Derby, Western Australia

Derby Western Australia
This boab tree near Derby was actually used as a prison, hence the name the "Boab Prison Tree"
Low tide at the Derby wharf on King Sound
Derby
Coordinates	17°21′0″S 123°41′0″E / 17.35000°S 123.68333°E / -17.35000; 123.68333Coordinates: 17°21′0″S 123°41′0″E / 17.35000°S 123.68333°E / -17.35000; 123.68333
Population	4,865 (2011 census)
Established	1880s
Postcode(s)	6728
Elevation	8 m (26 ft)
Location	220 km (137 mi) from Broome, Western Australia 903 km (561 mi) from Kununurra
LGA(s)	Shire of Derby-West Kimberley
State electorate(s)	Kimberley
Federal Division(s)	Durack
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 33.9 °C 93 °F 21.7 °C 71 °F 622.4 mm 24.5 in

Derby (/ˈdɜːrbi/ DERR-bee) is a town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. At the 2011 census, Derby had a population of 4,865, with about half of Aboriginal descent. Along with Broome and Kununurra, it is one of only three towns in the Kimberley to have a population over 2,000. Located on King Sound, Derby has the highest tides in Australia, with the peak differential between low and high tide reaching 11.8 metres.

During World War II, Derby was bombed by Japanese planes because of an air base and jetty that was steadily used by Australian forces. More recently, refugees were housed at Royal Australian Air Force Base Curtin, however the detention center was closed in 2014.

Derby was famous in the 1920s as the terminus of the first scheduled aviation service in Australia, West Australian Airways Ltd. Their service began with their first flight on 5 December 1921. At one time the Perth to Derby service was the world’s longest passenger airline route.

In 1968 the town had a population of approximately 1,500 many employed at the meatworks. A A$900,000 beef road from Glenroy Station to Derby was completed the same year to assist with the development of beef processing. A A$2 million steel and concrete jetty was built in 1965 to provide adequate port facilities for the shipment of live cattle.