Shire of Derby, West Kimberley Library Overview

Shire of Derby / West Kimberley Library - local studies collection

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Muddy Waters

Named after the Earl of Derby, the town has a rich colonial history as the first regional and administrative centre, supporting the sheep and cattle stations of the west Kimberley. Keeper of this history is the Derby library and its Local History Collection which is a trove that includes thousands of photographs, archived newspapers and a variety of books that visitors are welcome to view on demand. Like the namesake of one of the Derby tabloids, the Boab Babbler, the West Kimberley Library is the place to find out what’s been happening in the region. Providing a sanctuary from the Kimberley heat, the library also exhibits many of the acquisitions from the Kimberley Art Award, an integral part of Derby’s annual Boab Festival.

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Address:

Clarendon Street
Derby WA 6728
Australia

Tel:

(08) 9191 0900

Email:

libmanager@sdwk.wa.gov.au

Opening Hours

Mon, Tues, Wed & Fri 9.30am - 12pm; Thurs 1 - 5pm; Sat 10am – 12pm

Namarali at Rest, by Donny Woolagoodja

Namarali, the great wandjina

Namarali is one of the greatest and most powerful Wandjinas of the Worrorra people, characterised by a halo of several lines and a shell pendant on his chest. The feared Wandjina, who enforces the law...

Cow-horn sharks by unknown artist

Two in one

A favourite pastime of many locals was to carve whatever enduring materials were at hand—turtle shell and catfish bones for the saltwater people, and cow horns and boab nuts for those from the station...

Nyikina language materials

Nyikina—a language of the river country

Nyikina is one of the main languages of the West Kimberley region, particularly around the lower end of the mighty Fitzroy River. It is spoken by more people than Warrwa, which is the language group...

Broome Bird Observatory

Shorebird capital of Australia

The BBO is a veritable twitcher’s paradise on beautiful Roebuck Bay, where up to 120,000 shorebirds gather every year. Once you have arrived, the first port of call is the Clive Minton Discovery...

Dalgety House Museum

Home of the Dalgety manager

Once the centre of town, the former Dalgety managers’ residence now houses Port Hedland Historical Society’s Dalgety House Museum. Dalgety House is adorned with lattice and louvered windows, and has...

Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre

Waking up the spirit

Waking up the spirit of the Country through songs, dance, art and story, by sharing and teaching young people, is what the Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre does to keep their culture alive...

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...