IT is hard to imagine how Broome’s settlers battled the heat and humidity of WA’s Kimberley coast and the perils of diving to the sea floor, but the lure of the pearl made it worth the risk.
More than 120 years since the pearling industry sprang up along the WA coast, pearls have been reaffirmed as a major commodity for Broome, with exports reported to generate about $200 million and the industry employing 1000 people.
And the lure of the pearl continues to be an attraction.
Visitors to the town today are faced with an array of pearl producers and retailers to choose from, but before succumbing to the ocean gem’s charms, it pays to take a step back to learn about the history of the industry and why the pearl was such a sought-after item.
Pearl Luggers in Broome’s Chinatown district gives tourists the chance to trace the story of the pearl trade and the Kimberley town’s changing role in it.
A museum that includes an interactive presentation, Pearl Luggers aims to educate its visitors on the perils faced by the industry’s early divers, and has many items on show to illustrate how the pioneers lived and worked.
London jeweller Edward Streeter was the man responsible for driving Broome’s pearling industry after learning of the trade that had begun to flourish further down the WA coast at Shark Bay and Cossack.
His sons docked a boat at Roebuck Bay and noticed the large Mother of Pearl shell – or Pinctada Maxima – there. This species of oyster grows up to 30cm in diameter and weighs as much as five kilograms.
This discovery soon moved the pearling action to Broome.
Broome became known as the town “built on buttons” as the Mother of Pearl shell was used to make buttons, along with its use in other products such as cutlery, cosmetics and pearlescent paint.
The writer was a guest of Oaks Hotels and Resorts and Australia's North West Tourism