Argyle Homestead Museum

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Kings in Grass Castles

Stone by stone, the Argyle Homestead was moved from its original site,now under the waters of the ‘top dam’ on the Ord River, to its current home on the edge of Lake Argyle. It was the former home of ‘Patsy’ Durack, one of the first people to bring cattle overland from Queensland, to stock the first speculative leases in the Kimberley, in 1884. With shady verandahs and cool interiors, this welcoming museum, complete with tea and muffins, maps the Durack’s epic journey and the genealogy of this pioneering and talented family. Its diverse collection of original objects, saved from the homestead, along with photographs and period objects, interpret life on a remote pastoral lease in the 1890s. The story of the flooding of the original homestead is highlighted with images of Operation Noah, that brought naturalist Harry Butler to the Kimberley to rescue stranded animals.

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Address:

Lake Argyle Road
Lake Argyle WA 6743
Australia

Tel:

(08) 9167 8088

Email:

ADHMuseum@outlook.com

Opening Hours

April to September, 7 days 8am - 4pm

Kimberley Durack’s camera and snakeskin case

Little black box

As robust as the man himself, the box camera - with its handsome cover, thought to be made by Kimberley Durack - survived the heat, tropical storms, floods and the rigours of a cattleman's life in one...

Michael Patrick Durack's leather satchel

A leather legacy

When the centre of government administration lies 3000 km to the south, it was important to keep your legal documents and land titles safe. This satchel was made for MP Durack by an Argyle Saddler in...

7PD - The Durack Brand

Kings In Grass Castles - the Duracks

Every station has its own cattle brand, and great effort was made by managers to brand their cattle to outwit the rogue rustlers of the area. 7PD was the brand that Patsy Durack brought to the...

Neil Baker Shell Collection

Shells galore

This extraordinary shell collection is one of the largest in Australia. Collected over the last 70 years by fisherman and boat builder Neil Baker, the shells come from all over Australia and the...

Comet Gold Mine and Tourist Centre

Plenty of gold still here

Gold fever hit Marble Bar in the 1890s but the rocky hills and alluvial creeks hold much more that gold. Situated 9 kilometres from Marble Bar, adjacent to the old Comet gold mine, this gem of a...

University of Notre Dame Australia, Broome Campus

Collecting the Kimberley through art

Since its inception as an educational campus for Kimberley communities, the University of Notre Dame’s campus in Broome has also been committed to collecting and exhibiting the art generated from...

Shire of Broome Art Collection

Kimberley artists abound

The Shinju Matsuri Art Awards is an open competition and exhibition for Broome and Kimberley based artists, held every year as a core event of Broome’s annual Shinju Matsuri Festival. The overall...