Dawn over Roebuck Bay

Broome
Fascinating port on the western edge of the continent
There's an argument that says that a few years ago Broome might as well have been renamed McAlpine because Lord Alistair McAlpine so dominated the townscape and the economy of the town that he may as well have his name attached to a town that was virtually his personal fiefdom. For example, at the time, two of the town's most interesting buildings - Matso's Store and Captain Gregory's House which are located on the corner of Dampier Terrace at the end of Carnarvon Street - were both restored and relocated by him.

In fairness McAlpine had converted this pearling port (with all the temporariness and roughness that such a description implies) into a very attractive town. He had attracted government money to the town and had built a holiday resort at Cable Beach which was far removed from the day to day problems of the town. Of course nothing lasts forever and today the influence of Lord McAlpine has almost disappeared from the town.

Modern Broome is a strange, isolated township which has lost a lot of its frontier charm. The new Broome, located on Roebuck Bay 2200 km north of Perth, is a kind of larger, more prosperous, and more complex, version of Port Douglas. Fortunately it has not been as commercialised as its Queensland equivalent.

Naming the town McAlpine would be no more bizarre than the story of how the Governor of Western Australia, Sir Frederick Napier Broome, on 27 November 1883 announced that there would be 'a Townsite on the North Western point of Roebuck Bay hereafter to be known and distinguished as Broome.' Broome had not named it himself. The Surveyor­General, John Forrest, had named it after him but it was Broome who proclaimed that there would be a town called Broome. Ironically Broome (the governor), feeling that the township was nothing more than three graves and a few itinerants, didn't want to be associated with the new settlement in any way.

The announcement of a town was no indication that a real settlement was about to blossom. Broome at this time was nothing more than a few pearlers, some pearling luggers, a few shanties and some local Aborigines. In 1888 one visitor to the settlement described it as: 'The only water was a native well...The Mangrove swamps were full of mosquitoes, and high up on the sandhills a few struggling camps were pitched.'

Two years later everything had changed. The submarine telegraph cable, which had been connected to Darwin, was rerouted through Broome because of volcanic activity in the Arafura Sea. The Courthouse (previously the Cable House), located on the corner of Hamersley and Frederick streets, was built at this time as an office for the telegraphists. It is a popular story that the building was actually meant for Kimberley in South Africa and somehow ended up in Broome on the edge of the Kimberleys in Australia. Certainly it arrived at a time when the town had no wharf and it had to be carted over the mudflats by Chinese labourers.

Suddenly the town was much more than a collection of tents. The firm of Streeters set up a store trading in pearls and mother of pearl shell and built the famous Roebuck Hotel. The store still stands in Short Street near Streeters Jetty and the Roebuck Hotel is around the corner in Dampier Terrace. (An excellent map of the town can be obtained from the Tourist Bureau located on the edge of town on the Great Northern Highway).

The names Roebuck Hotel, Roebuck Bay and Dampier Terrace all honour the fact that the first European to pass through the area was William Dampier who, in September 1700, as master of the Roebuck, landed somewhere in the area to replenish his water supplies and to capture an Aborigine. He found no water and the Aborigine he captured resisted and was shot. It was a singularly unsuccessful landing and one which hardly deserves to be so fully remembered in the names of places around Broome

The town grew rapidly driven by the search for pearls and the port facilities which were also used by the pastoralists who were settling the harsh interior. The population of the town was incredibly cosmopolitan with Malays, Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, Europeans and Aborigines mixing so that now the indigenes are an impossible mixture of nationalities and cultures.

The search for pearl divers was unceasing. Without the benefit of modern underwater equipment the divers were forced to dive only to resurface when they ran out of breath. The pearlers had no compunction about kidnapping local Aborigines and forcing them into virtual slavery as divers. The death toll was inevitably very high. In the early years this was greatly compounded by the number of sharks in the area and it was commonplace for divers to be taken by the sharks which cruised the estuaries where the pearl shells were often found. All this had changed by 1887 when all but two of the Broome pearling fleet had changed from skindiving to apparatus diving with the distinctive canvas suits, copper helmets and boots, and rubber air­hoses.

Gantheaume Point was named by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin who passed the area in 1801. His investigation of the area was so cursory that he saw the pindan through his telescope, thought it was separated from the mainland, and named it Gantheaume Island. It wasn't until Phillip Parker King passed along the coastline in August 1821 that Baudin's error was corrected. It was King who named the bay Roebuck after Dampier's ship.

The first settlement of the Broome area was a short­lived attempt at grazing sheep in the 1860s. This was followed in the 1870s by the establishment of very temporary pearling facilities in Roebuck Bay.

The 'golden age' of pearling was during the years before World War 1 when 403 luggers operated out of Broome. It was during this time that Broome gained a reputation aptly described by an old pearler when he wrote: 'Broome in its early days was probably the most unique town in Australia. It was an affluent, sinful and tolerant community, in which the Clergy¹s frequent references to Sodom and Gomorrah were regarded as appropriate tributes to civic progress, rather than warnings of future divine retribution.'

In the layoff season there were over 3000 Asian divers in the town and Chinatown (the remnants of which can now be seen in Short Street and Carnarvon Street) was awash with gaming houses, pubs, eating houses and brothels.

The economy of the town collapsed with the outbreak of war in 1914. The contracts with overseas buyers were rendered null and void in the event of war. The outbreak of war coincided with the arrival in port of over 250 luggers. The pearls and pearl shells could not be paid for and the warehouses in the town lay idle for the duration of the war.

The recovery after the war was slow. By the 1930s there were no white pearlfishers and the industry had been effectively taken over by Japanese crews. By 1939 there were only 50 luggers operating in the waters around Broome and the pearl industry was severely depressed.

The importance of the Japanese to the Broome economy (they actually outnumbered Australians in 1941) was highlighted by World War 11. The entire Japanese population of Broome was interned thus crippling the already depressed pearl industry. Then in 1942, with the Japanese threatening the northern coastline of Australia, a major evacuation of the town began. As the women and children left the American and Australian servicemen arrived.

On 3 March 1942 Broome was attacked by nine Japanese Zero fighters which destroyed 16 flying boats (which had brought Dutch refugees from Timor and Java) and 7 aircraft on Broome airstrip. It has been estimated that 70 people were killed in the raid. Three of the flying boats can still be seen in Roebuck Bay at very low tide. A further raid occurred on 20 March 1942.

After the war the pearl industry started up again but this time it was with cultured pearls with the process being learnt from Kokichi Mikimoto. By 1956 a cultured pearl consortium had been established and by the 1980s it was earning over $50 million per annum for Broome. The origins of the cultured pearl industry are celebrated in the unusual 'Sam Male' Memorial on the corner of Napier Terrace and Carnarvon Street. The memorial was erected in 1977 and depicts the three key people involved in the Kuri Bay pearl cultivation project - T Kuribayashi, Keith Dureau and H Iwaki - standing in front of Lugger B4 - the Sam Male named after Arthur Streeter Male a well known Broome pioneer who died in 1976. The company, Broome Pearls, operates just over the road from the Roebuck Hotel.

Things to see:  

Japanese Cemetery

Japanese Cemetery
The Japanese Cemetery at Broome (which is the largest Japanese cemetery in Australia) dates back to the very early pearling days and bears witness to the close ties Japan established with Broome in the early twentieth century. The first recorded interment in this cemetery is 1896. Literally hundreds of young Japanese divers died either from the bends (divers paralysis) or from drowning. A large stone obelisk in the cemetery recalls those who were drowned at sea in the 1908 cyclone. The cyclones of 1887 and 1935 each caused the deaths of at least 140 men.

To give some idea of the scale of deaths resulting from the bends it is worth noting that the cemetery has the graves of 33 men who died of divers paralysis in 1914. There are 707 graves (919 people) with most of them having unusual headstones of coloured beach rocks. The cemetery which has been immaculately restored is on Port Drive on the way out to Cable Beach.

The red cliffs near Broome

The Pindan soils
If you continue driving south along Port Drive and turn west onto a dirt road just before the BP fuel depot you have an opportunity to inspect one of the wonders of Broome. At Riddell Point, Red Hill and along the beachfront from the jetty to Gantheaume Point the distinctive red soils of Broome (known as 'pindan'] meet the white sands and the impossibly blue seas. The interplay of these three colours is one of the most unusual and dramatic sights to be seen anywhere in Australia.

Broome Crocodile Park and Pearl Coast Zoo
There are a number of sites of particular interest to the visitor to Broome. Among the more significant are the Broome Crocodile Park on Cable Beach Road near the Cable Beach Resort. The brainchild of well known adventurer and wildlife documentary maker, Malcolm Douglas, it has been established as a research station as well as a place where the public can be educated about the dangers of crocodiles. The crocodiles in the park are predominantly 'problem' animals which have been transported from all over northern Western Australia. It is located just around the corner from the Pearl Coast Zoo (a private zoo owned by Lord McAlpine) which, like all good modern zoos, is an environment where the human visitor doesn't feel as though they are gawping at animals behind steel bars or penned into tiny cages. The zoo's emphasis is on animals of the Kimberley area.

Cable Beach Resort
The $55 million Cable Beach Resort with its manicured lawns, slightly oriental architecture, and feeling of opulence is an example of a rich man's fantasy. Built by Lord McAlpine it has become a popular tourist resort particularly as it fronts on to Cable Beach which has the reputation, not entirely justified, of being the most beautiful beach in Western Australia.

Broome Historical Museum
Visitors interested in exploring the remnants of the history of the town should start and the Broome Historical Museum in Saville Street at the southern end of Dampier Terrace which has an excellent range of memorabilia relating the town's pearling past. The Broome Heritage Trail brochure is an excellent guide to some of the town's more unusual historical attractions.

Sun Pictures
One of the most interesting is the Sun Pictures building in Carnarvon Street which was built in 1916. Thought to be the oldest open air cinema in the world it is now owned by Lord McAlpine. It showed silent movies until 1933. It still operates and is a pleasant and unusual way to spend an evening in Broome.

Streeter Jetty
The jetty was named after Edwin William Streeter, the owner of the adjacent land and operator of the business that used the jetty. It was built in the late 1890s and was used to moor pearling luggers. The jetty was thought to have been rebuilt in 1946 and reconstructed in 1966, but deteriorated due to lack of maintenance. Following extensive lobbying in 1998 from the community and vested interest groups, the Shire of Broome convinced Paspaley Pearls Pty Ltd to relinquish ownership and allow control of the jetty to pass to the shire.

Eighty Mile Beach
Eighty Mile Beach the site of the 1887 cyclone, one of the most famous disasters to the Broome pearling fleet, lies some 50 km south of the Sandfire Roadhouse. In 1887 the length of the beach was littered with bodies (140 men were killed by the cyclone) and debris washed up from the battered fleet. Today it is one of the area's tropical delights. Its blindingly white sands and intense blue seas are quite breathtaking. The beach stretches off to the horizon in both directions and there is an excellent caravan park nestled in behind the sand dunes.

History of Broome
The best account of the history of Broome can be found in Hugh Edwards' excellent and highly readable book Port of Pearls: A History of Broome published by the author 5 Hooley St, Swanbourne WA and available from the Broome Tourist Office.

	Tourist Information
	Broome Tourist Bureau Bagot Rd & Great Western Hwy Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 2222 Facsimile: (08) 9192 2063
	Motels
	Mangrove Motel/Hotel Carnarvon St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1303 Facsimile: (08) 9193 5169 Rating: ***
	Tropicana Inn Motel/Hotel Cnr Saville & Robinson Sts Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1204 Facsimile: (08) 9192 2583 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Cable Beach Club Hotel Cable Beach Rd Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 0400 Facsimile: (08) 9192 2249 Rating: ****
	Mercure Inn Broome Weld St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1002 Facsimile: (08) 9192 1715 Rating: ***
	Roebuck Bay Hotel Carnarvon St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1221 Facsimile: (08) 9192 2390 Rating: **
	Resorts
	Broome's Last Resort Bagot St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9193 5000
	Cable Beach Club Studios Cable Beach Rd Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 0400 Rating: ****
	Palms Resort Broome Cnr Hopton & Herbert Sts Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1898 Facsimile: (08) 9192 2424 Rating: ***
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Broometime Lodge Guesthouse 59 Forrest St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9193 5067 Facsimile: (08) 9193 5067
	Harmony Broome Bed & Breakfast Lot 5/1208 Broome Rd Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9193 7439
	Apartments
	Moonlight Bay Serviced Apartments Carnarvon St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: 1800 818 878
	Ocean Lodge Holiday Apartments Cable Beach Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9193 7700 Facsimile: (08) 9193 7496 Rating: ***
	Holiday Homes & Units
	Park Court Holiday Units 1 Haas St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9193 5887 Facsimile: (08) 9193 5887 Rating: ***
	Caravan Parks
	Broome Caravan Park Wattle Dve Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1776 Facsimile: (08) 9192 2543 Rating: **
	Palm Grove Holiday Resort Cable Beach Rd Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 3336
	Roebuck Bay Caravan Park Walcott St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1366 Rating: **
	Broome Bird Observatory Caravan Facility Crab Creek Rd Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9193 5600 Facsimile: (08) 9192 3364 Email: bbo@tpgi.com.au Rating: **
	Cable Beach Caravan Park Millington Rd Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 2066 Rating: ***
	Lambs Vacation Village Port Dve Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1057 Rating: ***
	Camping & Other
	Broome Bunkhouse Carnarvon St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1221
	Restaurants
	Annelies Swiss Restaurant 6 Napier Tce Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9193 6036
	Cable Beach Club Hotel Cable Beach Rd Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 0400
	Chins Restaurant & Takeaway 7 Hamersley St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1466
	Mangrove Motel/Hotel Carnarvon St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1303
	Mercure Inn Broome Weld St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1002
	Murrays Pearler Asian & Seafood Restaurant Dampier Tce Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 2049
	Portlight Restaurant Weld St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1002
	Roebuck Bay Motel/Hotel Carnarvon St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1221
	Tea House Restaurant Dora St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9193 6025
	The Original Broome Lockup Restaurant 19 Carnarvon St Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9193 5004
	Tongs Chinese Restaurant Napier Tce Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 2080
	Tropicana Inn Motel/Hotel Cnr Saville & Robinson Sts Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1204
	Wings Chinese Restaurant Napier Tce Broome WA 6752 Telephone: (08) 9192 1072