Take a look back at these vintage photos of Broome

With dry season well and truly underway, we’re daydreaming at our desks about the magical pull of Broome’s red dirt and blue skies.

But with such an intriguing history and breathtaking landscape, we’re curiously delving into some photos of Broome’s past, thanks to the excellent State Library of Western Australia Facebook page.

And with everyone’s obsession with the Royal Family of late, we’ll start with these photos of then not-yet-king Prince Charles in Broome in 1979, here as part of the WAY 79 celebrations.

Or… Maybe you’re more interested in local celebs? Like the well-loved, croc hunter and filmmaker turned conservationist Malcolm Douglas, photographed below in approximately 1985.

Surely on your next visit to Broome you’ll want to visit stunning natural landmarks? And not much has changed, with these photos taken at Gantheaume Point in 1948. Although we haven’t seen many influencers posing in Anastasia’s Pool with a pipe, at least not lately…

Of course, between 1976 and 1981, you could pop into the Broome Tourist Bureau – at the time, housed in a Garuda DC.3 plane that crash landed two years prior.

One of Broome’s most iconic sights and a must for visitors has to be a ride on the Cable Beach camels, pictured below in ca.1986.

Or, perhaps you could head over to Roebuck Bay and check out the unique mangrove ecosystem – you can see some mangroves peeking out of the water in this photo from the early 1950s.

First held in 1894, the Broome Cup remains a huge drawcard for visitors – and we can’t argue that these racegoers in 1976 seem to be having a pretty good time!

Another huge event on the Broome calendar is the Shinju Matsuri Festival. Beginning in 1970, the festival is inspired by pearling town’s vibrant and multicultural history.

Speaking of history, Broome is home to the world’s oldest picture gardens – and you can still head to Sun Pictures today!

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Some photos are available to purchase via the State Library of WA. All photos, unless stated, via the State Library of WA.