Halls Creek is a town situated in the east Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is located between the towns of Fitzroy Crossing and Turkey Creek (Warmun) on the Great Northern Highway. It is the only sizable town for on the Highway.

Halls Creek is also the northern end of the Canning Stock Route, which runs through the Great Sandy Desert until the southern end of the route at Wiluna.

The town functions as a major hub for the local Indigenous population and as a support centre for cattle stations in the area.

Halls Creek is the administration centre for Halls Creek Shire Council.

History

The land now known as Halls Creek has been occupied for thousands of years by Aboriginal peoples. The land is crossed by songlines and trading paths stretching from the coasts to the deserts, some passing near the modern town. The story of that long occupation remains alive today and it is revealed in the culture of the Jaru, Kija, Kukatja, Walmajarri, Gooniyandi and other Indigenous people who live in Halls Creek Shire.

Late in the 19th century, Europeans arrived, searching for land for cattle and sheep, as well as minerals. On Christmas Day 1885, prospector Charlie Hall found a gold nugget at a site that would eventually be named after him. News of the discovery drew more than 15,000 people to what is now Old Halls Creek to try their luck. It proved a barren land for these people, and some graves can be found in Old Town's small cemetery.

The gold rush lasted less than three months, and Halls Creek became a trading centre for cattle stations, Aboriginal communities and miners who stayed there. The post office with its telegraph line that terminated here, the police station, government office, racecourse and stores gave the town a purpose. In 1918 the Australian Inland Mission built a hospital and the old town continued, with few inhabitants and little water.

In 1948, an airfield was built near the site of the present town, and over the next decade, the old town moved nearer to this new site. Except for the police station, which was finally relocated in 1961, the old town was abandoned by 1954.

The nearby settlements known as Chinaman's Garden (Yarrunga) and Wangu Outstation (Flora Valley Station) were funded by the federal government as outstations during the 1980s.

Crime

Halls Creek has a very high crime rate and has grown quite famous in more recent years for its youth crime and large, violent, public brawls.

There are alcohol restrictions within Halls Creek. In May 2009, the state Director of Liquor Licensing imposed a "prohibition on the sale of packaged liquor with an alcohol content greater than 2.7 per cent from licensed premises" in the town.

Tourism

thumb|The so-called "China Wall"

For tourists, there are several nearby attractions such as:

  • China Wall
  • Old Halls Creek
  • Palm Springs
  • Saw Pit Gorge
  • Duncan Road
  • Wolfe Creek Crater, to the south on the Tanami Road
  • Purnululu National Park (the Bungle Bungles), 120 km to the north.
  • Canning Stock Route

Tourism information is available.

Indigenous Australian art

Many talented artists produce Indigenous Australian art live in Halls Creek and the surrounding communities. Some artists sell directly, and there is also an art centre in town, where buyers can meet the artists and purchase works.

  • Yarliyil Art Centre, Halls Creek

Permits are required in some areas.

Impact craters

Aside from the well known and well preserved Wolfe Creek Crater, averaging about in diameter, nearby there is also Goat Paddock crater, in diameter and west-southwest of Halls Creek, and Piccaninny crater, in diameter, within the Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) National Park. Near the other end of the Tanami Road in the Northern Territory, over away from Halls Creek, is Gosses Bluff crater, with the diameter, high crater-like feature, now exposed, being interpreted as the eroded relic of the crater's central uplift.

Indigenous population

In the 2016 Census, there were 1,546 people in Halls Creek. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 66.9% of the population.

It is home to the Indigenous Djaru and Gija peoples, as well as some Tjurabalan peoples from the desert to the south of the town. Indigenous people have lived in the region for at least 30,000 years. <blockquote>"Aboriginal people in Halls Creek are predominantly Jaru and Kija peoples. Many residents celebrate both Jaru and Kija heritage. There are also significant numbers of Gooniyandi people from further east, Walmajarri from the south-east and Kukatja people originally from the desert country to the south. Over the years, other Aboriginal people from nearby groups have moved to Halls Creek. These include the Gurindji and the Walpiri from the east, the Ngardi from the south-east and Malngin from the north-east."

|date = December 2016

|source 2 =Time and Date (dewpoints 2005-2015)

Weather Atlas (sun hours)

Heavy rare earth mine

the Browns Range Project pilot plant—160&nbsp;km south east of the township near the Kundat Djaru Community—is producing per annum of dysprosium.

See also

  • Halls Creek Airport
  • Carnegie expedition of 1896

References

  • Shire of Halls Creek
  • Halls Creek tourism