Broome

Broome is a unique town, on a peninsula, where one of the world’s last great wildernesses meets the Indian Ocean. Broome’s exotic pearling town past has left a rich history and a unique multi-cultural mix of people.

Our pristine waters, wide empty beaches, abundant wildlife, tropical climate and breath-taking colours attract thousands of visitors each year. There is so much to see and discover, so many unique, ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences. Whether you are a thrill seeker, adventurer, culture vulture, water lover or sun seeker and whatever your budget; the Kimberley Experts at the Broome Visitor Centre can tailor make your perfect holiday itinerary.

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Ngaji gurrjin manyja ngarrungu nyamba buru yawuru-ngany nirlawal Rubibiyi ngarrungu gurrburllan banugabungany- gungabungany- yalmbangubungany– gurlarrgabungany

A welcome to Broome from the original custodians of Broome - The Yawuru People

The Yawuru (pronounced Ya-roo) people are the native title holders of Broome and surrounding areas. As the custodians of our lands and seas, we welcome you to Broome. A welcoming of people onto country is culturally important to Yawuru people to sustain mabujunu liyan (good feeling) between our visitors and Yawuru people.

Our country covers vast areas from Wirrginmirr (Willie Creek) in the north: south through Minyirr (Gantheaume Point) and east past Man-galagun (Crab Creek) to the end of Roebuck Plains and south to Warrwan (south of Cape Villaret).

We trust that you will all have a great time and enjoy the physical environment and cultural richness of the Broome area. We wish all visitors a safe and welcoming stay in Yawuru country.

Warany-jarri liyan yargarrgi. In Yawuru this means to agree with one spirit, one feeling and one mind. We believe once you have visited Broome, you will experience this spirit; this feeling and hold it always in your heart.

Galiya! (goodbye; see you soon)!

Cable Beach

Cable Beach is 22kms of pristine white sand and clear tropical waters. Watch the spectacular sunset over the Indian Ocean.

Photo by Graham Crichton.

Chinatown

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. Today Broome has developed into an iconic Western Australian tourism town and Chinatown is its heart and soul. A boutique retail hub and a site of historical significance, it is a unique and special place worth visiting!

Download the Chinatown To Do & See Map

Photos by Abby Murray Photography

Town Beach

Located on the south east edge of Broome is Town Beach. The park and foreshore host the ‘Staircase to the Moon’ and the Thursday evening markets, and it forms part of the ‘Jetty to Jetty’ walking trail. The Town Beach Foreshore Redevelopment was completed in mid 2020. We look forward to welcoming visitors to Broome to come and enjoy this amazing new area at Town Beach. Read more about this award winning project on the Shire of Broome website.

Streeter’s Jetty

Streeter’s Jetty on Dampier Terrace is an original Broome jetty used by the pearl luggers.

Streeter's Jetty was built for pearl dealers and merchants E. W. Streeter & Co of London, and is known to have been in existence in 1897. A channel cut through the mangroves to Dampier Creek provided access to Streeter's Jetty for luggers and other small vessels. Associated with the jetty were the Streeter and Male Stores on Short Street. In 1897, the Government provided a town jetty at Mangrove Point, and a tramway was built to link the jetties and Chinatown. The tramway operated until 1948. The jetty is subject to great variations in the tide, being sometimes covered with water, and king tides in particular damage the structure. - Source: Australian Heritage Council Register (AHC 18074)

This historically significant jetty is a favourite for tourists visiting the area, and remains an important reminder of Broome's past.

To read more about the history of Streeter's Jetty, download this pdf from the Australian Society for Historical Archaeology (ASHA) or pop in and visit the Broome Historical Museum when you arrive.

Pearl Luggers

It is often said that Broome’s pearling industry is as rich in culture as it is in pearls. Come and experience a fascinating insight to Broome’s unique heritage at Pearl Luggers, in the heart of Broome’s ‘Chinatown’. Learn the perils of the deep and discover first hand what made the pearl divers life so hazardous and what drove so many to put their lives at risk. Was it the riches, the status or just the lure of the pearl?

Through daily guided tours and enthralling stories learn of the impact pearling has had upon Northern Australia and why such a large number of nationalities were enticed, often by force, into our pearling industry. View two of the last surviving and perfectly restored pearling luggers, the vessel synonymous with Broome, surrounded by a reconstructed tidal jetty and an authentic pearlers store.

Find out about pearl tours

Photo by Abby Murray Photography

Roebuck Bay Lookout

The recently completed Dampier Terrace and Frederick Street connection provides another entry to Chinatown at its southern end.

The connection is now being further improved with construction of the Roebuck Bay Lookout, an elevated platform designed to encourage people to visit the top end of Dampier Terrace and experience the sweeping views over Roebuck Bay while learning about the culture and history of the area.

The Lookout is a new point of interest on the award-winning Jetty to Jetty self-guided heritage walk which provides a rich visual history with unique personal accounts from those living in Broome during the height of the pearling trade.

Acknowledging the Aboriginal significance of the location, Yawuru Traditional Owners have worked with Broome Senior High School students in the development of artwork and cultural information panels incorporated into the Lookout’s structure and signage. Distinctly designed interpretative panels are a key feature, casting breath-taking shadows that move with the sun across the structure, and complement the surrounding natural elements.

Co-funded by the Shire of Broome and the Australian Government through a grant administered by Tourism WA, the project will help to activate an underutilised corner of Chinatown by providing a shaded tourism and resting point with sweeping views over Roebuck Bay and Dampier Creek.

Broome Shire President, Harold Tracey, said the Roebuck Bay Lookout was an impressive structure that provided an even more impressive panoramic view of Roebuck Bay, Dampier Creek and Chinatown.

Sun Pictures

Sun Pictures is the world’s oldest operating open-air picture gardens and is open for the public to view its history.

Gantheaume Point

Gantheaume Point features amazing rock formations and is also home to some of Broome’s famous Dinosaur footprints including a plaster cast of some the tracks. Anastasia’s Pool is a small pool carved in the rock for a former lighthouse keeper’s arthritic wife. Care must be taken when exploring this area.

Reddell Beach

Reddell Beach is a picturesque place, especially at sunset when the light highlights the radiant reds of the rocks. Photo by Matt Moreton-Deakin.

Simpsons Beach

Simpsons Beach is becoming quite famous due to the amazing colours and contrasts of the red pindan and blue water. With the mangroves and a famous tree that sits alone, Simpsons Beach is located close to the Broome Hovercraft base (use that location in google maps to get you there) near Broome Port and overlooks the beautiful Roebuck Bay. The colours of this beach are amazing as it’s a red sand beach which meets the beautiful blue water. Access is via stairs from the carpark (look for the sign that says Beach Access). This is a beautiful location for photography including weddings and is fast becoming one of the most 'instagram' worthy spots in Broome.

Photo by: Sloane Carvell | Instagram @crumbsandcorks

Pearls

Broome is the home of the South Sea Pearl, the finest in the world. Take a visit to a pearl farm at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay by helicopter, aircraft, bus or self-drive. Alternatively take one of the tours in Chinatown to learn about the history of Broome and the art of culturing pearls. The finest pearl jewellery is on display in the many shops around Chinatown. View Pearl Tours.