Day 56 Broome

Today we were up and out the door to have the car at the service centre bright and early, some 10,500km since we left in early June, then we walked into Broome and I had a hairdressers appointment after nearly 8 weeks it was really needed.

Along our way we found the historic Courthouse with its distinctive Broome-style architecture and laid-back tropical ambience with beautiful old trees and well-kept gardens. A single storey timber framed corrugated iron clad building raised from the ground on concrete pillars. The hipped corrugated iron roof with monitor vents extends over the perimeter verandahs. Once a Cable Station which served the telephone cable from Broome to Perth and northwards through a submarine cable to Banji Wangi in the Dutch East Indies.

In 1886, the Government arranged to extend the coastal telegraph line from Roebourne to Derby, via Roebuck Bay. A telegraph station was built at Broome and the line opened in January 1889. In 1888, the two undersea telegraph cables linking Java and Darwin were broken by volcanic activity and the Eastern Extension, Australasia and China Telegraph Company (E.E.T. Company), which operated the cable, decided to lay another cable from Java to Beagle Bay. The Company was requested to land the cable at Roebuck Bay, rather than Beagle Bay, which it did. The E.E.T. Company provided a Cable Station for erection at Broome to house the telegraph room and staff. The Cable Station was occupied in November 1889 and included a billiard room. The Station staff were provided with Indian servants in white uniforms, red sashes and turbans. The presence of the Cable Station provided an impetus for the development of the town. In 1901, a new cable was laid from Durban to Adelaide and by 1913, the cable to Broome carried as few as six messages a day. The Cable Station was closed on 31 March 1914. In 1921, the Government purchased the Cable Station and converted it into a Courthouse. The existing Broome courthouse, on a nearby site, was converted for use as police station and quarters. The Broome Courthouse opened on 6 September 1921.





We continued to Chinatown where I had my hair cut.

Chinatown has been the multicultural heart and soul of Broome since the pearling crews set up their first camps and corrugated tin sheds in the 1880s. The discovery of pearl shells in the waters off Broome attracted people from across the globe, including significant numbers from Japan, China, Malaysia, and the Philippines. These migrant workers arrived in search of fortune and new opportunities, bringing with them their rich cultural traditions. Unlike any other Chinatown in the world as it was home to several Asian and European cultures alongside its Aboriginal traditional owners. It’s situated on the traditional lands of the indigenous Yawuru people, imbued with deep significance for this community.

Chinatown features the distinctive Broome vernacular architecture that developed in response to the town’s climatic conditions, remote location and limited access to building materials, and the influence of several Asian cultures. Chinatown has faced numerous challenges over the years, including economic downturns, natural disasters, and the decline of the pearling industry. The advent of plastic buttons in the mid-20th century led to a significant drop in demand for mother-of-pearl, impacting the livelihoods of many of Broome’s residents. Cyclones and other natural calamities have devastated the town, causing damage to buildings and infrastructure and continue to threaten Broome year on year throughout the ‘Wet Season’.










Johnny Chi Lane - John Chi was a pearler with an interesting history who lived near the area where the lane is today.




We went to a audio presentation in the Sun Pictures Cinema, of its history, the world’s oldest operating open-air picture garden. This building is known as one of the world’s oldest operating picture gardens constructed at the turn of the century. In 1913 this building, originally an Asian emporium selling imported Asian foodstuff, clothing and other household goods; was turned into a picture theatre that would seat up to 500 people.







After we picked up the car and had lunch we made our way to Roebuck Bay Lookoutwhich provides a scenic viewing platform with sweeping views over Roebuck Bay and Dampier Creek. The lookout was collaboratively designed, celebrating the rich Aboriginal history of this significant cultural site. It features artwork and interpretive information created by Yawuru Traditional Owners in conjunction with Broome Senior High School.






We went back to the unit for a cuppa and then walked up to the beach to see the sun set and the iconic camels walking along the beach.