Home of the Curtin RAAF base, Derby has the longest airstrip anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere. Alongside the RAAF strip is the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley’s airstrip that is able to take 60 seater jets. Working with local mining interests, the Shire has drawn up a business plan to attract a regular jet service into Derby. Owned and operated by Council, the Derby airport and runway were upgraded two years in preparation for this move.
With the two local iron ore mines needing to fly in staff, and tourism operators seeing a huge growth potential from a regular jet service, the Shire is working to attract one of the major airlines into Derby a number of times a week.
Currently, there is only one flight in per day when a seven seater plane meets the Broome service. A jet service would be a huge boost for local tourism, particularly for boat operators that regularly leave from Derby for 10 day cruises along the picturesque and remote coastal reaches of the Kimberley.
A 13 seater seaplane also provides tours to the Shires major drawcard, its Horizontal Waterfalls. Promoting itself as ‘The True Kimberley’, tourists can experience the beauty of spectacular gorges, tropical rainforests, and rugged coastlines in its natural, untouched splendour.
Indigenous arts and culture are also popular. The Mowanjum Aboriginal Community, just 10 kilometres from Derby, has recently called tenders for a $2 million arts and cultural centre. With the centre designed to represent the wandjina – the spiritual being who created all life – this will provide another major tourist boost for the Shire. Visitors will be able to purchase artworks, see local artists at work and experience various cultural events.
Famous for its boab trees, the Derby Town Centre has an attractive entrance and main street stand of these distinctively Kimberley trees. Just out of town is the Prison Tree, a huge example of a hollow boab that in early European settlement was used to hold prisoners on route to the Derby jail. Nearby is the world’s largest concrete water trough. Originally supplied by a bore, this was a regular watering point for Kimberley drovers as their herds neared the Port of Derby. With road transport replacing the long droves, the trough is one of a number of local attractions depicting the area’s pioneer past.
With the increase in both domestic and overseas self drive tourists wanting to experience our magnificent outback first hand, alongside a steady flow of day trippers from Broome, the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley is gearing up for a substantial boost to its local economy through tourism. Additional jobs and population growth will provide a major impetus for ‘The True Kimberley’.
