City of Karratha Local History Archives Overview

City of Karratha Local History Archives

Get directions

Karratha's local history

Located in the stunning Red Earth Arts Precinct built in 2018 that incorporates a public library, a dual-purpose theatre/cinema,rehearsal spaces and exhibition areas, the City of Karratha Local History Archives documents the history of the towns of Karratha, Dampier, Wickham, Roebourne, Point Samson, and Cossack. It follows the transformation of the region through the pastoral, pearling and mining booms. Despite its relative youth (Karratha was only established as a town in 1996 by Hamersley Iron), this rich collection of photographs, documents and files, well-provenanced and catalogued, is a stand-out , and is accessible for all who are interested in the region’s history. The local history staff provide a research and reference service for this history and will assist with family history enquiries.

Visit website

View Collection at Collections WA

Address:

Red Earth Arts Precinct
27 Welcome Road
Karratha WA 6714
Australia

Tel:

(08) 9186 8660

Email:

local.history@karratha.wa.gov.au

Opening Hours

Mon, Wed & Friday 9am - 5pm; Tues & Thurs 9am - 6pm; Sat 9am - 2pm

Karratha Station Silk Jockey Shirt

Race day

Since the first towns were established in the north, social life has revolved around the annual races, with their associated balls, corral events and a multitude of other social gatherings. People...

Miss Ollis Northern Public Opinion Remnant

Courageous costume

This remnant square of fabric was part of a fancy dress outfit created by Miss Clare Sophia Ollis in 1900 when she attended a ball held to raise money for the Rectory Fund in Roebourne. Titled...

Red Dog file

A loyal friend

It is not only people that have made this region famous. The enigmatic Red Dog, now the subject of Louis de Bernières' book and a subsequent feature film, claimed his place in history as he hitchhiked...

Argyle Homestead Museum

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...

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...

Wyndham History and Museum Collection

Not forgotten – the story of Wyndham

Sitting at the confluence of five rivers on the Cambridge Gulf, lies the old town of Wyndham, the most northerly port of Western Australia. After the great cattle treks by Nat Buchanan and the Duracks...

Cygnet Bay Pearls

Growing pearls

More than a ‘pearl shop’, Cygnet Bay Pearls reveals the history of pearling in Broome and the mysteries of how pearls are made. With films, impressive displays and live tours, visitors are taken step...