Halls Creek Town History

The town is located on the watershed between the Fitzroy and Ord rivers, in a valley surrounded by hills sprinkled with gold and diamonds. Originally it was a mining town but after it was relocated in the 1950s to the present site it evolved into a small but thriving town servicing the local pastoral, mining and tourist industries.

The town has ample retail services, 2 hotels with accommodation as well as a caravan park. There is much to see in the town and full information can be found at the Tourist Centre, located by the Town Council Offices by the statue to Russian Jack, (a local pioneering hero who was actually Polish!). Around the town are many excellent sites to visit for those interested in history, landscapes, flowers, birds or relaxing in safe pools.

To the north lie the rugged and spectacular Kimberley ranges with gorges like Gieke and Windjana just a few hours drive away. Near these is Tunnel Creek where the Fitzroy River passes through a natural tunnel. It was here that Jandamarra, the Aboriginal warrior, was killed. Beyond this lies the Gibb River Road, one of Australia's great 4WD tracks which runs from Derby through the El Questro Tourist area to near Wyndham.

To the south of Halls Creek is Old Halls Creek, the site of the original town, with the historic mud brick Post Office and a café. It is from here that many fossicking trips start into the gold rich hills. On the same road will be found Caroline Pool, a permanent water source and popular swimming hole, The Great Wall (a limestone wall that runs for many kilometres along the hilltops) and finally the Tanami Desert. This desert stretches right to Alice Springs and is a wonderfully varied landscape of shrubs, herbs and wild flowers. Thousands of birds, ranging from minute finches to the massive Jabiru fill the air with colour and sound.

16 km west of the town is the turning for the Tanami Track to Alice Springs. Although 4WD in parts Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater, the worlds second largest from which fragments have been retrieved, it accessible in dry conditions by most vehicles. In the east are the Purnululu hills, once known as the Bungle Bungles. This National Park has superb "beehive" hills in a stripped sandstone, the northern end has the unique Zebra Rock which can be seen (and bought) in the town of Kununarra. Here is also where you will find Lake Argyle and the Argyle diamond mine.

Transport to Halls Creek is plentiful with a good sealed road passing through as well as 4 major unsealed roads terminating within 100 km of the town (Tanami Track, Canning Stock Route, Duncan Road and the Gibb River Road). The airport has regular flights from Broome as well as being a centre for pleasure flights and general aviation.