Global InformationKimberley historical timeline information
This timeline is a selected list of events and locations of the development of the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
| Date | Event | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1688 | William Dampier, first European to the region, sails along the coast | Cape Leveque and King Sound | [1] |
| 1699 | William Dampier return journey, leaves after an altercation with Aboriginies after a man is killed | [1] | |
| 1803 | Nicolas Baudin sails along the coast charting Cape Bougainville | Admiralty Gulf | [2] |
| 1819 | Philip Parker King sails along the coast in HMS Mermaid surveying the coastline | Cambridge Gulf and King Sound | |
| 1837 | Lieutenants George Grey and Franklin Lushington, and 12 men sailed on the schooner Lynher from Cape Town to Hanover Bey and explore inland | Hanover Bay | |
| 1861 | The giant North West pearl oyster the Pinctada maxima was discovered in Roebuck Bay by the crew of the Dolphin. | Roebuck Bay and Eighty Mile Beach | [3][4] |
| 1879 | Alexander Forrest trekked across from the western coast to the Northern Territory. Forrest named the Kimberley district, Margaret River, Ord River and the King Leopold Ranges | Kimberley | |
| 1879 | Charles Harper suggested to the Legislative Council that Roebuck Bay be set up as a port for the pearling industry | Roebuck Bay | [1] |
| 1880 | The Murray Squatting Company take up leases in the newly opened West Kimberley | Yeeda | |
| 1881 | The Kimberley Squatting Company take up the lease for Liveringa Station | Liveringa | [5] |
| 1881 | First ships using pearl diving equipment arrive in Roebuck Bay, revolutionizing the pearling industry | Roebuck Bay | [3][4] |
| 1882 | The Victorian Squatting Company take up leases on the Drysdale River | Drysdale River Station | [6] |
| 1883 | The townsite of Derby is named and established with a Government resident | Derby | [7] |
| 1883 | Townsite for Broome chosen by John Forrest, town proclaimed later the same year | Broome | [1] |
| 1883 | Leases issued to the MacDonald and MacKenzie families for lands along the Fitzroy River | Fossil Downs Station | [8] |
| 1885 | Construction of wooden jetty at Derby completed | Derby | [7] |
| 1885 | Gold discovered by prospectors Charles Hall and John Slattery at Halls Creek | Halls Creek | [9] |
| 1885 | Gogo cattle station established by the Emanuel family | Gogo Station | |
| 1886 | Townsite of for Wyndham chosen by John Forrest | Wyndham | |
| 1887 | Lots at townsite for Halls Creek laid out | Halls Creek | [9] |
| 1893 | Michael and Patrick Durack establish Carlton Hill and Ivanhoe cattle stations | Carlton Hill Station and Ivanhoe Station | [10] |
| 1894 | Townsite of Halls Creek gazetted | Halls Creek | [9] |
| 1908 | Construction of wells along Canning Stock Route commences | Halls Creek | |
| 1910 | Construction of wells along Canning Stock Route completed | Wiluna | |
| 1944 | Construction of Mungalalu Truscott Airbase completed | Mungalalu Truscott Airbase | |
| 1945 | Frank Lacy established Mount Elizabeth cattle station | Mount Elizabeth Station | [11] |
| 1949 | Air Beef Scheme commences operation | Glenroy Station | [9] |
| 1949 | Townsite of Halls Creek moved 12 kilometres (7 mi) west after flooding and regazetted | Halls Creek | [9] |
| 1951 | BHP commence mining Iron ore at Cockatoo Island | Cockatoo Island | [12] |
| 1957 | Lease for Home Valley taken up by Harold MacNamara | Home Valley Station | [13] |
| 1959 | Construction of barrages and 17-mile dam completed for Camballin Irrigation Scheme | Camballin | [14] |
| 1959 | BHP commence mining Iron ore at Koolan Island | Koolan Island | [15] |
| 1960 | Construction of Ord River Diversion dam commences | Ord River | |
| 1961 | Townsite for Kununurra is proclaimed | Kununura | [16] |
| 1962 | Air Beef Scheme operations cease | Glenroy Station | [17] |
| 1963 | Construction of Ord River Diversion dam completed forming Lake Kununurra | Lake Kununurra | [18] |
| 1969 | Construction of Ord River main dam commences | Ord River | |
| 1972 | Construction of Ord River main dam completed forming Lake Argyle | Lake Argyle | [18] |
| 1975 | Townsite of Fitzroy Crossing is gazetted, town has existed since the 1900s | Fitzroy Crossing | |
| 1983 | Construction of RAAF Curtin commences | Derby | |
| 1983 | Camballin Irrigation Scheme abandoned | Camballin | [19] |
| 1985 | Argyle diamond mine opens | Lake Argyle | |
| 1988 | Construction of RAAF Curtin completed | Derby | [20] |
| 1993 | BHP cease mining Iron ore at Koolan Island | Koolan Island | [15] |
| 2006 | Mining and processing commences at Coyote Gold Mine | Coyote Gold Mine | |
| 2007 | Mount Gibson Iron commence mining Iron ore at Koolan Island | Koolan Island | [15] |
| 2014 | Mount Gibson Iron suspend mining Iron ore at Koolan Island | Koolan Island | [15] |
- ^ a b c d "Broome history". Broome Visitor Information Centre. 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ "Nicolas Baudin's Scientific Expedition To The Terres Australes". 2001. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ a b "Broome History Overview". Broome Holidays. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ^ a b "Pearling". Cable Beach Club. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ^ "Register of Heritage places – Assessment Documentation" (PDF). Heritage Council of Western Australia. 11 December 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ^ "History". Drysdale River Station. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ a b "Derby History". Derby Visitor Centre. 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ Wendy Birman (1974). "Macdonald, Charles (1851–1903)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Halls Creek Suburb Profile". REIWA. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ "Carlton Hill". Consolidated Pastoral Company. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ "Mt Elizabeth Gibb River Road Australia". Discover Australia. 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ^ "Iron ore in Western Australia" (PDF). PDF. Department of Industry and Resources. 1995. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 September 2007. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ "History of Karunjie Station". Indigenous Land Corporation. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ^ "Agriculture in the West Kimberley" (PDF). Environs Kimberley. 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Koolan Island". Mount Gibson Iron. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ "1961 Kununurra Townsite Proclamation". Kimberley Historical Society. 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ "MMA Air Beef Scheme". AussieAirliners. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ a b "Ord river Irrigation Scheme". Lake Argyle. 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ Jane O'Sullivan (14 August 2015). "The Kimberley, future Asian food bowl". University of Queensland. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ New RAAF Base Opened Australian Aviation issue 46 September 1988 page 8