DIA Region - Kimberley

DIA has two Regional Offices located in the Kimberley region. The Gibb River Road, and the Great Northern Highway are the two main roads that connect the region.

With over 200 Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley and many Aboriginal people also living in the towns, the area boasts strong cultural connection to the land.

Nearly half the Kimberley’s population is Indigenous, representing approximately one quarter of the State’s total Aboriginal population, making the region truly unique in Australian culture.

The pastoral industry has traditionally been the main source of Aboriginal employment, but with the growth in tourism and the mining sectors, training and employment opportunities for Aboriginal people have increased.

Parts of the Kimberley region are also prone to flooding and cyclones during the wet season (November to April), with communities in danger of being isolated for weeks at a time after heavy rain. DIA staff place considerable emphasis on raising the awareness of Aboriginal people on how to prepare for cyclones.

East Kimberley

The East Kimberley Office, located in Kununurra, supports the regional towns of Halls Creek, Wyndham and Kununurra and 56 communities extending from Balgo in the south to Kalumburu and Oombulgurri in the north and Malangan which is located close to the Northern Territory border. The region is approximately 238,577 square kilometers of which 63,670 square kilometers is Aboriginal Lands Trust Estate.

According to the 2006 Census, the East Kimberley region has a population of 9,735, of which 4,737 identified as Aboriginal.

Among the East Kimberley’s natural attractions are Purnululu National Park, Lake Argyle, El Questro, Mirima National Park and the Mitchell Plateau.

West Kimberley

The West Kimberley office, located in Broome, includes the towns of Broome, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing and a large number of Aboriginal communities on the Dampier Peninsula. The region extends to Mullibidee and Kurlku in the south, across to Yiyili, Yulumbu, Ngallagunda and Marunbadi in the east and Kandiwal in the north. The region is approximately 218,570 square kilometers of which 12,755 square kilometers is Aboriginal Lands Trust Estate.

A population of 19,566 was reported for the region in the 2006 Census, of which 7,591 were identified as Aboriginal.

Among the West Kimberley’s natural attractions are Cable Beach in Broome, the 80 Mile Beach, the Dampier Peninsula and its islands, Derby Prisoner Boab Tree, Horizontal Waterfalls and Geike Gorge.