Derby's claim to fame is having the highest tides of any Australian port. 11 m (36 feet) of tidal difference means there is an enormous amount of water rushing in and out every 6 hours... Add to that the silty outflow of the
Fitzroy River... It means muddy waters.
Derby RAAF Airstrips 30 July 1941,
During World War II,
Derby was bombed by Japanese planes because of an air base and
jetty that was steadily used by Australian forces.
Evacuations February 1942
was famous in the 1920s as the terminus of the first scheduled aviation service in Australia, West Australian Airways Ltd. They began their service with a first flight on 5 December 1921. At one time the
Perth to
Derby service was the world’s longest passenger airline route.
In 1968 the town had a
population of approximately 1,500 many employed at the meatworks.
Derby from the air 1954
Aerial view of Derby 1973
A A$900,000 beef road was completed 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
Derby calls itself the "
Home of the Boab Tree". Boabs are used as street trees and give the town a special character.
Prison Boab 1945
Prison Boab 2004
The Boab Prison Tree
Considering its remote location the town is surprisingly big. It's also very spread out, which makes it seem even bigger than the
population of about 4500 would suggest. The town center is,
well, it's hard to identify. ... When you reach
Derby and just keep driving you eventually reach the other end of town where the tourism information, the
post office,
police station etc are located.
At the
Kimberley School Of The Air you can see during a free tour how children in remote communities and cattle stations are distance taught. Originally the classes were conducted via two way radio, but today computers have replaced the old radios...
Derby Teleradio transmitter mast 1944
is the
Kimberley base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Their base can also be visited (the
visitor centre has the opening times).
Frosty's Pool
During the second world war troops were stationed in the
Derby area. In 1944 Corporal Frost came up with the idea of building a swimming pool. With the help of two others it was built and although small, mainly due to the lack of suitable materials, was very popular. Filled with water from the
bore it catered for officers during part of the day and other ranks for the balance of the day.
The pool, though now in poor condition, is one of the few remaining reminders of those years when the troops were stationed in the area.
Boab Tree at Derby Turn off 2004