ununurra is a relatively new town and was only established in 1961 as a service centre for the Ord River Irrigation scheme after the success of the first stage and lots of investment. Kununurra is a local aboriginal word meaning ‘meeting of big waters’. Kununurra initially sustained a population of 400 people, today the town supports a population of 7500 – this can swell to double during the dry season when the tourists are in town! This number is also set to increase significantly as the area becomes more and more important with further investment into the Ord River Irrigation Area.