Shire of Derby-West Kimberley

Shire of Derby-West Kimberley
Western Australia
Population 7,730 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density 0.07427/km2 (0.19236/sq mi)
Established 1884
Area 104,080 km2 (40,185.5 sq mi)
President Geoff Haerewa
Council seat Derby
Region Kimberley
State electorate(s) Kimberley
Federal Division(s) Durack
Website Shire of Derby-West Kimberley
LGAs around Shire of Derby-West Kimberley:
Cocos Wyndham-East Kimberley Wyndham-East Kimberley
Broome Shire of Derby-West Kimberley Halls Creek
Broome East Pilbara Halls Creek

The Shire of Derby-West Kimberley is one of four local government areas in the Kimberley Region of northern Western Australia, covering an area of 104,080 square kilometres (40,186 sq mi), most of which is sparsely populated. The Shire's population as at the 2016 Census was almost 8,000, with most residing in the major towns of Derby, which is also the Shire's seat of government, and Fitzroy Crossing. There are also around 70 Aboriginal communities within the Shire.

The major industries of the shire include sheep and cattle for export, fishing, and tourism.

History

The Shire of Derby-West Kimberley originated as the West Kimberley Road District in 1884, which became a shire on 1 July 1961 under the Local Government Act 1960. The current name was adopted in 1983.

The area is home to many large cattle stations, One of the first established was Yeeda Station, taken up in 1880[2] by the Murray Squatting Company composed of William Paterson, G. Paterson, H. Cornish and Alexander Richardson.[3]

The lease for Fossil Downs Station had been issued in 1883 to Dan MacDonald, for an area of 100 square miles (259 km2) at the junction of the Margaret and Fitzroy Rivers.[4] The station was established in 1886 when cattle arrived from the eastern states to stock the lease.[5]

Other properties in the area include Mount Barnett Station, Cherrabun, Charnley River Station, Glenroy, Gogo, Kimberley Downs, Liveringa, Meda, Mornington, Mount Hart, Mount House, Myroodah and Noonkanbah Station all of which are cattle stations supplying the beef market.

Wards

All nine councillors represent the whole of the Shire.

Towns

Notable councillors

  • John McLarty, West Kimberley Roads Board chairman 1884; later a state MP

References

  1. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Derby-West Kimberley (S)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 26 November 2017. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ↑ Anne Porter (2012). "Paterson, William (1847–1920), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography". Australian National University. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  3. ↑ Cathie Clement (2012). "Alexander Robert (1847–1931)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography". Australian National University. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "Assessment Documentation - Fossil Downs Homestead Group". Register of Heritage Places. Heritage Council of Western Australia. 26 February 1999. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  5. ↑ "Assessment Documentation - Fitzroy Crossing Post Office (fmr)". Register of Heritage Places. Heritage Council of Western Australia. 18 February 2000. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  • Official website Edit this at Wikidata
  • "Map of Aboriginal Communities in West Kimberley" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-17.  (211 KB). Department of Indigenous Affairs (DIA).

Coordinates: 17°23′S 123°41′E / 17.39°S 123.68°E / -17.39; 123.68

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