Why Is It Called the Kimberley in Australia?

You hear the name ‘the Kimberley’, and it feels big straight away. Ancient. Red. Remote. A place that hardly needs help sounding memorable.

But the name itself is not ancient at all.

The region was named in 1879 after John Wodehouse, the 1st Earl of Kimberley, a British colonial secretary. The naming is generally linked to explorer and surveyor Alexander Forrest, whose 1879 expedition helped formalise the district name during the colonial period.

That is the short answer, though it leaves out the more interesting part: the country itself, its Aboriginal histories, and why travellers still feel something a bit larger than geography when they go there.

So, why is it called the Kimberley in Australia?

If you are looking for the simple answer to why it is called the Kimberley in Australia, here it is: the region was given its colonial name after the Earl of Kimberley during the late 1800s.

Historically, British administrators and explorers often named places after political figures of the time. The Kimberley appears to be one of those cases.

A bit underwhelming? Perhaps.

And yet the name becomes more meaningful once you place it beside the region’s much older human history.

The Country Is Older Than the Name by a Very Long Way

The name Kimberley is colonial. The country is not.

This region holds deep Aboriginal history, culture and language traditions that long pre-date European naming. In more recent years, Aboriginal place names have increasingly been recognised across parts of the region as well, which feels like an important shift rather than a small footnote.

That matters because when people ask, “Why is it called the Kimberley?”, they are often asking two questions at once:

• Who gave it that name?
• What was here before that?

The first has a tidy historical answer. The second asks you to slow down a bit.

Why Travellers Care About the Name at All

A place name shapes expectations.

“The Kimberley” sounds singular, almost mythic. That may be part of why so many travellers arrive expecting one thing and leave talking about something else entirely. They might come for waterfalls, the Gibb River Road, the Bungle Bungles, ancient rock art, or the coast. Then they realise the region is not one neat postcard. It is a huge, layered part of northern Western Australia with many distinct landscapes and stories.

That is also why a guided journey can make so much sense here. In a region this large and remote, context is arguably half the experience.

What the Name Does Not Tell You

1. Aboriginal culture and living connection to Country

The Kimberley is home to rich and continuing Aboriginal cultures, languages and traditions. For many visitors, that becomes one of the most meaningful parts of the trip.

2. The sheer scale of the region

The Kimberley region in Australia is enormous. It stretches across rugged inland ranges, vast cattle country, dramatic gorges, remote coastlines and small outback communities. Reading about it is one thing. Travelling through it tends to make the scale feel real.

3. How remote it really is

Remote travel in the Kimberley is part of the appeal, though it also means practical planning matters. Things like route timing, accommodation style, road access and travel insurance for remote touring are worth sorting properly rather than casually.

The Better Question Might Be: How Should You Experience the Kimberley?

Once you know why it is called the Kimberley in Australia, the next question tends to follow quite naturally: what is the best way to see it?

That answer depends on your travel style, though a guided tour often removes the guesswork. You are not spending your energy working out distances, access roads, seasonal conditions or where to stay next. You are actually in the landscape, paying attention to it.

If you want to explore with more confidence, these options are a strong place to start:

• 12 Day Kimberley Trailblazer PLUS for a small-group overview with motel-style comfort.
• 14 Day Ultimate Kimberley Tour 2026 for travellers wanting a more comfortable and immersive journey.
• Kimberley cruises for those drawn to cliffs, waterfalls and remote coastline from the water.
• Seniors Kimberley tours for travellers who value comfort, pacing and having the logistics handled well.

There is probably a version of the Kimberley that suits you better than others. Knowing that before you book can save a fair bit of indecision later.

The name is Colonial. The Experience Is Much Bigger Than That.

So yes, the factual answer is straightforward: the region carries a colonial name linked to the Earl of Kimberley.

The fuller answer is more layered. The land, the stories, the scale and the cultural depth are much older, broader and less tidy than the label on a map.

That may be exactly why people remember the Kimberley so vividly once they have been. The name gets you curious. The experience does the rest.

Thinking About Going?

If this question has landed because you are quietly considering a trip, it may be worth turning that curiosity into something more concrete.

Browse our small-group Kimberley tours from Broome, compare Kimberley luxury tours, or explore our range of Broome tours and departures.

And if you are buying for someone else rather than yourself, a Kimberley Tours gift voucher might be a more interesting choice than another predictable present.

Explore our guided Kimberley tours, compare Kimberley cruises, and book the journey that feels right for your pace.