The RCSWA house is a four-bedroom open plan house with wide verandas that overlook the Derby marsh, providing a vantage point for viewing sunrises. The house is furnished, and wireless internet is provided.

Students who come to Derby should bring their own vehicles. Many of the local attractions are accessible only in the dry season, and most only by 4WD. If students have a 4WD, that is great, but if not, they can borrow the RCSWA 4WD for weekend excursions. Derby is a great place to ride a push bike, however, this has its limitations in the wet season and should not be relied upon after dark.

Derby has two main health providers, WA Country Health Service and Derby Aboriginal Health Service (DAHS). There are no private GP practices in Derby. DAHS has a walk-in clinic for acute medicine and clinics for antenatal care, child health, sexual health, and adolescent health.

Derby Hospital has an emergency department, an adult ward, a children’s ward, and birthing suite, which is staffed by District Medical Officers with rotating junior doctors. There is an allied health team based at the hospital.

DAHS employs GPs, nurses, an Aboriginal Health Practitioner, with visiting allied health professionals. A general physician, obstetrics and gynaecology, general surgeon, paediatrician, developmental paediatrician, and psychiatrist visit regularly from Broome, while other specialists visit from Perth or further afield.

There is a Kimberley Mental Health and Drug Service office based in Derby, and a Social and Emotional Wellbeing Unit embedded at DAHS.

Students will have a rich and diverse medical experience in Derby.

Derby is a mecca for outdoor living: camping, fishing, boating and 4WDing are the things you will find most people doing when they aren’t busy working. Each year a mountain biking event called “The Gibb Challenge” leaves from Derby. Teams or soloists ride from Derby to El Questro along the Gibb River Road.

In town, Derby has a library, public swimming pool, sporting fields, a horse racing track, a speedway, and historic jetty. Past RCSWA students have taken advantage of these facilities, playing AFL, volleyball, netball, basketball, golf, and lawn bowls, to name a few.

Each year during the dry season, Derby has a Boab Festival which includes events such as the Kimberley Art and Photographic Awards, the Boab Festival Basketball Carnival, the Mowanjum Festival, the Long Table Dinner, the Bush Poet’s Breakfast, film nights, quiz nights, and the Derby Cup Races.