Jetty to Jetty Interpretive Trail
The 3.4km long Jetty to Jetty Interpretive Trail takes in 13 historical and cultural sites that explore the rich cultural landscape of the Yawuru people and Broome’s pearling era.
Spanning from Streeter’s Jetty to the Old Jetty at Town Beach, the trail seeks to connect Broome’s visitors and residents with the foreshore of Roebuck Bay – the heart of Yawuru country – and its many historic and cultural treasures.
Distinctive red signs and seats located around the old facades of Chinatown and against the vibrant backdrop of Roebuck Bay mark the Jetty to Jetty Interpretive Trail. Designed as a self-guided walk with supporting digital layers, the trail and the stories it highlights also feature within guided tours run by Nyamba Buru Yawuru.
Trail infrastructure is minimalist, created using recycled materials and reflects the Broome architecture of yesteryear. The strength of the infrastructure comes from the support of their locations, allowing the unique landscapes to paint the pictures told in the stories.
The trail’s physical infrastructure is complemented by a smart phone app that provides stories and music relating to each location. More than thirty local people are featured on the Jetty to Jetty app, sharing their experiences as the pearl divers, pearling masters, children growing up in Broome, shell-openers, jetty workers, shop owners and performers of Broome’s pearling heyday.
The Jetty to Jetty trail tells of Broome’s fascinating pearling past through the evocative accounts of its storytellers, who feature on a smartphone app that complements the signage and seating elements.
The project was led by Nyamba Buru Yawuru (NBY) over four years, utilising the knowledge and skills of sound artists, storytellers, tourism experts, landscape architects, historians, software developers and writers. The project’s collaborative process helped instigated the development and signing of an accord between the Nyamba Buru Yawuru (Native Title Holders of Broome) and the Shire of Broome, marking a significant and positive change in the way projects are undertaken in Broome.
The Jetty to Jetty interpretive trail suggests an innovative and low impact approach to tourism that combines traditional knowledge and storytelling with contemporary technology.
Awards:
2016 Australian Institute of Landscape Architect (AILA) National Award for Tourism
2016 Australian Institute of Landscape Architect (AILA) WA Award for Tourism
Details:
Client: Nyamba Buru Yawuru
Aboriginal Country: Yawuru Country
Location: Broome, WA
Dates: 2015
Collaborators:
Project Concept: Nyamba Buru Yawuru (NBY)
Project Management: NBY and UDLA
Trail Masterplan: UDLA and NBY
App and soundscape: Thoughtworks, Maya Kanamori, storytellers and their families, Jimmy Edgar cultural advisor
Photos: Maya Kanamori, the Broome Historical Society, the Western Australian Maritime Museum, Bill Peasley, UDLA, NBY, Leon Mead, Jalaru photography
Built infrastructure design and construction administration: UDLA
Built infrastructure design and construction: Scape-ism
Built infrastructure installation: Shire of Broome, CWD and Northern Landscapes
Book author: Sarah Yu (NBY)
Book editing: Sally Wilkinson, Pat Lowe, Dan Balint, Sonya Rand and Rachel Bin Salleh
Book, brochure, postcard and hat design and production: UDLA
Funding: Lotterywest, Tourism WA and the Kimberley Development Commission (Royalties for Regions), NBY
