The KLRC was the first regional language centre established in Australia. It is the peak representative body for Aboriginal languages in the Kimberley. The organisation was set up in 1984 (incorporated in 1985) following the establishment of the Kimberley Land Council (1978) and the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre (1984). These organisations together protect the heritage of Kimberley Aboriginal people which is based on a foundation of Land, Law, Language and Culture.

The KLRC is governed by an elected Board accountable to a membership representative of the 30 remaining language groups in the region (about a fifth of the remaining national languages).

The strategic direction of the organisation is developed from the grass roots and is regularly reviewed to ensure it is reflects the needs of people at the community level. The KLRC was founded in the belief that the effects of colonisation on the Indigenous languages of Australia were endangering the cultural knowledge of thousands of years. The oral transmission of this knowledge to younger generations has been severely disrupted, and the impact of the English language and the Western system of education continues to decimate languages.