The Baobab prison tree is a 1,500-year-old, large hollow tree with a girth of 14.7 metres. It was reputed to have been used in the 1890s as a lockup for indigenous prisoners on their way to Derby for sentencing, but Aboriginal histories do not support the story that this tree was used to imprison Aboriginal people (either by the Derby police force, or by ‘ blackbirders’ taking enslaved Aboriginal people to the coast. In Wyndham however, a similar baobab was indeed used for this purpose, police shackling prisoners both inside and outside the tree. 

The Worrorra, Ngarinyin and Wunambal people were removed by Government from their northern homelands in the early 1900s, first to Kunmunya Presbyterian Mission, then to Wotjulum, near Yampi Sound. They were eventually settled on Nykina country near Derby, far from their sacred Wandjina caves. In 1975, the community was shifted once to its present site, east of Derby off the Gibb River Road. The Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre is a creative hub for the 3 tribes who make up the Mowanjum community outside Derby, Western Australia.

These three language groups are united by their belief in the Wandjina (cloud and rain spirits) as a sacred spiritual force, and the creators of the land. They are the custodians of Wandjina law and iconography. The centre hosts exhibitions, workshops and community projects, as well as the annual Mowanjum Festival, one of Australia’s longest running indigenous cultural festivals.

Dimalurru National Park is famous for its subterranean tunnel, that you can navigate in swimmers if you are game. I wasn’t…particularly because there are ‘swim at your own risk’ signs everywhere re crocs!

I’d gone to see Windjana Gorge, 30kms further south, only to discover it was closed for major roadworks. Note to self: look up National Parks database to check status before setting out! But I did see some awesome baobabs @ Dimalurru, at the Willare road house and, also down a side street in Derby itself. 

Another beautiful sunset tonight at the Derby jetty. Apparently any punter has a good chance of landing Blue Salmon, Mulloway (Golden Grunter), the prized gook gook (Catfish), a variety of sharks and of course, the odd Barra from the jetty. A good strength hand-line and a couple of biceps to match are essential, if you need to haul up a good catch at low tide (on the spring tides there is nearly a ten metre difference between high and low). A young woman caught a Golden Grunter, almost as big as her younger brother and Mum and he were very pleased to pose with her trophy.