About Fitzroy Crossing
Welcome to the heart of the Kimberley, Fitzroy Crossing has something for everyone in this “little one horse town” so the song recorded by local band Fitzroy Express says!
Fitzroy Crossing was settled in the 1880’s and gazetted in 1975. As the name suggests, we are located at the crossing on the Fitzroy River, some 392km from Broome, 252 km from Derby and 288km from Halls Creek.
The Fitzroy River is one of the longest rivers in Australia with a catchment of 90,000 square kilometres. Just north of the town site the tributaries of the Leopold and Margaret / Mary Rivers join the Fitzroy before continuing on its journey to King Sound and the ocean. In the wet season the tropical storms transform the surrounding countryside into a waving sea of green. Fitzroy River’s swirling waters can rise up to 26 metres above the Old Concrete Crossing and has an estimated flow rate of 23,000 cubic metres per second, which could fill Sydney Harbour in six hours.
The Fitzroy Valley is home to more than 40 Aboriginal Communities, combining five different language groups Bunuba, Gooniyandi, Nyikina, Wangkatjunka and Walmajarri. Each language group have their own distinctive language and customs. The Bunuba people are river and hill people, whose land is on the north side of the Fitzroy River and stretches toward the Oscar, Napier and King Leopold Ranges. The Gooniyandi people are based on the south side of the Fitzroy River, and their land stretches from the east of Fitzroy Crossing to the other side of the Margaret River. The Nyikina people are plains and river people, their lands are to the west of the Bunuba lands. The Wangkatjunka and Walmajarri are the people of the Great Sandy Desert to the south.
Whilst it is not a big town don’t let the size fool you, Fitzroy Crossing has all the main services and special one of a kind touristy treasures just for you; it is truly the perfect base to access the spectacular sights of Geikie Gorge, Mimbi Caves, St George Ranges, Tunnel Creek, and Windjana Gorge.