History

Broome became a rip-roaring wild-west town, with numerous boarding houses, gambling dens and brothels. The owners of the pearling fleets were Europeans, the shopkeepers were mostly Chinese and the divers mostly Japanese and Aboriginal, the deckhands and labourers from other parts of Asia. In its heyday, up to 400 pearling luggers lined the shores of Roebuck Bay and the population exceeded 4000 people.

The divers spent hours collecting pearl shell under water with the mortality rate as high as 50%.

When polyester began to replace MOP for making buttons in 1952, many people predicted the demise of the pearling industry. Fortunately at about the same time, the first cultured pearl farm began at Kuri Bay, north of Broome. There are now many pearl farms in the unpolluted waters near Broome and a number of manufacturers and retail outlets in Broome which specialise in transforming these unique gems into world-class jewellery.

Broome became an established tourism destination following investment by English building magnete Lord Alistair McAlpine in the 1980s. He invested millions of dollars in Broome, opening a zoo and restoring many of Broome's historical buildings including the famous Sun Picture House in Broome Town. He also built the luxury Cable Beach Club Resort, one of the most popular resorts in Broome.

Broome's Japanese and Chinese Cemeteries

Gain an appreciation for the lives sacrificed by the Asian migrants who settled in Broome to prosper from Broome’s lucrative pearling industry. The Japanese Cemetery in Broome is the largest Japanese cemetery in Australia, and dates back to 1896. The Chinese Cemetery is found next to the Japanese Cemetery, and there is also a Muslim Cemetery with many graves of Malay divers who contributed to the pearling boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

There is also an Aboriginal Cemetery 50 metres south of the Japanese cemetery. The Broome Historical Society Museum website states that "In the early days of the pearling industry, many Aboriginal people were used as pearl shell divers. The industry began in the 1860s in waters well south of Broome, but the Aboriginal divers came from right across the north west region. Many of the men and women were forced or tricked into working far from their traditional lands."

Reflect on the diverse multicultural history of Broome as you wander amongst the hundreds of graves, with unique headstones crafted out of coloured beach rocks. Read more