a collaboration of the Shire of Broome and the Rubibi people.

27th May, Tuesday

Well! here we are……. in Broome. The weather is a balmy 35 degrees, the frangipani is everywhere and the smell is heady. We are staying in Tarangau Caravan Park. It’s the only park in Broome that takes dogs and that is only up until the 1st June. It’s a nice shaded park and very fragrant with all the tropical flowers. We won’t do the famous cable beach sunset tonight…. Too tired. We did our shopping to stock up on some bits and pieces and YAY…… I got the Campari! :-). We will do our business tomorrow and then will have time to chillax. We won’t do too much sight seeing while we are here because this is our 4th time here.

28^th May, Wednesday and Thursday

The last 2 days were spent doing nothing much as we had some business to organise and it took ages, so sorry folks, no nice photos.  I can post some old ones of the last time that we were here but that would be cheating.  Ralphie went into town to organise our stuff and I stayed behind to clean the van.  I had to get all the red dirt off because once that sets in it won’t come out.  It took a little bit of elbow grease as it was.  We did some shopping today as we are heading off for Fitzroy crossing tomorrow (just one night) stay over and then a couple of days in Old Halls creek because Ralph wants to do some prospecting.  We went to cable beach, bought some fish and chips along the way, took a bottle of wine and drove onto the beach to watch the sunset and the camel rides (which we did the last time we were here). It was very peaceful I must admit.  Will pack up tonight and head off at sparrows tomorrow.  We have 400kms to Fitzroy crossing. I so love being back in the Kimberleys. Night peeps xxxxxxxx