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, from Queensland to the East Kimberley in 1883-84, Wyndham became the trading port for a fledgling beef industry. When gold was discovered in Halls Creek, prospectors of all kinds arrived on foot to make the trek south. Supplies were shipped to Wyndham and then transported out to the interior. ‘Afghan’ cameleers, with their teams of camels, became the main method of sustaining the supply chain. Chinese migrants often ran the town’s general stores. Later, the meatworks sustained the town, but its blood effluent outlet attracted crocs … BIG ones! Situated in the town’s old courthouse, the Wyndham Museum tells the hard truths of these stories with honesty, clarity and humour. Other stories cover the lost German aviators, WW2 bombings and the other trials in the area's tempestuous history. The Museum does not shy away from hard truths about the inhuman treatment of the Aboriginal people in the early days of settlement. Generous to the core, the Centre welcomes visitors at any time. If no one is in attendance the key is available from the police station across the road.

Address:

1 MacPhee Street
Wyndham WA 6740
Australia

Opening Hours

25 April to 30 Sept 7 days 10am - 2pm; or by collecting the key from the Police Station across the road

Curios and crucifixes

Carved from the skeleton of a large catfish, this crucifix reflects the deep Christianity of many of the Aboriginal people from the Forrest River and other missions of the Kimberley. The Catfish was...

Meat Worker gladiators?

Chainmail gloves were all that protected the meat workers from the threat of the extremely sharp knives, used when butchering cattle. Their annual cattle head count is marked on a wooden ‘Tally board’...

Look out for Bismark

As you enter the Museum, one of the first faces you see is ‘Bismarck’, a croc that was (almost) as big as his namesake ship. A timely reminder, to locals and visitors alike, of the ever-present...

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While you're in the area

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Five Rivers Lookout
Attraction
Five Rivers Lookout
See where five mighty Kimberley Rivers meet and flow into the ocean at...
Hugo Austla Drive, Wyndham, WA 6740
Three Mile Valley
Attraction
Three Mile Valley
Three Mile Valley sits at the bottom of the Bastion Range which can be...
via Hugo Austla Drive, Wyndham, WA 6740
Marlgu Billabong
Attraction
Marlgu Billabong
Bird watchers will delight in the abundance of wild bird species to be...
Parry Creek Kununarra Road, Wyndham, WA 6740
Parry Lagoons Nature Reserve
Attraction
Parry Lagoons Nature Reserve
Parry Lagoons Nature Reserve is one of 12 Ramsar Nature Reserve wetland...
Parry Lagoons Nature Reserve, Wyndham, WA 6740