View source for Kimberley (Western Australia)

{{Use Australian English|date=December 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                = region
| name                = Kimberley
| state               = wa
| image               = {{center|
<mapframe text="Location of the Kimberley region in Western Australia" width="300" height="300" zoom="4" latitude="-18" longitude="127">
{ "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "Western Australian region - Kimberley.map" }
</mapframe>
}}
| caption             = 
| pop                 = 34364
| pop_year            = {{CensusAU|2016}}
| pop_footnotes       = 
| est                 = 1881
| area                = 423517
| lga                 = [[Shire of Broome]]
| lga2                = [[Shire of Derby-West Kimberley]]
| lga3                = [[Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley]]
| lga4                = [[Shire of Halls Creek]]
| stategov            = [[Electoral district of Kimberley|Kimberley]]
| fedgov              = [[Division of Durack|Durack]]
| logo                = 
| url                 = 
}}

The '''Kimberley''' is the northernmost of the nine [[regions of Western Australia]]. It is bordered on the west by the [[Indian Ocean]], on the north by the [[Timor Sea]], on the south by the [[Great Sandy Desert|Great Sandy]] and [[Tanami Desert|Tanami]] deserts in the region of the [[Pilbara]], and on the east by the [[Northern Territory]].

The region was named in 1879 by government surveyor [[Alexander Forrest]] after [[Secretary of State for the Colonies]] [[John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Legislative Council |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2983647 |access-date=5 April 2020 |work=The West Australian |date=31 August 1880 |location=Perth, WA |page=1}}</ref>

==History==
The Kimberley was one of the earliest settled parts of Australia, with the first humans landing about 65,000 years ago.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Human Arrival In Australia Pushed Back 18,000 Years | journal = National Geographic | date = June 2017 | first = Sarah | last = Gibbens | volume = 51 | issue = 51 | pages = 1–5 | doi = 10.1080/03122417.2000.11681674 | s2cid = 142776859 | url = https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/australia-aboriginal-early-human-evolution-spd | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210217170716/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/australia-aboriginal-early-human-evolution-spd | url-status = dead | archive-date = 17 February 2021 | access-date = 2021-10-02| url-access = subscription }}</ref> They created a complex culture that developed over thousands of years. [[Yam (vegetable)|Yam]] (''[[Dioscorea hastifolia]]'') [[agriculture]] was developed,<ref>Gammage, Bill (October 2011). The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines made Australia. Allen & Unwin. pp. 281–304. {{ISBN|978-1-74237-748-3}}.</ref> and rock art suggests that this was where some of the earliest [[boomerang]]s were invented.<ref>"Kimberley rock art could be among oldest in the world". ABC News AU. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.</ref> The worship of [[Wandjina]] deities was most common in this region, and a complex theology dealing with the transmigration of souls was part of the local people's religious philosophy.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ungarinyin-religion| title = Ungarinyin Religion {{!}} Encyclopedia.com}} </ref>

During the 18th century, [[Dutch Empire|Dutch]] [[Dutch exploration of Australia|explorers]] named the region of Kimberley and nearby [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]] variations of '''Van Diemen's Land'''<ref>{{citation |last= |first= |editor-last=Smellie |editor-first=William |editor-link=William Smellie |display-editors=0 |contribution=[[:File:EB1 Plate LXXXVII Fig. 2 World.png|Plate LXXXVII. Fig. 2. World.]] |title=[[:s:EB1|Encyclopaedia Britannica]] |edition=1st |volume=II |date=1771 |location=Edinburgh |publisher=[[Colin Macfarquhar]] }}.</ref> after the [[Dutch East India Company|VOC]] [[Governor-general of the Dutch East Indies|governor-general]] [[Anthony van Diemen]]. This should not be confused with [[Van Diemen's Land|the more general and prolonged use of the same name]] for [[Tasmania]].

In 1837, with expedition support from the [[Royal Geographical Society]] of [[Great Britain]], Lieutenants [[George Grey]] and Franklin Lushington and 12 men sailed on the schooner ''Lynher'' from [[Cape Town]], South Africa. They reached Hanover Bay on 2 December 1837. The exploring party started inland on 19 January 1838. Leaders and men were totally inexperienced, their progress was delayed by flooded country, and they abandoned many stores along the way. The party was constantly split up although they had to contend with large numbers of hostile Aboriginals. On 11 February, Grey was speared and became critically ill but, after two weeks, continued the exploration. The party found and named the [[Gairdner River (Kimberley, Western Australia)|Gairdner River]], the [[Glenelg River (Western Australia)|Glenelg River]], the Stephen and Whately ranges and [[Mount Lyell (Western Australia)|Mount Lyell]] before returning to Hanover Bay in April. There they were picked up by {{HMS|Beagle}} and ''Lynher'' and taken to [[Mauritius]] to recuperate.<ref name=grey1>{{cite book | last1 = Grey | first1 = George | title = Journals of two expeditions of discovery in North-West and Western Australia, during the years 1837, 38, and 39, describing many newly discovered, important, and fertile districts, with observations on the moral and physical condition of the aboriginal inhabitants, etc. etc. | volume = 1 | publisher = T. and W. Boone | year = 1841 | location = London | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=DUNCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA24 | access-date = 17 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url = http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/grey-sir-george-2125 | title = Grey, Sir George (1812–1898) | chapter = Sir George Grey (1812–1898) | access-date = 2011-08-25 | work = Australian Dictionary of Biography | publisher = National Centre of Biography, Australian National University | url-status = live | archive-url = http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20110918112039/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/grey-sir-george-2125 | archive-date = 18 September 2011}}</ref>

In 1879, Western Australian government surveyor [[Alexander Forrest]] led a party of seven from the west coast at Beagle Bay to [[Katherine, Northern Territory]]. Forrest explored and named the Kimberley district, the [[Margaret River (Kimberley, Western Australia)|Margaret]] and [[Ord River|Ord]] rivers and the King Leopold Ranges (now the [[Wunaamin-Miliwundi Ranges]]), and located well watered pastoral lands along the [[Fitzroy River (Western Australia)|Fitzroy]] and Ord rivers.<ref name="ReferenceA">''The Australian Encyclopaedia,'' Vol. V, The Grolier Society, Sydney</ref> He subsequently set himself up as a land agent specialising in the Kimberley during a period to 1883 when over {{convert|51000000|acre|ha|order=flip}} of land were taken up as pastoral leaseholds in the region.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bolton |first1=G. C. |author-link1=Geoffrey Bolton |title=Australian Dictionary of Biography |date=1981 |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |isbn=9780522861310 |url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/forrest-alexander-6208 |access-date=6 April 2020 |chapter=Forrest, Alexander (1849–1901)}}</ref>

In 1881, Philip Saunders and Adam Johns, in the face of great difficulties and dangers, found gold in various parts of the Kimberley. Early in 1881, the first five graziers, who called themselves the Murray Squatting Company, took up {{convert|120000|acre|ha|order=flip}} behind Beagle Bay and named it [[Yeeda Station]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/> In 1883 they were the first men to shear sheep in the southern Kimberley. Additional Anglo-European settlement occurred in 1885, when ranchers drove cattle across Australia from the eastern states in search of good [[pasture]] lands. After gold was discovered around [[Halls Creek, Western Australia|Halls Creek]], many other erstwhile European miners arrived rapidly.

In the 1890s, the area was the site of an armed insurrection of indigenous people led by [[Jandamarra]], a [[Bunuba]] warrior.<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Pedersen | first1 = Howard | last2 = Woorunmurra | first2 = Banjo | title = Jandamarra and the Bunuba Resistance | publisher = Magabala Books | year = 1995 | location = Broome, Western Australia | isbn = 1-875641-60-2}}</ref>

During [[World War II]], when Australia was among the nations at war with the Axis powers, the Japanese invaded the nation with only a small reconnaissance party in The Kimberley on 19 January 1944; they were investigating reports that the Allies were building large bases in the region. Four Japanese officers were on board a small fishing boat. They investigated the [[York Sound]] region for a day and a night before returning to [[Kupang]] in [[Timor]] on 20 January. After returning to Japan in February, the junior officer, who had commanded the party, suggested using 200 Japanese prison inmates to launch a [[guerrilla]] campaign in Australia.  No superior adopted his suggestion, and the officer was posted to other duties.<ref>Frei (1991), pg 173–174.</ref>

==Demographics==
The 2011 estimated permanent population of The Kimberley was 34,794 but it rises dramatically during winter when it attracts a seasonal population. On Census night in 2011 (9 August), it was 50,113. The population is fairly evenly distributed, with only three towns having populations in excess of 2,000: [[Broome, Western Australia|Broome]] (12,766), [[Derby, Western Australia|Derby]] (3,261), and [[Kununurra]] (4,573). Approximately 40% of the region's population is of [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] descent.<ref name=Census2011Y>{{cite web |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/1380.0.55.009~2011~Main%20Features~High%20Census%20Night%20Ratios,%20Western%20Australia~64 |title=High Census Night Ratios, Western Australia |work=Perspectives on Regional Australia: Comparing Census Night and Usual Resident Populations in Local Government Areas, 2011 |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |date=16 September 2013 |access-date=12 August 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815123844/http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/1380.0.55.009~2011~Main%20Features~High%20Census%20Night%20Ratios,%20Western%20Australia~64 |archive-date=15 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/quickstat/50804?opendocument&navpos=220 |title=Kimberley - All people - usual residents |work=2011 Census QuickStats |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |date=16 September 2013 |access-date=12 August 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924011910/http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/quickstat/50804?opendocument&navpos=220 |archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref>

===Urban centres and localities===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan=2 | Rank !! rowspan=2 | {{Abbr|UCL|Urban centre and locality}} !! rowspan=2 | {{Abbr|LGA|Local government area}} !! colspan="10" | Population
|-
! {{CensusAU|2001}}
!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
! {{CensusAU|2006}}
!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
! {{CensusAU|2011}}
!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
! [[2016 Australian census|2016 census]]
!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
! [[2021 Australian census|2021 census]]
!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|| 1 || [[Broome, Western Australia|Broome]] || [[Shire of Broome|Broome]] || align="right" |15,242 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL502400|link=yes}} ||align=right|11,547 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL502400|link=yes}} ||align=right|12,766 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL513002|link=yes}} ||align=right|13,984 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL513001|link=yes}} ||align=right|14,660 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL513001|link=yes}}
|-
|| 2 || [[Kununurra, Western Australia|Kununurra]] || [[Shire of Wyndham–East Kimberley|Wyndham–East Kimberley]] || align="right" |5,219 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL514200|link=yes}} ||align=right| 3,748 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL514200|link=yes}} ||align=right| 4,573 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL515019|link=yes}} ||align=right|4,341 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL515020|link=yes}} ||align=right|4,515 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL515020|link=yes}}
|-
|| 3 || [[Derby, Western Australia|Derby]] || [[Shire of Derby–West Kimberley|Derby–West Kimberley]] || align="right" |3,662 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL507000|link=yes}} ||align=right| 3,093 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL507000|link=yes}} ||align=right| 3,261 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL515008|link=yes}} ||align=right|3,325 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL515010|link=yes}} ||align=right|3,009 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL515010|link=yes}}
|-
|| 4 || [[Halls Creek, Western Australia|Halls Creek]] || [[Shire of Halls Creek|Halls Creek]] || align="right" |1,264 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL511000|link=yes}} || align="right" | 1,211 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL511000|link=yes}} || align="right" | 1,443 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL521027|link=yes}} || align="right" |1,546 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL521026|link=yes}} || align="right" |1,605 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL521024|link=yes}}
|-
|| 5 || [[Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia|Fitzroy Crossing]] || [[Shire of Derby–West Kimberley|Derby–West Kimberley]] || align="right" |1,450 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL509200|link=yes}} || align="right" | 928 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL509200|link=yes}} || align="right" | 1,144 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL515013|link=yes}} || align="right" | 1,141 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL515014|link=yes}} || align="right" |1,022 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL515014|link=yes}}
|-
|| 6 || [[Wyndham, Western Australia|Wyndham]] || [[Shire of Wyndham–East Kimberley|Wyndham–East Kimberley]] || align="right" |784 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL529800|link=yes}} || align="right" |669 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL529800|link=yes}} || align="right" |787 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL521058|link=yes}} || align="right" |604 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL521060|link=yes}} || align="right" |745 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL521052|link=yes}}
|-
|| 7 || [[Bidyadanga]] (La Grange) || [[Shire of Broome|Broome]] || align="right" |510 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL514600|link=yes}} || align="right" |425 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL514600|link=yes}} || align="right" |595 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL521006|link=yes}} || align="right" |617 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL521004|link=yes}} || align="right" |593 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL521004|link=yes}}
|-
|| 8 || [[Balgo, Western Australia|Balgo]] || [[Shire of Halls Creek|Halls Creek]] || align="right" |456 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL500890|link=yes}} || align="right" |460 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL500890|link=yes}} || align="right" |508 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL521004|link=yes}} || align="right" |359 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522001|link=yes}} || align="right" |472 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522001|link=yes}}
|-
|| 9 || [[Warmun]] || [[Shire of Halls Creek|Halls Creek]] || align="right" |315 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL527900|link=yes}} || align="right" |210 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL527900|link=yes}} || align="right" |297 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522056|link=yes}} || align="right" |366 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522061|link=yes}} || align="right" |457 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522064|link=yes}}
|-
|| 10 || [[Yungngora]] || [[Shire of Derby–West Kimberley|Derby–West Kimberley]] || align="right" |245 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL530700|link=yes}} || align="right" |288 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL530700|link=yes}} || align="right" |283 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522064|link=yes}} || align="right" |409 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522068|link=yes}} || align="right" |434 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522071|link=yes}}
|-
|| 11 || [[Looma]] || [[Shire of Derby–West Kimberley|Derby–West Kimberley]] || align="right" |285 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL516400|link=yes}} || align="right" |393 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL516400|link=yes}} || align="right" |374 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522038|link=yes}} || align="right" |531 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL521036|link=yes}} || align="right" |412 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522043|link=yes}}
|-
|| 12 || [[Kalumburu]] || [[Shire of Wyndham–East Kimberley|Wyndham–East Kimberley]] || align="right" |335 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL512440|link=yes}} || align="right" |413 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL512440|link=yes}} || align="right" |467 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522029|link=yes}} || align="right" |412 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522030|link=yes}} || align="right" |388 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522032|link=yes}}
|-
|| 13 || [[Ardyaloon|Bardi]] (One Arm Point) || [[Shire of Broome|Broome]] || align="right" |310 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL500920|link=yes}} || align="right" |214 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL500920|link=yes}} || align="right" |334 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522002|link=yes}} || align="right" |365 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522003|link=yes}} || align="right" |325 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522003|link=yes}}
|-
|| 14 || [[Bayulu]] || [[Shire of Derby–West Kimberley|Derby–West Kimberley]] || align="right" |253 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL500930|link=yes}} || align="right" |259 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL500930|link=yes}} || align="right" |320 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522003|link=yes}} || align="right" |322 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522004|link=yes}} || align="right" |308 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522004|link=yes}}
|-
|| 15 || [[Beagle Bay Community|Beagle Bay]] || [[Shire of Broome|Broome]] || align="right" |293 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL500950|link=yes}} || align="right" |199 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL500950|link=yes}} || align="right" |285 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522004|link=yes}} || align="right" |348 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522005|link=yes}} || align="right" |307 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522005|link=yes}}
|-
|| 16 || [[Djarindjin]]–[[Lombadina]] || [[Shire of Broome|Broome]] || {{N/A}} || || {{N/A}} || || align="right" |245 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522020|link=yes}} || align="right" |395 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522020|link=yes}} || align="right" |253 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522020|link=yes}}
|-
|| 17 || [[Wangkatjungka]] || [[Shire of Derby–West Kimberley|Derby–West Kimberley]] || {{N/A}} || || {{N/A}} || || {{N/A}} || || align="right" |254 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522059|link=yes}} || align="right" |231 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522062|link=yes}}
|-
|| 18 || [[Mindibungu]] || [[Shire of Halls Creek|Halls Creek]] || align="right" |215 || {{Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL517900|link=yes}} || align="right" |144 || {{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL517900|link=yes}} || align="right" |257 || {{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL522040|link=yes}} || align="right" |150 || {{Census 2016 AUS|id=UCL522040|link=yes}} || align="right" |202 || {{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL522045|link=yes}}
|}

==Indigenous languages==
The Kimberley has been noted as a region of great linguistic diversity, rivalled in Australia only by the [[Top End]]. Depending on the geographical boundaries of The Kimberley, and the definition of what constitutes a "[[language]]" (as opposed to a "[[dialect]]"), about 50-60 [[Australian Aboriginal languages|Aboriginal languages]] were once spoken in this region. The vast majority of these do not belong to the family of [[Pama-Nyungan languages]].<ref>{{Citation | author1=McGregor, William | title=The languages of The Kimberley, Western Australia | date=2004 | publisher=RoutledgeCurzon | isbn=978-0-415-30808-3 | pages=1–48 }}</ref> Four endemic, primary [[language family|language families]] are recognised within the core Kimberley region:

* [[Nyulnyulan languages]], including languages spoken on the [[Dampier Peninsula]] and along the Fitzroy River
* [[Bunuban languages]], including languages spoken in the Fitzroy River Basin
* [[Worrorran languages]], including languages spoken in the northern Kimberley, north of [[King Sound]], up to [[Wyndham, Western Australia|Wyndham]]
* [[Jarrakan languages]], including languages spoken along the Ord River, from [[Halls Creek]] up to Wyndham and [[Kununurra]].

Pama-Nyungan languages spoken in and around the Kimberley region include the [[Marrngu languages]] (such as [[Karajarri language|Karajarri]] and [[Nyangumarta language|Nyangumarta]], the [[Ngumpin-Yapa languages|Ngumpin languages]] (such as [[Walmajarri language|Walmajarri]] and [[Jaru language|Jaru]]), the [[Ngumpin-Yapa languages|Yapa]] languages (such as [[Warlpiri language|Warlpiri]]) and the [[Western Desert language]]s (including [[Wangkajunga language|Wangkajunga]] and [[Kukatja dialect|Kukatja]]). Non-Pama-Nyungan languages spoken around the Kimberleys (but speakers of which today live within the Kimberley) include the [[Daly languages|Daly language]] [[Murrinh-Patha language|Murrinh-Patha]] and [[Yirram languages|Western Mirndi language]] [[Jaminjung language|Jaminjung]].

Presently, many indigenous languages are no longer spoken on a daily basis. In addition to [[Australian English]], post-contact languages spoken in the Kimberley include [[Australian Aboriginal English|Aboriginal English]], [[Australian Kriol|Kriol]], [[Aboriginal Pidgin English|Pidgin English]] and the Malay-based [[Broome Pearling Lugger Pidgin]] (not spoken on a daily basis any more).

==Politics==
At the federal level, the Kimberley is represented by the member for [[Division of Durack|Durack]]. At state level, the [[Electoral district of Kimberley|Kimberley]] electorate takes in all of the region and its towns.

The Kimberley region consists of the [[local government areas of Western Australia|local government areas]] of [[Shire of Broome|Broome]], [[Shire of Derby-West Kimberley|Derby-West Kimberley]], [[Shire of Halls Creek|Halls Creek]] and [[Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley|Wyndham-East Kimberley]].

== Art ==
The Kimberley region is extremely rich in art, mainly that of Indigenous [[rock art]].<ref>Kimberley (Western Australia). (2024, May 28). In ''Wikipedia''. <nowiki>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley_(Western_Australia)</nowiki>

</ref> Considering the area's size, it is no surprise that there are tens of thousands of rock art examples coming from a variety of different cultural groups within the region.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Moore |first1=Mark W. |last2=Westaway |first2=Kira |last3=Ross |first3=June |last4=Newman |first4=Kim |last5=Perston |first5=Yinika |last6=Huntley |first6=Jillian |last7=Keats |first7=Samantha |last8=Corporation |first8=Kandiwal Aboriginal |last9=Morwood |first9=Michael J. |date=2020-02-05 |title=Archaeology and art in context: Excavations at the Gunu Site Complex, Northwest Kimberley, Western Australia |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=e0226628 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0226628 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=7001911 |pmid=32023252|bibcode=2020PLoSO..1526628M }}</ref> The diversity of peoples has allowed for many different art styles to develop with some of the most widely known examples being [[Wandjina]] and [[Gwion Gwion rock paintings|Gwion Gwion]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gunn |first1=Robert G. |last2=David |first2=Bruno |last3=Delannoy |first3=Jean-Jacques |last4=Smith |first4=Benjamin |last5=Unghangho |first5=Augustine |last6=Waina |first6=Ian |last7=Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation |last8=Douglas |first8=Leigh |last9=Myers |first9=Cecilia |last10=Heaney |first10=Pauline |last11=Ouzman |first11=Sven |last12=Veth |first12=Peter |last13=Harper |first13=Sam |date=2022-09-01 |title=Superpositions and superimpositions in rock art studies: Reading the rock face at Pundawar Manbur, Kimberley, northwest Australia |journal=Journal of Anthropological Archaeology |volume=67 |pages=101442 |doi=10.1016/j.jaa.2022.101442 |issn=0278-4165|doi-access=free }}</ref> In addition to the variation in styles, there are almost equally diverse fabrication techniques. The earliest form of Kimberley rock art was [[Cave painting|hand stencils]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-01-29 |title=Kimberley Rock art {{!}} Kimberley Art {{!}} Kimberley cace painting |url=https://www.aboriginal-bark-paintings.com/kimberley-rock-art/ |access-date=2020-04-03 |website=Aboriginal Bark Paintings |language=en-US}}</ref> but techniques such as engraving, painting, scratchwork, pecking, drawing, and later beeswax applique<sup><ref name=":1">{{Citation |last1=O’Connor |first1=Sue |title=Memory and Performance: The Role of Rock Art in the Kimberley, Western Australia |date=2022 |work=Rock Art and Memory in the Transmission of Cultural Knowledge |pages=147–170 |editor-last=Zubieta |editor-first=Leslie F. |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96942-4_7 |access-date=2024-05-27 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-96942-4_7 |isbn=978-3-030-96942-4 |last2=Balme |first2=Jane |last3=Oscar |first3=Mona |last4=Oscar |first4=June |last5=Middleton |first5=Selina |last6=Williams |first6=Rory |last7=Shandley |first7=Jimmy |last8=Dann |first8=Robin |last9=Dann |first9=Kevin}}</ref></sup> have also been used. In addition to the varying styles and techniques, there are united visual depictions that reflect the changes and persistence within the cultural and natural environment.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Aubert |first=Maxime |date=2012-03-01 |title=A review of rock art dating in the Kimberley, Western Australia |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440311004134 |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=573–577 |doi=10.1016/j.jas.2011.11.009 |bibcode=2012JArSc..39..573A |issn=0305-4403}}</ref>[[File:Kangaroo-Painting.jpg|thumb|244x244px|Depiction of kangaroo painting with added drawing for clarity - examined by Traditional Owner Ian Waina on the left. ]]
The changing and expanding complexity of styles and techniques has caught the attention of many, paving the way for mass amounts of archaeological and anthropological research. Much of the artwork in the area has been gone over with similar or alternative methods to preserve the art, add to it, or enhance it.<ref name=":2" /> Rock shelters are some of the best locations for preservation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zerboni |first1=Andrea |last2=Villa |first2=Federica |last3=Wu |first3=Ying-Li |last4=Solomon |first4=Tadele |last5=Trentini |first5=Andrea |last6=Rizzi |first6=Alessandro |last7=Cappitelli |first7=Francesca |last8=Gallinaro |first8=Marina |date=January 2022 |title=The Sustainability of Rock Art: Preservation and Research |journal=Sustainability |language=en |volume=14 |issue=10 |pages=6305 |doi=10.3390/su14106305 |doi-access=free |issn=2071-1050|hdl=2434/928916 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> The oldest category known as the Irregular Infill Animal or the Naturalistic period is responsible for the region's life-size animal depictions.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Finch |first1=Damien |last2=Gleadow |first2=Andrew |last3=Hergt |first3=Janet |last4=Heaney |first4=Pauline |last5=Green |first5=Helen |last6=Myers |first6=Cecilia |last7=Veth |first7=Peter |last8=Harper |first8=Sam |last9=Ouzman |first9=Sven |last10=Levchenko |first10=Vladimir A. |date=February 22, 2021 |title=Ages for Australia's oldest rock paintings |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-020-01041-0 |journal=Nature Human Behaviour |language=en |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=310–318 |doi=10.1038/s41562-020-01041-0 |pmid=33619375 |issn=2397-3374}}</ref> A rock shelter in Kimberley's northeastern territory is home to a perfect example of this, a two-meter-long kangaroo painting on the ceiling. This case was extremely rare as archaeologist found remains of mud wasp nests that could be used for dating. These nests were located both below and on top of the painting making them prime for determining an accurate age of the kangaroo art itself. They analysed samples from 6 of the nests and settled on a date between 17,500 years old and 17,100 years old, making the kangaroo rock art the oldest in Australia.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Finch |first=Damien |date=Feb 22, 2021 |title=Australia's oldest known Aboriginal rock paintings |url=https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/news/14307-australia%E2%80%99s-oldest-known-aboriginal-rock-paintings |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au}}</ref>

Based on oral accounts from Aboriginal people in the region<ref name=":1" /> it has been confirmed that many of the works that have been re-touched maintain a much deeper significance. There is a complex performative aspect that goes hand-in-hand with the art that remains today. The re-touching/re-marking actions are considered a performance and act as a retelling of the story behind the art. The performance is a way for people to reconnect with the cultural significance behind the work itself and maintain the connection of person to place.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Admin |first=Rock Art Australia |date=2019-11-06 |title=Australia's story: preserving Indigenous rock art in the Kimberley – Rock Art Australia |url=https://rockartaustralia.org.au/australias-story-preserving-indigenous-rock-art-in-the-kimberley/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |language=en-AU}}</ref> This process highlights indigenous beliefs about the land and the position that native people have within that space.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=O'Connor |first=Sue |date=January 2008 |title=Painting and Repainting in the West Kimberley |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291739493 |journal=Australian Aboriginal Studies |via=Research Gate}}</ref> Identity plays a major role in understanding the rock art in the region. There are many different sectors within the Kimberley region that allow for a dispersal of cultural thought and expression unique to the group in their respected areas.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ross |first=June |date=2013-02-08 |title=A continent of Nations: The emergence of new regionally distinct rock art styles across Australia |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S104061821200016X |journal=Quaternary International |series=Peopling the last new worlds: the first colonisation of Sahul and the Americas |volume=285 |pages=161–171 |doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2012.01.007 |bibcode=2013QuInt.285..161R |issn=1040-6182}}</ref> This differentiation of style may have been socially necessary, but there was a unifying aspect in regard to the [[Wandjina|Wandjinas]] and the meaning behind them. They are seen throughout the region at many different sites and are the most repainted rock art in Kimberley. This is due to the fact that indigenous groups believe in the power that Wandjina holds. Creation stories, migrational patterns, and clothing style of the figures emphasise  their importance and integration into the sociocultural groups inhabiting the area.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ross |first=June |date=2013-02-08 |title=A continent of Nations: The emergence of new regionally distinct rock art styles across Australia |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S104061821200016X |journal=Quaternary International |series=Peopling the last new worlds: the first colonisation of Sahul and the Americas |volume=285 |pages=161–171 |doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2012.01.007 |bibcode=2013QuInt.285..161R |issn=1040-6182}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[Image:Lennard River.jpg|thumb|[[Lennard River]]]]
[[File:Bungle Bungles Echidna Chasm 190503 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Bungle Bungle Range|Bungle Bungles]] - Echidna Chasm]]
The Kimberley is an area of {{convert|423517|km2|sqmi|0}}, which is about three times the size of [[England]], twice the size of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], or just slightly smaller than [[California]].

The Kimberley consists of the ancient, steep-sided mountain ranges of northwestern Australia cut through with sandstone and limestone gorges and steep ridges, from which the extreme [[Australian monsoon|monsoon]]al climate has removed much of the soil. The southern end of the Kimberley beyond the [[Dampier Peninsula]] is flatter with dry tropical grassland and is used for cattle ranching. In parts of the Kimberley, such as the valleys of the [[Ord River|Ord]] and [[Fitzroy River (Western Australia)|Fitzroy River]]s in the south, the soils are relatively usable [[Vertisol|cracking clays]], whilst elsewhere they are [[laterite|lateritic]] [[Orthent]]s. Although none of the mountains reach even {{convert|1000|m|ft|0}}, there is so much steep land as to make much of the region difficult to traverse, especially during the wet season, when even sealed roads are often flooded. The coast is typically steep cliffs in the north but flatter in the south, all subject to high tides.

===Climate===
The Kimberley has a [[tropical monsoon climate]]. The region receives about 90% of its rainfall during the short wet season, from November to April, when [[tropical cyclone|cyclones]] are common (especially around Broome) and the rivers flood. The annual rainfall is highest in the northwest, where [[Kalumburu]] and [[Mitchell River National Park (Western Australia)|the Mitchell Plateau]] average {{convert|1270|mm|in|0}} per year, and lowest in the southeast where it is around {{convert|520|mm|in|0}}. In the dry season, from May to October, south easterly breezes bring sunny days and cool nights. [[Climate change in Australia|Climate change]] since 1967 has led to large increases of as much as {{convert|250|mm|in|0}} per year in annual rainfall over the whole region. A 2007 study suggests Asian [[air pollution|pollution]] may be a key contributory factor to this increased rainfall.<ref>{{citation|doi=10.1029/2006JD007712|title=Have Australian rainfall and cloudiness increased due to the remote effects of Asian anthropogenic aerosols?|year=2007|last1=Rotstayn|first1=Leon D.|last2=Cai|first2=Wenju|last3=Dix|first3=Martin R.|last4=Farquhar|first4=Graham D.|last5=Feng|first5=Yan|last6=Ginoux|first6=Paul|last7=Herzog|first7=Michael|last8=Ito|first8=Akinori|last9=Penner|first9=Joyce E.|author-link9=Joyce E. Penner|last10=Roderick|first10=Michael L.|last11=Wang|first11=Minghuai|journal=Journal of Geophysical Research|volume=112|issue=D9|bibcode=2007JGRD..112.9202R|doi-access=free|hdl=2027.42/94749|hdl-access=free}}</ref> In 1997 and 2000, the region received especially heavy rains, leading to record flooding of the Fitzroy and other rivers.

The Kimberley is one of the hottest parts of Australia, with the average annual mean temperature around {{convert|27|C|F|0}}, and with mean maximum temperatures almost always above {{convert|30|C|F|0}}, even in July. The hottest part of the year is November before the rains break, when temperatures frequently reach above {{convert|37|C|F|0}} on the coast and well over {{convert|40|C|F|0}} inland. Mean minimum temperatures in July range from around {{convert|12|C|F|0}} in the south to {{convert|16|C|F}} along the coast, whilst in November and December they are generally around {{convert|26|C|F|0}}.<ref>Bureau of Meteorology (Australia) http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/temperature/index.jsp?maptype=1&period=an</ref> Record high temperatures range from around {{convert|47|to|48|C|F|0}}, while record lows are around {{convert|2|to|3|C|F|0}}, although some parts of the central Kimberly plateau can drop below {{convert|0|C|F|0}} during the dry season.

The Aboriginal people of the Kimberley recognise [[Broome,_Western_Australia#Climate|six traditional seasons]] based on meteorological events, as well as on observations of flora and fauna.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/calendars/yawuru.shtml|title=Yawuru calendar|publisher=[[Bureau of Meteorology]]|access-date=19 January 2021}}</ref>

===Geology===
[[File:A197, Geikie Gorge National Park, Western Australia, Fitzroy River, 2007.JPG|thumb|[[Geikie Gorge National Park]], [[Fitzroy River (Western Australia)|Fitzroy River]], 2007]]
[[File:A196, Halls Creek, Western Australia, China Wall, 2007.JPG|thumb|China Wall - a natural rock formation near [[Halls Creek, Western Australia|Halls Creek]]]]
During the [[Devonian]] period, a barrier reef system formed before a subsequent drop in sea levels over the Kimberley. This reef system was similar to the [[Great Barrier Reef]] and is still visible today in the form of the [[Napier Range]] and the [[Ningbing Range]]. Some of the features are [[Tunnel Creek]], [[Windjana Gorge]] and [[Geikie Gorge]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation|year=2007|title=The Devonian 'Great Barrier Reef'|url=http://www.naturebase.net/content/view/668/96/|access-date=2007-03-12|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911160512/http://www.naturebase.net/content/view/668/96/|archive-date=11 September 2007}}</ref>

This area is also known as the Kimberley Block physiographic province, of which it is part of the larger [[Australian Shield|West Australian Shield]] division. This province contains the [[Wunaamin-Miliwundi Ranges|Wunaamin-Miliwundi Range]], [[Durack Range]], [[Leveque Rise]], [[Browse Depression]], and [[Londonderry Rise]] physiographic sections.

===Coastline===
[[File:Cape Leveque.png|thumb|[[Cape Leveque]]]]
{{see also|Islands of the Kimberley (Western Australia)}}
In [[Bureau of Meteorology]] weather reports the "North Kimberley Coast" is the WA border to Kuri Bay section of the coast, while the "West Kimberley Coast" is from Kuri Bay to Wallal Downs.  Significant sections of the coastline between Broome and Wyndham have no means of road access, and boat or helicopter are the only means.  Due to the isolation, a number of tourist operations on the coastline have been called "wilderness" locations.

==Ecology==
The rugged and varied sandstone landscape is home to a distinctive mixture of wildlife, which has been thoroughly mapped and described by the [[Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia)|Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management]].<ref>Miles, J. M., and A. A. Burbidge. editors. 1975. A biological survey of the Prince Regent River reserve, north-west Kimberley, Western Australia. Wildlife Research Bulletin no. 3. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Perth</ref><ref>Kabay, E. D., and A. A. Burbidge. editors. 1977. A biological survey of the Drysdale River National Park, north Kimberley, Western Australia. Wildlife Research Bulletin no. 6. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Perth.</ref><ref>Burbidge, A. A., and N. L. McKenzie. editors. 1978. The islands of the north-west Kimberley, Western Australia. Wildlife Research Bulletin no. 7. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Perth</ref><ref>McKenzie, N.L. editor. 1981a. Wildlife of the Edgar Ranges area, south-west Kimberley, Western Australia. Wildlife Research Bulletin no. 10. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Perth</ref><ref>McKenzie, N.L. editor. 1981b. Mammals of the Phanerozoic South-west Kimberley, Western Australia: biogeography and recent changes. Journal of Biogeography 8: 263–280.</ref><ref>McKenzie, N.L. editor. 1983. Wildlife of the Dampier Peninsula, south-west Kimberley, Western Australia. Wildlife Research Bulletin no. 11. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Perth.</ref><ref>Western Australian Museum. 1981. Biological survey of Mitchell Plateau and Admiralty Gulf, Kimberley, Western Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth</ref><ref>Burbidge, A. A., N. L. McKenzie, and K.F. Kenneally. 1991. Nature conservation reserves in the Kimberley, Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Perth.</ref><ref>McKenzie, N. L., R. B. Johnston, and P. G. Kendrick. editors. 1991. Kimberley rainforests of Australia. Surrey Beatty & Sons, Sydney.</ref><ref>[[Judy Wheeler|Wheeler, J.R.]] editor. 1992. Flora of the Kimberley region. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Perth.</ref><ref>Kenneally, K. F., D. C. Edinger, and T. Willing 1996. Broome and beyond. Plants and people of the Dampier Peninsula, Kimberley, Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management, Perth.</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=June 2024}} There are habitats similar to the Kimberley across the border in the [[Northern Territory]], including the valleys of the [[Victoria River (Northern Territory)|Victoria]] and [[Daly River (Northern Territory)|Daly River]]s but these have been less carefully studied.<ref>Price, O., D. Milne, G. Connors, B. Harwood, J. Woinarski, and M. Butler. 2001. A conservation plan for the Daly Basin bioregion. Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory, Darwin.</ref><ref>{{WWF ecoregion|id=aa0706|name=Kimberly tropical savanna}}</ref>

===Flora===
[[File:Boab tree near Kununurra WA.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Adansonia gregorii|Boab tree]] near [[Kununurra, Western Australia|Kununurra]]]]
Much of the Kimberley is chiefly covered in open [[savanna]] woodland dominated by low [[Corymbia|bloodwood]] and [[Adansonia gregorii|boab]] trees (''[[Adansonia gregorii]]'') with [[Eucalyptus tetrodonta|Darwin stringybark]] and [[Eucalyptus miniata|Darwin woollybutt]] eucalyptus in the wetter areas. The red sandy soil of the [[Dampier Peninsula]] in the south is known for its characteristic [[pindan]] wooded grassland, while in the more fertile areas like the [[Ord River|Ord Valley]], the trees are found in grasslands of ''[[Chrysopogon]]'', ''[[Aristida]]'', ''[[Dichanthium]]'' and ''[[Xerochloa]]'' (rice grass) in the wetter valleys. The banks of the [[Ord River|Ord]], [[Fitzroy River (Western Australia)|Fitzroy River]] and other rivers are home to a greater variety of vegetation, while in sheltered gorges of the high rainfall north there are patches of [[tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest|tropical dry broadleaf forest]], called [[monsoon forest]]s, deciduous vine forest or vine thicket in Australia (often mistakenly called "dry rainforest"), which were unknown to science until 1965,<ref>Beard, J. S. 1976. The monsoon forests of the Admiralty Gulf, Western Australia. Plant Ecology, 31(3): 177–192. {{doi|10.1007/BF00114864}}</ref> and are one of the most floristically rich parts of Australia outside the Wet Tropics and southwestern WA. There are also areas of [[mangrove]] in river estuaries where the coast is flatter{{what|date=January 2022}}.

===Flora regions===
In 1979, Beard identified four phytogeographic districts within the Northern Botanical Province:<ref>{{Citation | author1=Wheeler, J. R. (Judith Roderick) |author-link1=Judy Wheeler | author2=Western Australian Herbarium | title=Flora of the Kimberley region | date=1992 | publisher=Western Australia Herbarium. Department of Conservation and Land Management | isbn=978-0-7309-5221-3 }}</ref>
* Gardner District (Ga) in the north (and further divided into the West Gardner (WGa), Central Gardner (CGa) and East Gardner (EGa))
* Fitzgerald District (Fi) in the centre
* Dampier (Da) and Hall (Ha) Districts in the south

===Fauna===
[[File:Bungle Bungles Bower bird nest 190503 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Bowerbird]] nest]]
[[File:Pseudomys desertor TPartridge.JPG|thumb|[[Pseudomys desertor|Desert mouse]]]]
Animals found here include the huge [[saltwater crocodile]] and a rich variety of [[bird]]s such as the [[channel-billed cuckoo]], [[Pacific koel]], [[purple-crowned fairywren]] and the [[bowerbird]]. The sandstone gorges of north Kimberley are an important refuge for a particularly rich collection of endemic species including some that have disappeared from the flatter areas, including the purple-crowned fairywren, the endangered [[Gouldian finch]] and a large number of [[amphibian]]s: [[flat-headed frog]], [[cave-dwelling frog]], [[magnificent tree frog]], [[Derby toadlet]], [[small toadlet]], [[fat toadlet]], the unconfirmed [[marbled toadlet]], [[Mjoberg's toadlet]], [[mole toadlet]] and [[stonemason's toadlet]]. Mammals that have declined especially in the flatlands include the [[bilby]], [[northern quoll]], [[pale field rat]], [[golden-backed tree-rat]], and [[golden bandicoot]]. [[Megabat]]s such as the [[black flying fox]]es and [[little red flying fox]]es are common and perform important [[pollination]] and [[seed dispersal]] work for many species of native trees and shrubs.

A species of endemic [[gecko]], ''[[Gehyra kimberleyi]]'', is named after the Kimberley region.<ref>Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. ("Kimberley", p. 141).</ref>

The gorges of central Kimberley are known for their [[fossil]]s and for their large colonies of bats, including [[Windjana Gorge|Windjana]], [[Tunnel Creek]], and [[Geikie Gorge]]s. [[Lake Argyle]] and other wetlands of the Ord and the Kimberley are important habitats while there are important populations of [[shorebird]]s in the Ord estuary, [[Eighty-mile Beach]] and [[Roebuck Bay]], which has been described as "one of the most important stop-over areas for shorebirds in Australia and globally".<ref>Lane, J., R. Jaensch, and R. Lynch. 1996. Western Australia. Pages 759-943 in A directory of important wetlands in Australia. Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Canberra, Australia.</ref> Finally there are a number of rocky islands off the north coast that are home to [[seabird]]s and [[turtle]]s.

===Threats and preservation===
[[File:A202, Purnululu National Park, Western Australia, Bungle Bungles, from plane, 2007.JPG|thumb|[[Purnululu National Park]]]]
Little of the Kimberley has been subject to wholesale clearance other than particularly fertile parts of the Ord Valley (and areas of Kimberley-type habitat across in the Daly River basin in the Northern Territory) but the pastureland in the southern areas has been affected by 100 years of livestock grazing and other threats including introduced weeds (such as [[Xanthium strumarium|cocklebur]], [[Parkinsonia aculeata|parkinsonia]], [[Jatropha gossypifolia|bellyache bush]] and [[castor oil plant]]), feral cats and changes to traditional Aboriginal [[fire regime]]s (the way grassland is burnt and allowed to renew). However, the remote sandstone areas to the north have valuable original habitats in good condition providing shelter for much wildlife.
[[Image:Purnululu2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Purnululu National Park]] - sandstone domes of the [[Bungle Bungle Range]]]]
The largest protected areas are the [[Prince Regent National Park]] and the [[Drysdale River National Park]] along with [[Gregory National Park]] and [[Keep River National Park]] across in the Northern Territory, which preserves similar habitats. (Keep River's nearest town is [[Kununurra]] in the Kimberley.)

The Kimberley is a popular tourist destination, with areas such as the [[Bungle Bungle Range]], the [[Gibb River Road]], [[Lake Argyle]], [[El Questro Station]], [[Mornington Sanctuary]], [[Horizontal Falls]] and [[Cape Leveque]]. The Gibb River Road and the road into the Bungle Bungles can at times be accessed in a [[two-wheel drive]] car, although one can access many additional areas in a [[four-wheel drive]] vehicle.

Other parks in the region include [[Geikie Gorge National Park]], [[Mirima National Park]], [[Mitchell River National Park (Western Australia)|Mitchell River National Park]], [[Point Coulomb National Park]], [[Purnululu National Park]], [[Tunnel Creek National Park]], [[Windjana Gorge National Park]] and [[Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater National Park]]. In 2012 the Western Australian government announced the creation of the 7,062 square kilometre Camden Sound Marine Park with a further three to come.{{update inline|date=February 2020}}

Visitors to the area should be aware that the area can be subject to controlled burns at any time of year. In September 2011, a fire burned five people, two severely, who had been competing in the Kimberley Ultramarathon, an endurance [[cross country running|cross country footrace]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/commit.nsf/%28Evidence+Lookup+by+Com+ID%29/F75A6BCD99B1746848257A5C000A0160 |title=Inquiry into the 2011 Kimberley Ultramarathon |publisher=Economics and Industry Standing Committee, [[Western Australian Legislative Assembly]] |id=Report No. 13 |date=August 2012 |access-date=22 January 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202161835/http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/commit.nsf/%28Evidence+Lookup+by+Com+ID%29/F75A6BCD99B1746848257A5C000A0160 |archive-date=2 February 2017}}</ref>

===Save the Kimberley campaign===
[[File:Pindan Country.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Pindan]] country near [[James Price Point]]]]
[[The Wilderness Society (Australia)|The Wilderness Society]] has led a campaign to protest a proposal to industrialise the [[James Price Point]] area of Broome. [[Woodside Energy]], with the additional involvement of [[BHP]] and the [[Government of Australia]], has sought to build a gas industrial complex, and those in opposition believe that such a development threatens the region. The campaign has received support from public figures such as [[John Butler (musician)|John Butler]], Clare Bowditch, [[Missy Higgins]] and former leader of the [[Australian Greens]], [[Bob Brown]].

On 5 October 2012, a concert was held at [[Federation Square]] in [[Melbourne]], Australia, to raise awareness of the campaign; the protest event attracted approximately 6,000 people.

On 24 February 2013, an estimated 20,000 people gathered for a charity concert<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.savethekimberley.com/2013/02/12/concert-for-the-kimberley/|title=Music Icons Unite Over JPP Fight - Save The Kimberley|website=www.savethekimberley.com|access-date=28 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323211944/http://www.savethekimberley.com/2013/02/12/concert-for-the-kimberley/|archive-date=23 March 2016}}</ref> in [[Fremantle]], Western Australia to raise awareness and funds to help protect the Kimberley, with performances from [[Ball Park Music]], Missy Higgins, and John Butler.

==Economy==
[[File:Broome Deep Water Wharf & Jetty.jpg|thumb|[[Broome, Western Australia|Broome]]'s deep water wharf and jetty]]
[[File:A195, Argyle Diamond Mine, Western Australia, from plane, 2007.JPG|thumb|[[Argyle diamond mine]]]]
[[Image:Early Cattle Road Trains at Louisa.jpg|thumb|Cattle road trains at [[Louisa Downs Station]]]]
The Kimberley region has a diverse regional economy. Mining, construction, tourism, retail, agriculture, and pearling are major contributors to the region's economic output.<ref name=kdc>{{cite web |url=http://kdc.wa.gov.au/economic-activity/ |title=Economic Activity |work=Kimberley Development Commission |publisher=Government of Western Australia |access-date=12 August 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813011120/http://kdc.wa.gov.au/economic-activity/ |archive-date=13 August 2014}}</ref>

The town of [[Broome, Western Australia|Broome]] has a flourishing [[pearl farm|pearling]] industry, which operates around the Kimberley coast. Some of the major farmers are Paspaley Pearls, Clipper Pearls, Broome Pearls and the Willie Creek Pearl Farm.

One third of the world's annual production of [[Diamond (gemstone)|diamonds]] is mined at the [[Argyle diamond mine|Argyle]] and the [[Ellendale, Western Australia|Ellendale]] diamond mines. [[Oil]] is extracted from the [[Blina]] oil field and [[natural gas]] is expected to be taken from offshore sources soon{{when|date=February 2020}}. [[Zinc]] and [[lead]] were mined at the Pillara and Cadjebut mines near Fitzroy Crossing, with nickel still being mined at Sallay Mallay near Halls Creek. [[Derby, Western Australia|Derby]] is the nearest export base for shipping these metals.

Traditionally, the economy depended on [[List of pastoral leases in Western Australia|pastoral leases]], with most of the region covered by the leases.

More recently agriculture has been focused on the [[Ord River]] Irrigation Area near [[Kununurra, Western Australia|Kununurra]]. Irrigation was also trialled in the West Kimberley by way of the now defunct [[Camballin Irrigation Scheme]]. There are also fruit growers in Broome and in other areas in the West Kimberley. Beef cattle are grown in the Kimberley and exported live. Wyndham features the last remaining meatworks in the Kimberley - there were formerly works at Broome and Derby but financial constraints have caused these to be closed.

[[Barramundi]] are bred in [[Lake Argyle]], and Broome features a fully equipped Aquaculture Park near the port; tenants include Paspaley Pearls and Broome [[TAFE]]. The Kimberley also has a thriving fishing industry.

Some of Australia's most prominent indigenous artists and art centres are in or adjacent to the Kimberley region. Artists such as [[Paddy Bedford]] and [[Freddie Timms]] have an international profile, and there are a number of Aboriginal-owned and controlled art centres and companies that assist artists, arrange exhibitions and sell works. The art centres in the region are also organized through the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists. Issues have been raised regarding the exploitation of indigenous artists by businesses and individuals, including in the Kimberley, which were canvassed in an [[Australian Senate]] parliamentary committee report.

Tourism is expected to remain one of the Kimberley region's major growth industries. Averaged across 2010, 2011, and 2012, there were 292,600 domestic and international visitors to the Kimberley annually.<ref name=kdc/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Western Australia}}
* [[List of pastoral leases in Western Australia]]
* [[Kimberley-Perth Canal]]
* [[Kimberley Plan]]
{{Clear}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

Grey, Sir George (1812–1898)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/grey-sir-george-2125/text2691, published first in hardcopy 1966, accessed online 29 May 2024.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Kimberley, Western Australia}}
*{{wikivoyage-inline|Kimberley (Western Australia)|Kimberley, Western Australia}}
*[http://www.kimberley.wa.gov.au Kimberley Development Commission]
*[http://www.kununurra.org.au/ Kununurra Historical Society Inc. Archive, Library, Museum & Research for links to history images of the Kimberley]

{{Western Australian regions}}
{{Drainage basins of Australia}}

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[[Category:Kimberley (Western Australia)| ]]
[[Category:Regions of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Physiographic provinces]]
[[Category:Drainage basins of Australia]]