History

Stay in our Broome accommodation and discover this colourful town, just a two and a half hour flight from Perth. Following the discovery of the Pinctada Maxima, the world's largest pearl oyster shell, in 1861, in Rosebuck Bay, Japanese, Filipino, Timorese, Indonesian and Malay pearl drivers flocked to Broome, joining Aboriginal divers, seeking their fortune in the pearl industry and soon Chinese shopkeepers came to support the industry. Broome was established in 1883, as a port for the already flourishing pearl industry and at one point Broome supplied 80 per cent of the world's mother-of-pearl shell. Today the town's multicultural mix, amazing landscape and colourful lifestyle has made it a mecca for writers, artists and musicians as well as a popular tourist destination.

While staying in our Broome accommodation, the famous 'Staircase to the Moon' is not to be missed. This natural phenomenon occurs between March and October for three days after the full moon at extreme low tide. As the moon rises, its reflection stretches over the mudflats of Rosebuck Bay, creating the hauntingly beautiful illusion of a long silver staircase. Learn about cultured pearling, while staying in our Broome accommodation, by visiting Willie Creek Pearl Farm. Located 38 km north of Broome on a protected tidal estuary, view the inner workings of a pearl farm and see the seeding of a live oyster shell. Or visit Australia's most significant site for shorebirds (migratory waders), the Broome Bird Observatory, about 25 km from Broome on Roebuck Bay. Or visit the Manbana Aquaculture and Discovery Centre and learn of the continuing role the local Indigenous people play in the fishing industries and learn how certain plants were used traditionally in day to day life.

There are a number of things to see while staying in our Broome hotels: Walk the streets of Chinatown and see original corrugated iron huts, pearl showrooms and the world’s oldest operating open-air picture garden, Sun Pictures; visit the Courthouse and see distinctive Broome architecture; browse food and arts and crafts stalls every Saturday at the Courthouse markets; or sample beer from Broome's only boutique brewery at Matso's Broome Brewery, which occupies a building which started life as Broome's first bank, the Union Bank of Australia in 1900.

Take a walk or camel ride along Cable Beach, while staying in our Broome hotels, and discover one of the world's most stunning beaches. Named for the telegraph cable which was laid between Brome and Java in 1889, Cable Beach boasts 24kms of white sands fringing the pristine turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean and is the perfect location to watch the sunset. Or visit Gantheaume Point while the tide is low and see dinosaur footprints over 120 million years old. Our Broome hotels act as a great base for exploring the Kimberley region