Camballin, Western Australia

Camballin is a small town in the West Kimberley district of Western Australia. The town is located on the Camballin Station about 110 km south of Derby and between Derby and Fitzroy Crossing, with the homestead being situated in the town. The town was established by the Public Works Department of Western Australia to service the Camballin Irrigation Scheme, which has since become defunct due to flooding. At the 2016 census, Camballin had a population of 729.[1]

Camballin
Western Australia
Camballin
Coordinates17.991°S 124.193°E / -17.991; 124.193
Population729 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)6728
Location8 km (5 mi) from Looma
LGA(s)Shire of Derby-West Kimberley
State electorate(s)Kimberley
Federal Division(s)Durack

The town now houses school teachers and other personnel who work at the nearby Looma Community. Amenities in the town are: caravan park, shopping (no fuel), reticulated water and power, phones (including pay phone booth) and mechanical repairs. The town is also serviced by a landfill site nearby, mobile satellite phone coverage and contains a rundown picture gardens. The power station provides power to the nearby communities of Looma and New Looma.

History

The Camballin township was initially established to support Northern Developments Pty. Ltd., a company incorporated in Sydney in 1951 to establish small scale rice production in 1952. Demonstration that rice production was feasible, a 17-mile dam was constructed on the Uralla creek in 1957, trebling the water storage.[2]

The town's growth continued with the Australian Land & Cattle Company Limited purchasing Camballin station, Liveringa station and a further five stations in the Kimberley region. This influx of private investment created strong labour demand for the next two decades, with the project leaving a lasting legacy to this day.

The name was chosen by Northern Development Ltd in 1957, with the townsite being constructed to service the Liveringa Rice Project. The town was named after one of the nearby stations.[3]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Camballin (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  2. looma General Store Camballin History Retrieved, 16 April 2010
  3. Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names – C". Retrieved 26 June 2011.
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