WEST KIMBERLEY PLACE REPORT - Department of Sustainability ...

In summary, droves such as that of the MacDonald brothers were an important
activity which established large cattle stations, the basis of European settlement of the
Kimberley and the north and the mainstay of economic development in the area.
Fossil Downs, established by the MacDonald brothers following their epic drove, was
to develop into the largest privately owned cattle station in Australia at over a million
acres (ADB 1974).
Droving and overlanding livestock throughout Australia is a significant national
story valued especially for the demonstration of early settlement processes and
the hardship experienced by those on the early frontier beyond more settled
districts and towns. The place where the tree marked F136 once stood has
outstanding heritage value to the nation under criterion (a) for its association
with the pioneering overlanding journey undertaken by the MacDonald brothers
in 1883-1886.
Pearling industry
Based on the large luminescent pearl shell Pinctada maxima, found along the west
Kimberley coast, the pearling industry in Western Australia has operated for over 120
years. These saltwater clams (pearl oysters) are highly significant to Aboriginal
people living along the coast and in surrounding areas and this significance is
discussed elsewhere in the place analysis.
When the pearl shell industry in Western Australia was established Aboriginal people
formed part of the pearling work force, often participating against their will as skin
divers and working in poor and dangerous conditions. Reports of abusive employment
practices such as slavery and extreme violence led to legislation in 1871 and 1875
which regulated 'native labour' and prohibited the use of women as divers. This led in
part to the employment of foreign indentured labour. However Aboriginal people
continued to work in the pearling industry providing essential labour for the
development and operation of the industry.
The industry developed from the 1880s to its peak in the early twentieth century when
400 luggers operated from Broome and Broome produced three quarters of the
world's pearl shell output. In 1903 Australia's pearl shell production was valued at
£419,000 with £174,322 contributed from Western Australia (Coghlin 1904).
In the first decade of the twentieth century Broome was handling 80 percent of the
world's mother of pearl shell for the production of buttons. At this time Broome was
recognised as the pearling capital of the world.
While this productive capacity is principally associated with Broome because it is the
main pearling port, Eighty Mile Beach to the south is also recognised as a significant
contributor to this production of wealth. Eighty Mile Beach continues to be used as
the Western Australian industry's main pearling bed and is considered by Australian
pearlers to be the last commercially viable pearling bed in the world and an important
natural resource which contributes to Australia's pearling industry and productive
capacity (B McCallum pers. comm. 3 June 2010).
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