Derby ( ) is a town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. At the 2016 census, Derby had a population of 3,325 with 47.2% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent. Along with Broome and Kununurra, it is one of only three towns in the Kimberley to have a population over 2,000. Located on King Sound, Derby has the highest tides in Australia, with the differential between low and high tide reaching . History Derby falls within Nyiginka country. The town was founded in 1883 and named after Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby, the British secretary of state for the colonies. During World War II, Derby was bombed by Japanese planes because of an air base and jetty that was used by Australian forces. More recently, refugees were housed at Royal Australian Air Force Base Curtin, however the detention centre was closed in 2014. Derby was famous in the 1920s as the terminus of the first scheduled aviation service in Australia, West Australian Airways Ltd. Their service began with their first flight on 5 December 1921, which crashed, near Geraldton. At one time the Perth to Derby service was the world's longest passenger airline route. In 1968 the town had a population of approximately 1,500 people, many employed at the meatworks. A A$900,000 beef road from Glenroy Station to Derby was completed the same year to assist with the development of beef processing. A A$2 million steel and concrete jetty was built in 1965 to provide adequate port facilities for the shipment of live cattle. The West Kimberley Regional Prison, whose architecture won several awards, was opened in 2012. Population According to the 2016 census of population, there were 3,325 people in Derby. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 47.2% of the population. 77.4% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was New Zealand at 3.4%. 72.5% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Kriol at 6.2%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 27.7% and Catholic 26.8%. Culture Derby is rich in cultural diversity, with the local Aboriginal Australian culture playing a large part in the community. The Mowanjum Festival is held annually at Mowanjum Community, located south east of Derby, and features a showcase of traditional art. The Boab Festival (named after the boab tree) is a fortnight-long festival that