The small Aboriginal community of One Mile, located on the outskirts of the tourist town of Broome, has officially been closed down.
The town-based reserve, which is one of many across central and northern Australia, was established many years ago as a result of Aboriginal people being displaced beyond the town borders.
While the conditions have deteriorated over the years, many Aboriginal people from surrounding remote communities reside in One Mile when attending funerals in Broome.
The last of the residents moved out of One Mile voluntarily and moved into public housing in town.
Douglas Butt had been living at One Mile on and off for 50 years. He told ABC Kimberley he didn’t want to move but he had to and was sad to leave.
The State government is building short stay accommodation for Aboriginal people who travel into Broome from community.
Out of the 274 Aboriginal communities in WA, there’s roughly 37 town based reserves in the Kimberley, Pilbara and Goldfield regions in the state.
Ten of the larger communities have been selected to receive funding from the State government for upgrades to essential services such as electricity and water.
Western Australia has the most remote communities in the country, with roughly 12,000 people living in them.
