Breeds of The Kimberley
A vast region of gorges, rivers and cattle stations in Western Australia's far north, opened by long overland droves in the 1880s.
Breeds of this place
Best time: May to September, the dry season.
The Kimberley is the far north of Western Australia, a land of red ranges, deep gorges and big rivers. In the 1880s, pastoralists drove cattle overland from Queensland, journeys that took years, and set up stations on the Fitzroy and Ord rivers. Aboriginal stockmen and women did much of the station work for generations, often for little or no pay.
Station country
Kimberley stations are huge, often hundreds of thousands of hectares, with cattle grazing native grass across rough country. Herds were once Shorthorn and are now mostly Brahman-cross, suited to the heat and the wet and dry seasons. Mustering is done with horses, motorbikes and helicopters. Many cattle are shipped live to Southeast Asia from Broome and Wyndham.
Land and people
Many stations are now owned or run by Aboriginal communities. The Gibb River Road, a famous outback track, crosses the region past stations and gorges. Fitzroy Crossing, on the Fitzroy River, is a town at the centre of the cattle country.
A trail idea for The Kimberley
- Fitzroy Crossing The town on the Fitzroy, in the heart of station country.
- Geikie Gorge A gorge on the Fitzroy River near the town.
- Gibb River Road The outback track across the Kimberley stations.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Kimberley (Western Australia)" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
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