AUSTRALIA | Sunday, 5 June 2011 | Views [388]
The first divers “recruited” by the white pearling merchants were of course indigenous people, from all across the Kimberley. They were excellent at free diving but eventually once the easy to reach shell was gone, divers in suits were required, and the aboriginals were relegated to even more menial tasks. Most aboriginal families in the Kimberley were affected by pearling, and as the indigenous population dwindled by the early 1900's, many ended up living on the streets or in the prisons of Broome. This plaque is an effort by the town to redress the litany of historic grievances.
