WAPort & river
Derby, Western Australia
Extraordinary tides served a remote wool and cattle hinterland.
1883Town proclaimed · Kimberley pastoral port
WHAT STARTED IT
Derby was proclaimed on King Sound in 1883 as the landing and export point for newly established Kimberley sheep stations. Its first jetty opened in 1885, just as the Halls Creek gold rush sent prospectors through the port.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
After the rush, wool and live cattle again dominated trade. Iron ore from Cockatoo Island revived the port from 1951, and a new livestock jetty opened in 1964. Commercial shipping later shifted elsewhere.
TURNING POINTS
1883Derby proclaimed.
1885First jetty opens.
1951Cockatoo Island iron ore revives the port.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A west Kimberley service town and road gateway, known for tidal mudflats, pastoral history and access to the region’s gorges.