Kimberley historical timeline

This timeline is a selected list of events and locations of the development of the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Date Event Location Notes
1688William Dampier, first European to the region, sails along the coastCape Leveque and King Sound[1]
1699William Dampier return journey, leaves after an altercation with Aboriginies after a man is killed[1]
1803Nicolas Baudin sails along the coast charting Cape BougainvilleAdmiralty Gulf[2]
1819Philip Parker King sails along the coast in HMS Mermaid surveying the coastlineCambridge Gulf and King Sound
1837Lieutenant George Grey and Franklin Lushington, and 12 men sailed on the schooner Lynher from Cape Town to Hanover Bey and explore inlandHanover Bay
1861The 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]
1879Alexander Forrest trekked across from the western coast to the Northern Territory. Forrest named the Kimberley district, Margaret River, Ord River and the King Leopold RangesKimberley
1879Charles Harper suggested to the Legislative Council that Roebuck Bay be set up as a port for the pearling industryRoebuck Bay[1]
1880The Murray Squatting Company take up leases in the newly opened West KimberleyYeeda
1881The Kimberley Squatting Company take up the lease for Liveringa StationLiveringa[5]
1881First ships using pearl diving equipment arrive in Roebuck Bay, revolutionizing the pearling industryRoebuck Bay[3][4]
1882The Victorian Squatting Company take up leases on the Drysdale RiverDrysdale River Station[6]
1883The townsite of Derby is named and established with a Government residentDerby[7]
1883Townsite for Broome chosen by John Forrest, town proclaimed later the same yearBroome[1]
1883Leases issued to the MacDonald and MacKenzie families for lands along the Fitzroy RiverFossil Downs Station[8]
1885Construction of wooden jetty at Derby completedDerby[7]
1885Gold discovered by prospectors Charles Hall and John Slattery at Halls CreekHalls Creek[9]
1885Gogo cattle station established by the Emanuel familyGogo Station
1886Townsite of for Wyndham chosen by John ForrestWyndham
1887Lots at townsite for Halls Creek laid outHalls Creek[9]
1893Michael and Patrick Durack establish Carlton Hill and Ivanhoe cattle stationsCarlton Hill Station and Ivanhoe Station[10]
1894Townsite of Halls Creek gazettedHalls Creek[9]
1908Construction of wells along Canning Stock Route commencesHalls Creek
1910Construction of wells along Canning Stock Route completedWiluna
1944Construction of Mungalalu Truscott Airbase completedMungalalu Truscott Airbase
1945Frank Lacy established Mount Elizabeth cattle stationMount Elizabeth Station[11]
1949Air Beef Scheme commences operationGlenroy Station[9]
1949Townsite of Halls Creek moved 12 kilometres (7 mi) west after flooding and regazettedHalls Creek[9]
1951BHP commence mining Iron ore at Cockatoo IslandCockatoo Island[12]
1957Lease for Home Valley taken up by Harold MacNamaraHome Valley Station[13]
1959Construction of barrages and 17-mile dam completed for Camballin Irrigation SchemeCamballin[14]
1959BHP commence mining Iron ore at Koolan IslandKoolan Island[15]
1960Construction of Ord River Diversion dam commencesOrd River
1961Townsite for Kununurra is proclaimedKununura[16]
1962Air Beef Scheme operations ceaseGlenroy Station[17]
1963Construction of Ord River Diversion dam completed forming Lake KununurraLake Kununurra[18]
1969Construction of Ord River main dam commencesOrd River
1972Construction of Ord River main dam completed forming Lake ArgyleLake Argyle[18]
1975Townsite of Fitzroy Crossing is gazetted, town has existed since the 1900sFitzroy Crossing
1983Construction of RAAF Curtin commencesDerby
1983Camballin Irrigation Scheme abandonedCamballin[19]
1985Argyle diamond mine opensLake Argyle
1983Construction of RAAF Curtin completedDerby
1993BHP cease mining Iron ore at Koolan IslandKoolan Island[15]
2006Mining and processing commences at Coyote Gold MineCoyote Gold Mine
2007Mount Gibson Iron commence mining Iron ore at Koolan IslandKoolan Island[15]
2014Mount Gibson Iron suspend mining Iron ore at Koolan IslandKoolan Island[15]

See also

References
  1. "Broome history". Broome Visitor Information Centre. 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  2. "Nicolas Baudin's Scientific Expedition To The Terres Australes". 2001. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  3. "Broome History Overview". Broome Holidays. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  4. "Pearling". Cable Beach Club. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  5. "Register of Heritage places – Assessment Documentation" (PDF). Heritage Council of Western Australia. 11 December 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  6. "History". Drysdale River Station. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  7. "Derby History". Derby Visitor Centre. 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  8. Wendy Birman (1974). "Macdonald, Charles (1851–1903)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  9. "Halls Creek Suburb Profile". REIWA. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  10. "Carlton Hill". Consolidated Pastoral Company. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  11. "Mt Elizabeth Gibb River Road Australia". Discover Australia. 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  12. "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.
  13. "History of Karunjie Station". Indigenous Land Corporation. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  14. "Agriculture in the West Kimberley" (PDF). Environs Kimberley. 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  15. "Koolan Island". Mount Gibson Iron. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  16. "1961 Kununurra Townsite Proclamation". Kimberley Historical Society. 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  17. "MMA Air Beef Scheme". AussieAirliners. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  18. "Ord river Irrigation Scheme". Lake Argyle. 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  19. Jane O'Sullivan (14 August 2015). "The Kimberley, future Asian food bowl". University of Queensland. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
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