Kimberley Region Western Australia
Western Australia’s Kimberley is in the far north of the state and its enormous and rugged country has been inhabited by indigenous people for over 50,000 years. The climate is monsoonal and defines the landscape which is astonishly beautiful, rugged and romantic.
It covers an expanse of nearly 423,000 square kilometers (three times the size of England) with a population of only 32,000 people. Views from the air are spectacular and there aren’t many roads, so air access is imperative in this remote place.
Kununurra — an Aboriginal word meaning “big waters” — has a population of about 7000 and is roughly halfway between Broome and Darwin, in Western Australia’s northwest. It is the service centre for the east Kimberley region’s economic drivers: agriculture, mining and tourism.
Kununurra was established in 1960 as the centre for the Ord River Irrigation project. Situated on the edge of Lake Kununurra, the views are spectacular, with the Carr Boyd Range bordering the Ord Valley to the south and the thousands of acres of irrigated farmland stretching north.
Kununurra is just over 50 years old, with the second generation of pioneer families now starting their own families, building history every day. The diverse industry mix and young demographic make for an exciting place to live , work and visit.
If we allow ourselves to use the vernacular of its landscape — big, wide and sweeping — we can arrive at the proposition that Kununurra defines Australia.
