Wyndham (Western Australia)

Wyndham is a town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The Kimberley's oldest town has had a turbulent history of boom and bust that, along with the striking surrounding landscape, has shaped it into a destination more interesting than many think. Though it's in Western Australia, the town is over 3,000 km northeast from the state capital, Perth.

Understand
Wyndham sits on the Cambridge Gulf near the confluence of five rivers; the Durack, Pentecost, King, Forrest and Ord Rivers. Spreading itself around the base of the Erskine Range (known to locals as The Bastian) on the edge of an expansive mud flat, the town is split into two main areas, the historical portside township and the residential Three Mile. Excepting the grandiose landscape, its attractions are decidedly low key, but anyone with an interest in history will find many relics connecting with West Australia's pioneering past.

The nearby East Kimberley Coast is one of the most remote and least discovered areas of the Australian coastline. Beautiful white sandy beaches, magnificent river gorges with cascading waterfalls and creek systems which are ideal for barramundi fishing. There are saltwater crocodiles in the Kimberley region. Always observe crocodile warning signs.

History
The town was established in 1885 as a major port for the East Kimberley to support gold mining at Halls Creek. Wyndham quickly boomed as ships brought in waves of miners heading off to the Halls Creek goldfields to seek their fortunes.

By 1888 the gold at Halls Creek dwindled and with it, the fortunes of Wyndham. The town became a minor service centre for the growing pastoral industry around the Ord river. By 1912 Wyndham's economy was virtually non-existent.

In 1913 the government began building the Wyndham Meatworks to restart the town's economy. World War I disrupted construction and it was finally completed in 1919. The meatworks was the lifeblood of the town's economy until its closure in 1985. With it many businesses departed to nearby Kununurra.

The sinking of the Koolama
In 1945, near the end of World War II, the port became the site for one of WA's most curious naval incidents. The MV Koolama, a one time cruise ship requisitioned to transport soldiers into Indonesia and East Timor for the battle against the Japanese, was struck by Japanese bomber planes as it sailed from Broome toward Wyndham. Mangled by three bombs, it was beached off a remote part of coast, far from any town, where some of the ships 160 passengers and crew bailed into lifeboats and headed to a sheltered cove onshore to make camp. After a few days under the roasting Kimberley sun, and with little food or prospect of imminent rescue, the group fractured into two camps and quickly flared into conflict. One group set off with a party of Aboriginals sent from Kalumburu Mission and trekked over 150 km to the Drysdale River Mission, while a small crew loyal to the captain stayed back to repair the ship. Diving underwater to plug the gaping cavity while crocodiles lurked nearby they restored it enough to limp 300 km into Wyndham port. Within 24 hours the bombers returned and put in a few finishing blows from which the Koolama lurched on its side and settled into the mud at its present resting place.



From Kununurra
Wyndham is about 100 km from Kununurra by road. The smoothest way is to head west on Victoria Hwy then north on Great Northern Hwy into Wyndham. A bumpier but more scenic way is on the 4WD only Parry Creek Rd, though it may be closed in the wet season if the water level at Ivanhoe Crossing is too high or the road is submerged by flooding.

By bus

 * From Broome. A daily Greyhound bus to Kununurra can let you out at the Great Northern Hwy turn off but you will need to cover the remaining 60km into town on your own.
 * From Kununurra. Same as for from Broome but in the other direction.

By plane
Few planes fly directly to Wyndham. The closest airport is at Kununurra from where you can hire a car and drive.

Get around
The town itself is quite small and easily traversed on foot, as long as the heat doesn't deter you. Some of the outlying sights are on graded unsealed roads that can get quite rough at times. A sturdy 2WD vehicle might make it but a 4WD would be better.

Drink
The pub is hard to miss, it is a bit of a feature of the town. Expect a cold beer and a chat, but not much in the way of nightlife.

Connect
As of March 2024, there is no mobile signal in Wyndham or on its approach highways.

Go next

 * Kununurra - comfortable base from which to explore the many natural attractions and eat a decent meal.