About Us

The Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley is located in the ruggedly picturesque and sparsely populated northeast corner of Western Australia (WA), stretching from the Northern Territory border to the northern most tip of WA.

The Shire covers an area of 121,000 square kilometres and is one of four local governments that make up the Kimberley region. The Shire includes the towns of Kununurra and Wyndham and there are also a number of Aboriginal Communities; the largest being Kalumburu, which is situated in the northern part of the Shire.

The Shire boasts many attractions some of which include Carboyd Ranges, Celebrity Tree Park, Cockburn Ranges, Drysdale River National Park, Emma Gorge, Five Rivers Lookout (the Bastion), Gibb River Road, The Grotto, Ivanhoe Crossing, Kelly’s Knob, Kununurra Diversion Dam/Lake Kununurra, Lake Argyle, Lily Lagoons, Mirima National Park, Mitchell River National Park, Ord River Irrigation Area, Ord River, Parry’s Lagoon Nature Reserve, Pentecost River, Ragged Range, Wyndham Community Fishing Jetty and Zebedee Springs.

Many significant events occur in the Shire including the Ord Valley Muster, Lake Argyle Swim, Kununurra Agricultural Show, Kimberley Writers Festival, Kununurra Rodeo, Kununurra and Wyndham Races, and Dam-Dam Dingy Dash.

The Shire is currently experiencing a period of growth relating to the Ord East Kimberley Expansion project.  

With its tropical climate and its many natural attractions, the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley is the eastern gateway to the Kimberley.

Kununurra

Kununurra was developed in the early 1960s to service the construction of the Ord Irrigation Scheme. The town has seen the transformation of ancient river plains into one of Australia’s most diverse and productive agricultural areas. Harnessing the mighty Ord River opened up the area to horticulture, agriculture, aquaculture and eco-tourism.

From its beginnings as a service town for workers, Kununurra has grown to a population of about 7000 people and is home to most of the Shire’s residents and town services.

Wyndham

Wyndham is Western Australia's most northern town and the second largest town in the Shire. It is a small town with a population of just 1000, but Wyndham was once a bustling town, with the arrival of news of gold discoveries at Halls Creek.

The Wyndham Port was first established at the base of the Bastion in the 1880's and today provides for the state ship service, the import of fuel, ammonium nitrate and general freight and the export of iron ore, nickel and live cattle. It is also a popular stop over for cruise ships.

Wyndham, like Kununurra, is surrounded by cliff and gorge country and has five rivers flowing into the Cambridge Gulf. The Cambridge Gulf is a massive waterway providing access to recreational mariners and commercial fishing operators with entry points into five rivers, being the Pentecost, Forrest, King, Durack and Ord Rivers as well as numerous creeks.

Aboriginal Communities

The Shire is home to around 40 small indigenous communities which includes Kalumburu and Doon Doon. During the wet season (October to May) many community residents move to the larger towns to be closer to family members when flooding can isolate their communities from services.