Warmun

Warmun, formerly known as Turkey Creek, is an Aboriginal community in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, with a population of about 400. It's on the Great Northern Highway and its roadhouse is a stop-off for those passing through or heading to Purnululu National Park. It's also the base of a renowned Aboriginal arts scene.

Understand

Still "Turkey Creek" on the bus schedule

"Dey killem all dem blackfellas, family for us mob . . . dem bin gettem dat wagon, gettam dat donkey and pullem la fire. They loadem in big pile like dat and chuckem allawood, chuckem, chuckem, chuckem, kerosene, chuckem kerosene, dey bin light dat fire."

- massacre of 1924 recounted by Dotty Watby

European settlers from the 19th century were drawn to east Kimberley by its fertile land amidst an arid region. A series of rivers flows north, swollen October to March by monsoon rains, and Turkey Creek was the name they gave to one of the tributaries. They established cattle ranges on the good land, and drove away the Aboriginal people by any available means. As late as 1924 one group of 20 were poisoned in reprisal for killing a bullock, with the survivors shot then all heaped on a bonfire. Those not slain squatted on the poor dry land, with no access to their hunting and fishing grounds. A few found work on the farms.

In 1901 a government depot was set up here to distribute rations to the Aboriginals, a dispossessed impoverished culture. There was some relief in the late 20th century as the region's economy grew, with the construction of the Great Northern Highway, the Ord River irrigation scheme, and mining for metals and diamonds; but all this was on European terms. In the 1970s a group of Gija people obtained government assistance to establish a community at Turkey Creek. This drew in Gija from elsewhere, into small camps until a permanent town was established in 1977. It's now one of the largest Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley, and was re-named Warmun.

This community has revived its culture and traditions through art, led by Rover Thomas Joolama (1926-1998). His starting point was with story-boards held behind the heads of dancers of the traditional Girrirr Girirr. He acquired an international reputation, and an artists' colony took shape, with an arts centre to promote their work.

Climate here is as dominated by the monsoon as ever. Dry season temperatures seldom exceed 35°C, but they're a humid 40°C during the October-March wet. The highway is passable year round, that was the point of building it, but side roads are blocked by swollen creeks. In 2011 flooding badly damaged the town, including the newly-rebuilt art centre, and 600 works of art floated away in the deluge, a fine metaphor for something-or-other.

Get in

Warmun is on the Great Northern Highway which courses all the way from Perth, 3013 km inland via Mount Magnet and Newman to Port Hedland, then east along the coast to Broome. Small communities on the last 860 km from Broome are Willare (the turnoff for Derby), Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. After Warmun it continues through Durack to Cameron junction, then north to end at Wyndham while Victoria Highway branches east to Kununurra and on towards Darwin.

Greyhound buses run daily along the highway. The eastbound bus leaves Broome at 6AM and Derby at 8:30AM to reach Turkey Creek (as the schedule insists on calling it) at 5:25 PM. It continues to Kununurra for 7:30PM, then overnight (with a time switch at the Northern Territory border) to Katherine and Darwin.

The westbound bus leaves Darwin at 3:20PM to reach Kununurra at 12:40AM, Turkey Creek at an inconvenient 3:50AM, and Broome at 3PM.

Warmun airstrip is 2 km south of the roadhouse. It was upgraded in 2023 so it now has a sealed runway suitable for light aircraft year-round. The nearest commercial airport is Kununurra, where the daily Broome-Darwin flight makes a stop.

Get around

You need wheels between roadhouse, art centre and Purnululu.

You may not enter the village except by invitation. This and other Aboriginal communities suffered heavily from covid, so they're especially antsy about outsiders whenever flu is going about. Another concern is bootleggers of illicit goods.

See

• 1 Warmun Art Centre, ☏ +61 8 9168 7496. M-F 9AM-4PM. Founded in 1998, this is run by the Gija people with all profits returned to the community. The artwork draws on traditional Ngarrangkarni (Dreaming) stories and on day-to-day life. Painting is the mainstay, but they also do prints, jewellery, sculpture and other crafts. They use natural local pigments and other materials, so the works have an earthy finish. You need prior permission to enter, a phone call from the roadhouse usually suffices. (updated Aug 2024)

Do

• Fly over Purnululu April-Oct but not from here. Fixed-wing air tours start from Kununurra, and helicopter tours from Bellburn airstrip within the park.

Buy

Now might be a smart time to top up the tank. The next fuel north is Durack, 93 km, and the next south is Hall's Creek, 161 km. The filling station at the Purnululu turnoff has closed, and of course there's nothing within the park.

Warmun roadhouse has a general store with basic supplies.

Eat

Typical fast food is available at the roadhouse daily 7AM-7PM.

Drink

Take a plane ride over Purnululu

Warmun is a dry community, no alcohol is sold and it would be respectful to do your quaffing elsewhere.

Drink plenty of water, bring a big container.

Sleep

• 1 Warmun Roadhouse Caravan Park and Motel, ☏ +61 8 9168 7882. Mostly shaded powered sites with a shower block and grassed areas around a swimming pool. A secure caravan storage compound is available if you want to leave it behind while roughing it in Purnululu. Self contained donga style units with double and single beds are basic (no pets in these), and cleanliness varies. Double room $150, site $25, hook-up $40. (updated Aug 2024)

Connect

As of August 2024, Warmun and its approach highway have no mobile signal.

Go next

• Purnululu National Park or Bungle-Bungles is Kimberley's must-see, a vivid jumble of striped sandstone domes.
• Kununurra was created by a bold 1960's irrigation project, so it's a comfortable lakeside base in a verdant area.
• Wyndham is a small but busy port at the terminus of the Great Northern Highway.