Broome Historical Museum

Well worth a visit when travelling through Broome. There is an abundance of history in Broome and the museum provides a wealth of information on topics such as: local indigenous culture and hardships post arrival of settlers, opal farming, impact of war on the town and it’s inhabitants. Also interesting display and information on dinosaur fossils and footprints found in the area. Well with the entrance fee, very friendly staff. I recommend allowing a minimum one hour for a visit. Nice outside sheltered area if you need a rest.

We can understand why this is regarded as one of the finest regional museums in Australia. It is located in three heritage buildings including the old Customs House and the very unique Sailmaker’s Shed. The museum is full of amazing resources and gives a comprehensive picture of the various aspects of Broome with a particular emphasis on those pivotal shaping events such as the pearling industry, World War II air raids, the multicultural nature of the history and a reasonable coverage of the local Indigenous people’s. The Museum website is quite informative and we found the volunteers to be incredibly helpful and informed. There is so much here that it is important to set a bit of time aside to appreciate all that it has to offer.

I have attended a number of museums conferences over the years, and Broome Historical Museum always seemed to have an innovative project on the go. I finally got to visit a couple of weeks ago, and I thought it was brilliant. It actually tells the story of Broome ( unlike some other museums, which don't seem focussed on highlighting their local area history). Congratulations on an excellent museum, and a nod from UNESCO for preserving and restoring the sailmakers shed.

There is a lot of history here about the local pearl industry, something that I was not aware of when visiting Broome. There is some good WWII history on the Japanese attacks on Broome and how the war affected the Pearl industry. There are some restored parts from recovered aircraft and pearl luggers shot down or sunk during the war. Overall worth the $12 entry.

What a cracker this museum is! It's grey nomad season here in Australia and if you're schmoozing around Broome make sure you pay a visit to this fascinating, professional and informative museum. Kudos to all the people working and volunteering here, you do a superb job of preserving a unique history. Cheers. #bettybird

A very worthwhile museum to visit! A great collection and well put together. The shell collection was my favourite exhibit. Absolutely incredible!!!!

Loved it. Lots to see. Honest exhibits, does not sugar-coat history. Woman volunteer in green dress was delightful, kind and helpful.

Great to see how broome came about and the different history of the people that help make it what it is day

We spent over 2 hours here from 10am. By noon the place was packed. Seniors are charged $8 and are probably the ones who will get the most of the displays. There is an emphasis on the 1942 bombing and an excellent video about Charlie d'Antoine who was an unsung hero in Australia but recognized by the Dutch government for his bravery. The first thing that greets you is the huge diving suit and plenty of information about pearl diving. Many items are on display to show life styles of Japanese, Chinese, English and other internationals that were attracted to Broome due to the pearling. You can even practise your knots in the sailing shed.

Good historical exhibits and informative staff. Documentary films worth staying for. Spent several hours here; the staff gave us passes to go out to lunch, and offered to extend them to the end of the week!