Wharfinger's House Museum

Nestled on the edge of the Derby marsh and surrounded by iconic boab trees, the Wharfinger House Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the region’s past. Built in the 1920s as the home of Derby’s jetty manager, the Wharfinger, this historic 1930s wooden building now houses a diverse collection of artifacts, generously donated by West Kimberley residents and government agencies. The museum highlights Derby’s role as a key port for exports and a communications and administrative hub of the northwest while paying tribute to the cultural heritage of the Aboriginal groups who lived and worked at Boodolar—the Warrwa and Nyikina name for Derby. Located at the corner of Elder and Loch Streets, the Wharfinger House Museum invites visitors to explore displays on shipping, telecommunications, aviation and exhibits like fossil mud lobsters and termites. For opening hours, contact the friendly Tourism Officers at the Derby Community Hub. Opposite the museum stands the old Wool Shed, one of Derby’s oldest buildings, once vital to exporting goods until its closure in 1964. Nearby remnants of the horse-drawn tramway and the SS Colac’s anchor and propeller in Lions Park tell more of Derby’s story. For the adventurous, a flight from Derby’s airport reveals the remains of the shipwreck at low tide.