WEST KIMBERLEY PLACE REPORT - Department of Sustainability ...

part by knowledge of the place gained from tourism promotion, contemporary
photography and other print or visual media relating to Broome and the pearling
coast.
Nevertheless tourism literature provides some guide to identify possible significant
elements. This literature includes images of beaches, sunsets, pearl luggers and pearls.
While these features are considered to be indicative of the association, reliance on
promotional material alone is considered insufficient evidence to identify significant
elements because of the tendency of this literature to only present material which is of
high marketing utility. The greater prominence of Cable Beach in tourist promotions
of the area however are noted in comparison to other features. This greater
prominence may indicate that Cable Beach is a representative feature of the
Australian community's association with the Broome region. This matter is evaluated
further by considering comparative sites.
Firstly, as a beach, Cable Beach can be compared with other Australian beaches.
Contemporary photography of Cable Beach indicates that it fits into the Australian
iconography of 'the beach'. However, as a beach, the strength of association is weaker
than the Australian community's association with Bondi Beach which has a longer
community association and is informed by other community relationships such as the
historical development of beach culture and the surf lifesaving movement. Cable
Beach can also be compared with Whitehaven Beach in Queensland, which is profiled
in many contemporary photo essays and is promoted as a signature beach site in
regional/state tourism promotions. In this regard Cable Beach and Whitehaven Beach
are similar in their associative social values.
In relation to the Australian community's association with the Broome region Cable
Beach is considered to be valued mainly for its aesthetic characteristics and beach
iconography which do not entirely represent the idealised, romantic qualities of the
association the Australian community has with the Broome area as the pearling capital
of Australia. Cable Beach is also outside the Old Broome area.
In consideration of these matters and because of its relatively minimal connection
with Broome's historic pearling period, Cable Beach is considered to be insufficiently
representative of the Australian community's special association with the Broome
region.
The stair case to the moon feature (reflection of the full moon at night across
Roebuck Bay at low tide) has also been considered as a potential significant element
which may represent the Australian community's special association with the Broome
region.
This feature is thought to be unique in Australia because of the rare combination of
physical elements (location, 10m tides) which give rise to this phenomenon. This
feature resembles beach sunsets and, like Cable Beach fits into an iconography of
tropical or romantic places. However, representative elements should have more than
just a 'sunset' feature. As the stair case to the moon lacks a strong connection with the
pearling history of the Broome region it is considered to be insufficiently
representative of the Australian community's special association with the Broome
region.
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