Kimberley region

Population: 35,748 ABS
Main employment sources: Tourism, agriculture, pearling and pastoral industries
Main towns: Carnarvon, Kununurra, Derby, Halls Creek, Wyndham and Fitzroy Crossing
Located: Carnarvon is 2,230 km Northwest of Perth or 23 hours drive

*Overview
From 1995 to 2005, the Kimberley region, in the far North-West of WA, had an average population increase of 3.6 per cent per annum, making it the second fastest growing region in WA. The median age of the Kimberley population at the 2001 census was 28, with 47.3 per cent of the population being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.

Population mobility is a significant feature of the Kimberley, particularly among the non-Aboriginal workforce. The majority of Aboriginal residents tend to be stable residents. There is also a large number of short-term visitors during the tourist season May to October.

In this young vibrant region, natural beauty sits alongside mining, tourism, agriculture and pastoral industries. The main economic and cultural centres of the Kimberley include Broome, Kununurra, Derby, Halls Creek, Wyndham and Fitzroy Crossing.

With its tropical monsoon climate, the Kimberley region receives about 90 per cent of its rainfall during the summer or 'wet season' (November to April), making it difficult to work or socialise. A welcome change occurs during the winter months.

Broome
Broome is world famous for its cultured pearls, beaches and variety of natural and popular tourist attractions.

In the 1880s Broome was the world capital of pearling, with a fleet of more than 400 luggers collecting pearl shell to provide buttons for an international market. It was a wild frontier town of populated by many different nationalities and had a thriving 'Chinatown' of saloons, gambling joints, opium dens and bordellos. Much of the flavour and style of the old town is on show today for tourists.

Plastic buttons caused the collapse of the pearl shell industry, but Broome has adapted by becoming the world capital of the cultured pearl industry. It's most famous attraction is Cable Beach, a pristine 24km stretch of pure white sand fringing the turquoise blue waters of the Indian Ocean.

Employment
More than 16,000 people work in the Kimberley. About 28 per cent of the region's employees work in the health and community services sector - health, police and other services such as the many Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) operating across the region. These projects are funded by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission to provide community-based employment in areas where insufficient opportunities exist.

Retail is the second largest employment sector providing jobs to 8.8 per cent of the working population. Other employment sectors include agriculture and fishing, hospitality and construction while property and business services is the fastest growing employment sector.

Education
The State Government provides education facilities up to Year 10 in all Kimberley towns at district high schools. Fully taught Years 11 and 12 are also available at Broome Senior High School. Some senior secondary subjects are offered by distance education at district high schools located in the region's towns and major communities. Alternatively, students may remain in any part of the region and elect to complete secondary schooling by distance education.

The Kimberley School of the Air at Derby services students in remote locations across the region using a range of communications technologies.

The Catholic Education Office of WA provides educational programs from Kindergarten to Year 12 at St Mary's College in Broome. Kindergarten to Year 10 is offered at Beagle Bay, Lombadina, Warmun, Balgo, Lake Gregory and Billiluna. Education programs up to Year 7 are offered at Derby, Red Hill, Gibb River, Kununurra, Wyndham and Ringers Soak. Adult education is offered at Lake Gregory and Billiluna.

There are also six Aboriginal Independent Community Schools operating in remote communities offering a kindergarten to Year 7 or kindergarten to Year 10 curriculum.

Students who choose to complete their study in Perth or other regional centres are supported by the State Government-funded Student Assisted Travel Scheme.

Post-Secondary Education
Kimberley College of TAFE offers post-secondary education through its centres in Broome, Derby, Halls Creek, Kununurra and Wyndham.

University of Notre Dame established its Broome Campus in 1998 and has been expanding the range of courses on an ongoing basis. Vocational Education and Training programs are available with the Certificate III in Education Teacher Assistant (Indigenous) and the Diploma of Enrolled Nursing

Edith Cowan University has a School of Indigenous Studies in Broome and is a contact point for the many students in the Kimberley. Courses are available in Business, Education, Social Sciences Indigenous Services, Arts and the Indigenous University Orientation Course designed for indigenous students who wish to gain access to tertiary studies.

*Things to do and see
In the far north, the Kimberley region is regarded as one of the world's last frontiers with ruggedly beautiful scenery. Attractions include Kununurra - WA's northern gateway - with its barramundi fishing, flights over the Bungle Bungle, boat cruises and tours of Lake Argyle, Lake Kununurra and the Argyle Diamond Mine. The Bungle Bungle is a rock mass covering 700 square kilometres in the Purnululu National Park. It is an awesome spectacle with orange and black striped beehive-shaped rock domes rising 200 metres above the surrounding plateau.
There are many spectacular gorges in the region too including Bell Creek, Manning and Geikie Gorges.

*Information provided by:

The Kimberley Development Commission
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