Derby, Western Australia
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Derby ( ) is a town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. At the 2016 census, Derby had a population of 3,325 with 47.2% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent. Along with Broome and Kununurra, it is one of only three towns in the Kimberley to have a population over 2,000. Located on King Sound, Derby has the highest
tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...
s in Australia, with the differential between low and high tide reaching .Derby tides at derbytourism.com.au
. Retrieved 7 January 2007


History

Derby falls within Nyiginka country. The town was founded in 1883 and named after
Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby (21 July 182621 April 1893; known as Lord Stanley from 1851 to 1869) was a British statesman. He served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs twice, from 1866 to 1868 and from 1874 to 1878, and also ...
, the British secretary of state for the colonies. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Derby was bombed by Japanese planes because of an air base and jetty that was used by Australian forces. More recently, refugees were housed at Royal Australian Air Force Base Curtin, however the detention centre was closed in 2014. Derby was famous in the 1920s as the terminus of the first scheduled aviation service in Australia, West Australian Airways Ltd. Their service began with their first flight on 5 December 1921, which crashed, near
Geraldton Geraldton (Wajarri language, Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu language, Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West (Western Australia), Mid West region of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth. As of the , Geraldt ...
. At one time the Perth to Derby service was the world's longest passenger airline route. Derby Hospital treated many aboriginal patients with Hansen's Disease, then known as
leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...
. The Derby
Leprosarium A leper colony, also known by #Names, many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. ''Mycobacterium leprae, M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believ ...
operated from 1936 to 1986, staffed by nuns led by Sr Mary Gertrude. In 1968 the town had a population of approximately 1,500 people, many employed at the meatworks. A A$900,000
beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...
road from Glenroy Station to Derby was completed the same year to assist with the development of beef processing. A A$2 million steel and concrete jetty was built in 1965 to provide adequate port facilities for the shipment of live cattle. The West Kimberley Regional Prison, whose architecture won several awards, was opened in 2012. Local boy Jimmy Taylor disappeared from Derby on 29 August 1974 after walking to a local shop. In 2014, a coroner determined that he had died, but was unable to determine when or how, recording an open verdict. Convicted child killer James Ryan O'Neill was living in Derby at the time of Taylor's disappearance but he has denied any involvement. In 2023, a $1 million reward was offered to anyone who provided information as to what had happened to Taylor.


Population

According to the 2016 census of population, there were 3,325 people in Derby. * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 47.2% of the population. * 77.4% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was New Zealand at 3.4%. * 72.5% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Kriol at 6.2%. * The most common responses for religion were No Religion 27.7% and Catholic 26.8%.


Culture

Derby is rich in cultural diversity, with the local Aboriginal Australian culture playing a large part in the community. The Mowanjum Festival is held annually at Mowanjum Community, located south east of Derby, and features a showcase of traditional art. The Boab Festival (named after the boab tree) is a fortnight-long festival that includes traditional events such as mud football, watermelon seed spitting, the Mardi Gras and other festivities. Historically, Derby has played a major role in the Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service for the Kimberley region. The Kimberley School of the Air is located in Derby. The school provides education to isolated Primary-aged children living on cattle stations and in remote Aboriginal communities and outstations scattered throughout the Kimberley region. Derby has two schools located in the town, Holy Rosary School Derby and Derby District High School. Derby District High School follows
Chris Sarra Chris Sarra is an Australian educationalist, the founder and Chairman of the Stronger Smarter Institute. Sarra grew up in Bundaberg, Queensland as the youngest of ten children to parents of Italians, Italian and Indigenous Australian, Aboriginal ...
's vision of "Stronger Smarter", which aims to raise the expectations of the school as a community. Wharfinger's House Museum tells the story of the aviation history of the town as well as the history of the port. The Norval Gallery showcases the work of artist Mark Norval as well as a broad selection of Indigenous artwork from across the Kimberley.


Economy

There is employment in the pastoral and mining industries, as well as administration and tourism. There is oil at Blina, diamond mining at Ellendale. Granite is quarried from the Wunaamin-Miliwundi Ranges and lead and
zinc Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...
from Cadjebut and an
iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...
mine at Koolan Island. A major mineral sands mining project is being developed at Thunderbird, west of Derby. In 1997 the Derby wharf, which was closed in the 1980s, was re-opened for barging operations for the export of lead and zinc. Tourism bolsters the local economy between the months of May and September. The Derby
Leprosarium A leper colony, also known by #Names, many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. ''Mycobacterium leprae, M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believ ...
on the outskirts of the town was one of two in Western Australia that helped to contain an epidemic of
leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...
from the 1930s to the 1960s.


Notable people

* Keanu Pinder, basketball player who was born and raised in Derby


Climate

Derby has a hot
semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''BSh''), with a short, highly variable wet season lasting from late December to March. The wet season features hot, humid days and nights and erratic downpours. In some years there may be no wet season at all, as occurred in 1923–24 and in 1951–52, but in other years, such as 1999–2000, more than the average annual rainfall has fallen in a month. Derby can be affected by severe
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
s. The dry season lasts from April to November and features very little rain, warm to hot daytime temperatures, and mild to cool nights. Extremes of temperature range from on 17 November 1968 to on 21 July 1965, while the wettest month on record was January 1917, when of rain fell, including the wettest day, 7 January 1917, when was recorded.


Sport and recreation

Derby hosts a lawn bowling club and Derby Golf Club.


References


Further reading

* ''Derby's history at a glance: A chronology of Derby history, 1688-1992''. Boab Babbler, 26 February 1993, p. 20 {{Western Australia Port cities and towns of the Indian Ocean Port cities in Western Australia Kimberley (Western Australia) Coastal towns in Western Australia