Kununurra is situated at a distance of 3,214 km from Perth via the Great Northern Highway. Alternatively, the more picturesque coastal road and Broome offer a longer route of 3,337 km. The town is located 1043 km northeast of Broome and 829 km southwest of Darwin via Katherine. According to the local Miriwoong Aborigines, 'kununurra' translates to 'big water’.
Before European settlement, the Miriwoong Aboriginal language group inhabited and traversed the area. Alexander Forrest explored the region in 1879, naming significant landmarks like the Kimberley, Margaret and Ord Rivers and the King Leopold Ranges. By 1883, Forrest, now a land agent, facilitated the lease of over 51 million acres in the region. As the area remained sparsely populated, Forrest became the inaugural Member of Kimberley in the Western Australian Legislative Council in 1887. Around the same time, a Kununurra pastoral lease designated for sugar cane remained unclaimed.
The early 1880s saw the Durack family establish multiple cattle stations like Lissadell, Argyle, Rosewood, and Ivanhoe. At Ivanhoe Station, Kimberley Durack experimented with growing cash crops in the fertile Ord River valley soils. Following this, the Western Australian Government set up a small experimental farm on the Ord River in 1941, closing it in 1945. Subsequently, between 1945 and 1957, a joint Commonwealth-State Research Station explored various crops like rice, safflower, linseed, and sugar cane at Ivanhoe Plain.
The construction of the irrigation scheme commenced in 1958, with Kununurra established as the primary construction town the following year. After debates in 1961, the town officially adopted the name Kununurra instead of Cunnamulla. In 1963, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip visited Kununurra, marking the official opening of the Ord River Irrigation Area by Prime Minister R. G. Menzies.
By 1966, 31 farms operated on the Ord River plains, encountering mixed results and considerable challenges. In 1968, the main Ord River Dam, forming Lake Argyle, was finished. Completing the second stage of the Ord River Irrigation Area in 1972, the region tackled initial agricultural challenges like distance, tropical diseases, and bird-related issues. Today, Kununurra successfully produces watermelons, mangoes, bananas, rice, and cotton, with some crops reaching markets in Southeast Asia after overcoming initial obstacles.
Mirima National Park and Hidden Valley
The Mirima Hidden Valley National Park, situated just 2 km from Kununurra's town centre on Ivanhoe Road, is the closest attraction. It resembles a miniature version of the Bungle Bungles, featuring small beehive-shaped formations with horizontal and layered bedding. The same processes that formed the Bungle Bungles created these formations, but the singular shapes resulted from the erosion of nearby Lily Creek's quartz sandstone.
Wildlife thrives in the park, with lizards and birds, such as black kites, double-barred and crimson finches, and white-quilled rock pigeons, being the most common. During the early morning and evening, you may come across short-eared rock wallabies, agile wallabies, and dingoes.
Celebrity Tree Park
Opened in 1984, the Celebrity Tree Park is an arboretum located west of Kununurra's town centre on the shores of Lake Kununurra. Celebrities who have visited the town, such as John Farnham, Harry Butler, Rolf Harris, Baz Luhrmann, and HRH Princess Anne, have planted trees in the park. The park is home to a diverse range of native species, including a massive boab tree.
El Questro
El Questro Station is a legendary destination, an exclusive resort in the middle of nowhere that celebrities frequent to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Interestingly, there is also a caravan and cabin section, which is quite a distance from the upmarket property. This section is ideal for those on a budget, although they won't have access to the exclusive station property.
Situated 106 km southwest of Kununurra on the Chamberlain River, El Questro Station provides four levels of accommodation, including the Homestead (which has only nine rooms), the air-conditioned El Questro bungalows, the Emma Gorge tented cabins, and riverside camping. Like the properties on either side of the Gibb River Road, El Questro spans one million acres (404,685 ha) and boasts an extraordinary range of flora and fauna.
Home Valley Station
Home Valley Station is located 120 km west of Kununurra. Many argue it is worth spending at least one night at the station during your travels because it is owned by the Indigenous Land Corporation and is a wholly owned Aboriginal accommodation. It is also utilized as an on-site training academy specifically designed to introduce indigenous men and women to the hospitality industry. The station is a sophisticated accommodation option with significant social value. It's worth noting that the upmarket end of the available accommodations is five stars, making it one of the best options for staying in the outback. Its quality is on par with El Questro, which is located just down the road.
Lake Argyle and the Ord River Scheme
The Ord River Scheme aimed to harness wasted monsoonal rainwater, utilize fertile soils, and leverage proximity to Southeast Asia. However, the ambitious plan encountered complexities. It involved damming the Ord River in the Carr-Boyd Ranges, creating a diversion dam downstream for irrigation, generating hydroelectricity, and settling farmers to exploit these resources.
Initial attempts, like a 1941 experimental farm, failed and closed by 1945. Subsequent efforts at the joint Commonwealth-State Research Station at Ivanhoe Plain experimented with various crops. Construction began in 1958, completing the first stage by 1963, with Kununurra established as the scheme's central construction town.
Despite challenges such as tropical diseases and bird-related issues, progress continued. By 1972, Lake Argyle Dam, one of the world's largest artificial dams, was opened. Persistence paid off, evident today as Kununurra thrives with successful crops like chickpeas, melons, mangoes, and sugar cane, which now cover 33% of the cultivated land in the Irrigation Area.
Argyle Downs Homestead Museum
Originally situated on Lake Argyle Road, this was the Durack family's original home. Threatened by the rising waters of Lake Argyle, the house was relocated to its current site. Visitors can explore the remarkable story of Patrick Durack, known as "Patsy", born in Ireland in 1834. He migrated to Australia in 1853 and found success in various ventures, including the Ovens River goldfields and land transactions in western Queensland.
In 1882, lured by promising reports about Kimberley's land, he embarked on a journey to establish land on the Ord River. Organizing a massive cattle drive covering 3000 miles, Durack's sons established Argyle station in 1886. This historic tale gained widespread recognition through Mary Durack's bestselling book, "Kings in Grass Castles." The house and graves were relocated to their present site before 1968, when Lake Argyle Dam was completed.
Distance from Perth: 3,214 km
Population: 4,515
Postcode: 6743
Founded: 1961