In the far north-west of Australia is Derby, a pioneer settlement that offers its residents a traditional small town community. As a result of recent developments in the West Kimberley regional economy, the town also offers an increasing range of business and employment opportunities. Derby was gazetted in 1883 – the first town established in the Kimberley. By 1884 a hotel, jetty and tramway were being constructed, also firsts for the Kimberley, to service the region’s expanding sheep and cattle industries. The subsequent 1886 gold rush at Halls Creek led to a boom in development that mirrors todays resource driven economic activity. Derby supports the Kimberley’s pastoral, mining and tourist industries. It is also the gateway to some wilderness tourist destinations including the Buccaneer Archipelago, the Horizontal Waterfalls, the Fitzroy River and the Gibb River Road, which traverses some of the Kimberley’s most spectacular cliff, river and gorge country. The region also is the centre of a strong Aboriginal culture, with a large number of language and cultural groups sharing a history that long predates European contact. That history is celebrated in traditional dance and some of Australia’s most vital Indigenous art. The Derby Revitalisation Project is a community based initiative committed to preserving and building upon what is special and unique about Derby. This video was produced in accordance to that commitment by John Muirhead and Peter Strain.
Video Rating: 4 / 5