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HISTORY OF BROOME'S PEARLING INDUSTRY
Broome owes its beginning to the giant North West pearl oyster the Pinctada Maxima which grows in Roebuck Bay and the banks of Eighty Mile Beach. This new species was first discovered in 1861 by the crew of the 'Dolphin' at Nickol Bay. At this time a host of objects were made from 'Mother of Pearl' and it was a valuable commodity.
The size of the shell was huge in comparison to any other shell available and caused a sensation in European and American markets. The average size of the 'pinctada shell' was six to twelve inches across. The nacre of the shell also had a shimmering interior which also set it apart from the rest.
In 1860 the first settlers came to the North West and struggled to make a living
from sheep. They faced drought, dingos and sometimes hostile Aboriginal
tribesmen. Most quickly found that there was more money to be made in the
pearling industry. The first tonne of pinctada shell paid for a vessel. Ten tonnes
of shell a season was then collected by divers and any pearls found were
considered a bonus.
In 1881 modern pearling began and so did the history of Broome. Boats from the Thursday Islands and Torres Straits arrived bringing helmet and diving apparatus. With the new equipment, two helmet divers were able reach the beds of shell in deep water and could double catch of fifty seven skindivers. Roebuck Bay became the headquarters of the fleet. A settlement of a few rough camps in the sand dunes began in November 27th 1983. The Governor Sir Frederick Napier Broome was so upset about the town taking his name that he wrote a letter to the Colonial Office in London. In the letter he referred to Broome as a 'dummy' town site and wanted the name to be changed. It was hardly diplomatic. |
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Rewards were rich but it was risky work. Lugger fleets were subject to cyclones and the divers faced the hazards of sharks, currents, ear and chest infections. For almost twenty years the divers were male and female Aboriginal skin divers sometimes crammed fifty seven to one vessel. The Government eventually banned women from diving and reduced the depths to which the divers were sent.
The first Post Office in Broome was an 1800 litre water tank lying on its side.
When Harry Bliss first opened he used a kerosene tin as a counter. But from
then on things moved rapidly. A base at Roebuck Bay was set up by EW
Streeter and Co, a famous London firm of jewellers. A hotel, jetty and pearling
shed were built to bring in more pearlers from southern areas. Cable Beach was
used for the international telegraph cable which was established by The Eastern
Extension and China Telegraph Co. Ltd. This linked Australia with the world. In
1840 Roebuck Bay was named to honour the second visit made by William
Dampier in the HMS Roebuck.
Before 1914 Broome was supplying 80% of the worlds Mother of Pearl. Broome was the most cosmopolitan town in Australia and pearl shell was selling at a world record price. During the 'lay up' season Roebuck Bay was a forest of masts with over 400 pearling luggers based in thee town
| With 1000 whites, 3000 Japanese and some Chinese and Malay people as well, Broome had the largest population in the North. Vessels were run by Asian crews because the Japanese were considered the worlds best helmet divers. The white owners often stayed on land and became 'verandah pearlers.' |
Many outsiders thought that the wealth in pearling was gained from pearls, whereas the real money was made from the Mother of Pearl. Pearls found were simply an added bonus. However, many natural pearls were found including the 'Southern Cross' and 'Star of the West.'
The Hundreds of headstones in the Japanese Cemetery show the price many people paid for Broome. They died in cyclones, from beriberi, 'the bends,' or decompression sickness. Many divers were crippled by working too long at depth and ascending too quickly. 145 deaths occurred between 1910 and 1970. However once the relationship of time spent underwater to depth was understood, a series of diving tables dramatically reduced the death rate. The years 1900 to 1914 were Broome's golden age.
