Roebourne

Roebourne, Western Australia is an old gold rush town in the state's Pilbara region. It is 202km from Port Hedland and 1563km from Perth. It prospered during its goldrush heydey in the late 19th century and was once the biggest settlement between Darwin and Perth.

Gold from Nullagine and surrounding copper mines contributed to its original prosperity. With decline of both, Roebourne lost its population and was a shadow of its former self. What remains of that era are various national trust buildings around the town.

In later years, Roebourne became notorious for the struggles between Aborigines and police that were documented in a federal report dealing with Aboriginal deaths in custody, which were documented as a major issue in Aboriginal affairs from the 1980s onwards. The report showed that Roebourne (with a largely Aboriginal population of 1200) had ratios of police to citizens that were five times that of towns in more settled parts of Western Australia.

Currently it serves the passing highway traffic and tourism, especially as the gateway to many national parks in the interior.