McAlpine House

Top choice in Broome


Lord McAlpine made this stunning house, a former pearl master's lodge, his Broome residence during the '80s. Now renovated to its former glory, there are lovely airy rooms, open communal areas, shady tropical verandahs and a lush canopy of mango trees, tamarind and frangipanis. Escape from the heat by the pool, or travel back through time in the library.

McAlpine (1942–2014) was a British baron and adviser to Margaret Thatcher, but also a businessman who was instrumental in Broome's development as a tourist destination. He founded Cable Beach Club Resort and is honoured by a life-sized bust, complete with bronze Akubra hat, nearby.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Broome attractions

1. Women of Pearling

0.31 MILES

This 3m cast bronze statue of an Indigenous female diver clutching a pearl pays tribute to the role women played in the brutal pearling industry. The…

2. Broome Museum

0.38 MILES

Discover Cable Beach and Chinatown's origins through exhibits devoted to the area's pearling history and WWII bombing in this quirky museum, occupying the…

3. Old Convent Heritage Centre

0.42 MILES

An amazing archival collection of photographs spanning over 100 years of interaction between the Sisters of St John of God with the people of the…

4. Bungalow

0.44 MILES

Short Street Gallery's Hopton St stock room at Town Beach holds a stunning collection of canvases from across the Kimberley and beyond.

5. Pioneer Cemetery

0.5 MILES

The small Pioneer Cemetery overlooks Roebuck Bay at Town Beach.

6. Town Beach

0.6 MILES

Tiny Town Beach is fine for a dip when the tide is in; just ensure it's not stinger season. There's a kid's water park nearby.

7. Nagula Jarndu Women's Resource Centre

0.62 MILES

Beautiful screen- and block-printed textiles and other crafts are on show (and sale!) at this studio/gallery run by Yawuru women. Enter via Pembroke Rd.

8. Chinese Cemetery

0.73 MILES

Located next to the Japanese Cemetery is a Chinese burial ground with more than 90 graves and monuments.