BROOME Broome is fast becoming Australia’s and Australians first choice for an 'in  Australia' holiday. For Broome, but unlike Port Douglas, good weather is almost guaranteed, and unlike Darwin there is a great beach to enjoy. The Indian Ocean brings another dynamic for Aussie tourists. From an International tourism perspective the idea of ‘cheap’ pearls and a ‘cheap’ holiday have endured for Broome. The West Australian mining boom of the 1960s, as well as the growth of the tourism industry, also helped Broome develop and diversify. Broome is one of the fastest growing towns in Australia. While the OZ dollar remains high against the US dollar international tourism has been hit for six. The slack is being picked up by some locals; but only just. The first European to visit Broome was William Dampier in 1688 and again in 1699. Many of the coastal features of the area are named by him, then in n 1883, John Forrest selected the site for the town, and it was named after Sir Frederick Broome, the then Governor of Western Australia. In 1889, a telegraph undersea cable was laid from Broome to Singapore, connecting to England. Hence the name Cable Beach. The town has an interesting history based around the exploits of the men and women who developed the pearling industry, starting with the harvesting of oysters for mother of pearl in the 1880s to the current major cultured pearl farming enterprises. The riches from the pearl beds did not come cheap, and the town's Japanese cemetery is the resting place of 919 Japanese divers who lost their lives working in the industry. Broome was attacked by Japanese aircraft on 3 March 1942. The air raid killed at least 88 people; the Broom War Memorial and town monuments plus the museum gives some dedication to those that lost their lives. Given so many lives were lost a dedicated acknowledgement might be expected. Broome is a new town and the hotels and churches reflect this. The camel rides bring economic relief to the visiting tourists and are a lot of fun. Broome is a fascinating small but vibrant town. Have a holiday and delight in the place, but get the seasonal timing wrong one may anticipate this.  Heritage diary