The Kimberley region can be divided into four distinct landform divisions:
The North Kimberley Division
The North Kimberley Division is predominantly plateau country comprising sandstone with some shales and volcanic. Spectacular coastal scenery constitutes the north and north west boundaries of the Plateau. Iron ore is mined from rock in this area, and laterisation has led to the deposits of bauxite on the Mitchell Plateau.
The Plateau acts as a water shed with streams and river systems flowing to the ocean in the north and the north west. River systems draining to the south join with the catchments of the Ord and Fitzroy basins. The Kimberley Foreland on the southeastern and southwestern boundaries of the Plateau contains intensely folded and faulted landscapes.
Top 
The Ordland Division
The Ord River flows into Cambridge Gulf, north of Wyndham. The Ordland Division contains Lake Argyle and the Ord River Irrigation Area. Well known land forms include the Bungle Bungles, the rugged ranges around and to the south of Kununurra, and the tidal mud flats of the Cambridge Gulf Lowlands.
The Ordland Division contains Western Australia's first goldfield near to the current day Halls Creek, and the Argyle diamond fields formed through massive geological events more than 500 million years ago.
The Fitzroyland Division
The Fitzroyland Division contains the Fitzroy River and its tributaries, which drain north west entering King Sound south of Derby. The north eastern edge of the Fitzroyland Division contains the Devonian reef system that harbours 350 million year old marine fossils. The reef system is deeply incised and weathered to form the gorges and caves that make this area such an attractive tourist destination. Lead zinc is mined from this area east of Fitzroy Crossing. Dampierland contains Broome and the Pindan country of the Dampier Peninsula.
The Sandland Division
The Sandland Division comprises the southern parts of the region and contains portion of the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts.
|
