Sat, 23rd July, 2022 Boab Rest Area, Great Northern Highway to Kimberley Entrance Caravan Park, Derby, WA (Derby history)

7am 15.8 degrees. Back on the road. Passed the turned off into Liveringa Station. In the Derby booklet it gives some info of the stations between Fitzroy Crossing and Derby which is very interesting.

Next is Debesa Station to the north then we turned off onto Camballin Road which is a good wide gravel road and very straight through flat open country. There is a small township at Camballin with a van park but we are driving 45km down to Myroodah Crossing over the Fitzroy River hoping to catch a barra or two.

On Wikicamps I found a note about the barrages on the Fitzroy which are further upstream but we aren’t allowed access to that area - well according to this booklet that is.

Onto bitumen as we cross Burns Crossing then it continued as we headed into rocky hills. Lots of wattles with their lovely yellow blooms.

Nice round hills as we pass the turn off into Looma Community.

Back onto the dirt road as we wind through the hills then back into open plains again.

Down to the Fitzroy River and Myroodah Crossing. This shows the river is flowing. There was a van parked up so we pulled in beside it to be off the road. I called out hello as we got out but didn’t hear a response. We took some photos and checked out the track up the other side but it was narrow and looks like the ‘locals’ frequent it as there was a lot of rubbish and feathers - obviously the plain turkey is good eating.

We drove across and followed the road a bit further to a gate for another station/community. Turned around - there was another track going off into the bush but we decided we wouldn’t stay. Parked and had a cuppa. Looking back.

Drove back across.

Better view of the hills around Looma Community from this angle as we headed back to the highway.

Turned onto the highway and continued to the intersection then turned onto the Derby Highway. A police car came towards us with his lights flashing but wasn’t speeding and he gave us a wave. Further along another one came by with lights flashing - maybe there has been an accident.

Turned off to check out the longest cattle trough which is 120m long and was built around 1917. Glad we didn’t have to clean anything this long when we were on Tarmoola Station. 500 bullocks could drink here at one time. The flow started to drop off from the bore so now water is pumped into it by the windmill. There was a well first which was dug by Alfred Mayall in the early 1890s. The bore is 322 metres deep and had a residual head of 6 metres and cost 2,700 pounds and created a lovely billabong (1.6 km long) that locals used for picnics etc.

A bit further along is the old boab that was a staging point for prisoners being walked into Derby in the past. Now there is a big jail down the road for that. Lots of interesting information to read first.

The tree is hollow but still growing and producing seeds. Bees are very busy in one of the holes.

Nearby is a sign about the Cooliman Tree (Gyrocarpus americanus). It said it has soft wood, lacking grain - used to make the aboriginal carrying dish. Smells unpleasant when burnt.

Drove back out and just along a bit we stopped to check out Frosty’s Pool right beside the road. Doesn’t look too inviting now.

Further across is the billabong and cattle yards.

Passed the turn off for the Gibb River Road then into town. Booked into the van park again - got the same spot but didn’t set up yet. I put the washing on as I had spilt my drink over the seat covers for our chairs inside so decided to give them both a wash and the other things too. Steve made lunch.

Hung out my washing and chatted with a lady who’s car was stolen last night. She had got up during the night and went to the toilet leaving the van unlocked but her husband was in there asleep. The ‘person’ went in and grabbed the key and drove off with the car. Their insurance company is giving them a hire car but they have to go to Broome to get it. Luckily one of the other campers was heading that way and gave him a lift. Poor things - that would be so terrible.

Drove around to Info Centre which was just closing but I got a map of the history trail. It isn’t open on Sunday either and a few other vehicles pulled in after us so it isn’t much help to travellers. Around to Woolies and BWS to get a few items. Found one of the boabs they made the road go around as the tree is protected in this shire.

Drove around to the eastern mudflats - good for sunrise photos.

Found the Pioneer Cemetery. It is the resting place of Police Constable William Richardson, who was shot by Jandamarra. Found another one for a policeman nearby. Another was very new but for Mr Murphy who died in 1926 but was involved in the shearers strike etc in Barcaldine in 1891.

Good information boards along the track too but needing some attention now. I found the lone Japanese one which appears to have fallen over.

This one was a long way from home in Tassie.

Some have been beautifully adorned with shells and flowers.

Back into town and down the main street then we stopped at the old gaol next to the police station. Lots of information here.

We went down to the wharf for a cuppa. It is low tide. Lots of interesting bits and pieces are laying in the mud.

In 1894 the first wooden t-shaped wharf was located at northern end of the present wharf. A horse-drawn tramway linked it to the town, across the mud flats via a causeway where the road is now. The major exports in the early days were wool and pearl shell. When the new jetty was built in 1964, live cattle were exported and fuel, oil & provisions were the main imports. The last passenger ship docked here in 1973.

Walked out onto the wharf where the old tramway rails are.

Looking out across King Sound and I zoomed in on the Mary Islands.

Access to the sheds is blocked off now.

The shadow of the wharf looks good and there are two people waving at us from down there!

Back to the grass area where there is a nice memorial to those who have lost their lives at sea.

There were a few plaques with information but they are getting a bit hard to read.

Inside the Centenary Pavilion there was more information and a fabulous mosaic.

Across the road was a hunk of pearl granite from King Leopold Ranges and a plaque about William Dampier (erected in 1988).

Across from that was the timber structure of the cattle race to help load the cattle on the ships in a calm way!

We walked around to the other side of the wharf - the tide must come up high as there is lots of debris here.

At the end of the conveyor belt was a sign. This must have been the last thing the wharf was used for. Great aerial shot of the wharf area. No date on when this was happening but it is in need of a lot of repair now.

During the 1990s, barges were used to export zinc and lead concentrates from the Cadjebut Mine near Fitzroy Crossing.

Another fabulous aerial photo of the mud flats and Derby off the Heritage Trail brochure.

Across the mudflats and then stopped to check out the heritage wool shed and tramway area. No info here about it all.

Across the road is the ‘Wharfinger’ House. A Wharfinger is a person who owns or has control of the wharf. It is a 1920-30s prefabricated wooden house which was perfect for the climate here. It is now a museum but is closed at the moment.

On the fence was a sign about an chap who was a true bushy.

Steve spotted this bird but he was a bit camera shy and kept climbing up the tree limbs away from me but I got a pretty good photo. Not sure what it is.

We walked down the dirt road to the edge of the mud flats where a sculpture has been erected. There is one here and three on the western side. This one is Kimberley Moon Girl. I managed to hide the bright sun behind it. They were created by Mark Norval in 2015. Will check out the others this afternoon at sunset.

Back to the van park where two white peacocks were wandering near our camp site.

We set up for the night then locked up. I took all the keys and wallets with us. Walked around to the end of the park (which backs onto the mudflats). Checked out a boab by the roadside that was hollow inside but growing well. You can see daylight up the middle of it.

One nearby was intact but only had a few leaves, flowers and a nut or two.

Continued onto the mudflats and the three other sculptures as the sun started setting. Cars were driving out onto the mudflats for better views! Walked down to the furtherest one. I like the horse and stockman one the best.

In a small shelter near the entrance to the walking track to the wharf was information about the cattle export era. They walked them from Myalls Bore where the long trough was around to the Dinner Tree further down the mudflat to have lunch there then along the mudflats to here then down to where the cattle races were to load them straight onto the ship.

Walked back passed the Outback Foot ball one then ‘Contemplation’. Very pretty.

Back to the camper for drinks inside. A police car drive by and stopped and the two policemen chatted with all the campers about the recent car theft and to warn us about locking up and not venturing out alone at night as they are known for throwing dirt in your eyes and hitting you. Steve asked what can we do if attacked and he said whatever you want as the courts are just letting these offenders back out again so they aren’t learning any respect for anyone or the law. What a shame they don’t make the elders responsible for them and fine the families to help the poor people their ‘darlings’ steal from. The car has been found near Fitzroy Crossing, damaged as it had rammed two police cars - writing off one of them.

We rang Dan and Fran for a chat which was lovely. Both doing well and very busy at work. Sadly Fran said that Thelma had a fall and wasn’t doing too well.