Aboriginal people in the economy of the Kimberley region

Abstract

The Kimberley region of Western Australia has long been regarded by non-Aboriginal people as one of the last great wilderness areas of the world. Since the days of the earliest European exploration, the region has attracted pastoralists, miners, farmers and others interested in 'developing the north'. Most of this development has ignored the rights and interests of the Aboriginal population of the region. ¶ Despite massive government expenditure, large scale and sustainable development in the region remains elusive. Much of the pastoral industry, which occupies vast areas of land, is non-viable, and mineral production is dominated by one large mine in the east Kimberley region. After more than one hundred years of occupation, the non-Aboriginal resident population of the region is still only about twelve thousand. ¶ Though most of the emphasis of government policy for the region has been on stimulating large scale commercial development, the reality is that a significant proportion of the economic activity in the region is heavily dependent on government spending. Much of this spending is attributable to Aboriginal people and Aboriginal organisations. ¶ This book examines the economy of the Kimberley region, and the role of Aboriginal people in that economy. It also examines the policies and practices of past and present Western Australian Governments, and the financial relations between Western Australia and the Commonwealth Government. It demonstrates how Aboriginal people can be regarded as the long-term demographic and economic base of the region.