The Shire of Derby–West Kimberley is one of four local government areas in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia, covering an area of 104,080 square kilometres (40,186 sq mi), most of which is sparsely populated.

The major industries of the shire include cattle for export, fishing, and tourism.

[3] The area is home to many large cattle stations, One of the first established was Yeeda Station, taken up in 1880[4] by the Murray Squatting Company composed of William Paterson, G. Paterson, H. Cornish and Alexander Richardson.

[5] The lease for Fossil Downs Station had been issued in 1883 to Dan MacDonald, for an area of 100 square miles (259 km2) at the junction of the Margaret and Fitzroy Rivers.

[6] The station was established in 1886 when cattle arrived from the eastern states to stock the lease.