Shire of Derby, West Kimberley Library Overview

Shire of Derby / West Kimberley Library - local studies collection

Get directions

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.

Visit website

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

Tracker 'Larry' medal and photograph

Valued skills

Larry Kunamarra, a Bunuba man, once ran with Jandamarra and his gang through the Napier and Wunaanim-Miliwudi Ranges. After finally being shot and captured, Larry, like Jandamarra, became a valued...

Sheep loose in the main street of Derby

Sheep on the run

Few may remember that it was sheep, not cattle, that were brought to the rich pastures along the Fitzroy River in the 1880s. Since that time Derby has been the regional centre and port for the west...

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...

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...

Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency

‘We do art and tell the story.’

Bringing desert and river artists together, Mangkaja has been the base for people such as Butcher Cherrel, Daisy Andrews, Tommy May, Mervyn Street, Sonia Kurrarra, Cory Surprise, John Prince Siddon...

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...

City of Karratha Local History Archives

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...