Port Hedland, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Port Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
, with a population of approximately 14,000 (this includes its satellite suburb South Hedland, 18 km away).
Port Hedland is a natural deep anchorage port which, as well as being the main fuel and container receival point for the region, was seen as perfect for shipment of the iron ore being mined in the ranges located inland from the town. The ore is moved by railway lines from four major iron ore deposits to the east and south of Port Hedland area. In August 2010 the port exported 13.6 million tonnes of iron ore. Other major resource activities supported include the offshore natural gas
fields, salt, manganese, and livestock. Grazing of cattle
and sheep was formerly a major revenue earner for the region but this has slowly declined. Port Hedland was formerly the terminus for the WAGR
Marble Bar Railway
which serviced the gold mining area of Marble Bar
.
Kariyarra and Nyamal people as Marapikurrinya, which either means "place of good water" (as told by a Nyamal language speaker) and makes reference to the three reliable fresh water soaks
that can still be seen in and around the town, or as the town council's website says "refers to the hand like formation of the tidal creeks coming off the harbour (marra - hand, pikurri - pointing straight and nya - a place name marker)". According to Dreamtime
legend there was a huge blind water snake living in the landlocked area of water known as Jalkawarrinya. This landlocked area is now the turning basin for the ships that enter the port and as the story goes, "the coming of the big ships meant it was unable to stay".
Though the coastline in the area had been explored in the 18th century, Captain Peter Hedland was one of the first Europeans to explore the harbour for the purpose of developing an export port. Peter Hedland arrived in the area in April 1863 onboard his boat, Mystery that he had built himself at Point Walter on the banks of the Swan River
. He named the harbour Mangrove Harbour and reported that it would make a good landing site with a well protected harbour and that there was also fresh water available. What Hedland failed to point out was that the harbour was difficult to enter because of a huge sandbar that sealed the entrance meaning it was only accessible at high tide and that it was difficult to enter in bad weather because of the narrow entrance.
In 1866, the resident Magistrate of Roebourne
, Treverton Sholl, commissioned Charles Wedge
to investigate alternative town sites to Roebourne. Wedge reported that Port Hedland's suitability was pessimistic. In 1891, exploration of the area by Tom Traine, John Wedge and Syd Hedley identified two landings and described the harbour as "pretty as well as safe". In September 1895, Cossack
residents requested the District Surveyor to survey the headland at Port Hedland and requested the Government to build a jetty.
Goldsworthy Mining developed an iron ore mine approximately 100 kilometres east of Port Hedland in the early 1960s and built the towns of Goldsworthy
and later Shay Gap as mine sites. A rail line was then built to Port Hedland where dredging was undertaken to deepen and widen the port's channel and a wharf was built opposite the township of Port Hedland on Finucane Island. Shipment of ore began on 27 May 1966 when the Harvey S Mudd sailed from Port Hedland to Japan with 24,900 tonnes of ore.
In 1967 iron ore was discovered at Mount Whaleback and a mining venture was undertaken that included the establishment of a new town, Newman
, 426 km of rail from the mine to the port and the development of processing equipment at both Newman and Port Hedland. In 1986, at a cost of $87 million, the existing channel was dredged to allow the port to increase the tonnage of those ships able to enter the port. Prior to dredging the port was only able to load vessels less than 2,000 tonnes but today it is able to accommodate ships over 250,000 tonnes.
operated by MacRobertson Miller Airlines
crashed at nearby Indee Station. The plane had flown from Perth to Port Hedland without incident until about 10 minutes before landing it suffered a catastrophic right hand spar failure with the wing separating from the fuselage. All 26 on board, including the pilot, a first officer and 2 hostesses were killed.
is subject to some of the largest variations in the world. As an illustration, in 1942 1040 mm (40.9 in) fell, but in 1944 only 32 mm (1.3 in) fell and the town went for over 300 days with no rain. The high summer temperatures experienced in Port Hedland mean that most tourists to the area choose to visit in the cooler months between May and September.
, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto
. These large mounds have almost become a tourist attraction in their own right.
facility was opened at Port Hedland to deal with the arrival of boat people
seeking asylum. Port Hedland was seen as a good location as it is in an area where many illegal boat people were entering Australia, and had an international airport that would allow for easy deportations when required. The Detention Centre was privatised by the John Howard Government in the late 1990s. The centre was closed in 2004 due to the falling numbers of asylum seekers arriving by boat to Australia's northwest. The town mayor called for the federal government to allow the town to use the detention centre to accommodate the many new mine workers needed in the town's current mining boom. A lack of accommodation makes it difficult for companies to operate efficiently as they are unable to house staff or consultants within the town's small number of hotels. The Detention Centre, which is situated on the beach front and was formerly single-men's quarters for Mount Newman Mining (now BHP Billiton
). The centre is now operating as the Beachfront.
Teams of 10, trios, duos and lone runners now push modified wheelbarrows containing 11 kgs of iron ore over the distance.
Pilbara region of Western Australia
The Pilbara is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia known for its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore...
, with a population of approximately 14,000 (this includes its satellite suburb South Hedland, 18 km away).
Port Hedland is a natural deep anchorage port which, as well as being the main fuel and container receival point for the region, was seen as perfect for shipment of the iron ore being mined in the ranges located inland from the town. The ore is moved by railway lines from four major iron ore deposits to the east and south of Port Hedland area. In August 2010 the port exported 13.6 million tonnes of iron ore. Other major resource activities supported include the offshore natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
fields, salt, manganese, and livestock. Grazing of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and sheep was formerly a major revenue earner for the region but this has slowly declined. Port Hedland was formerly the terminus for the WAGR
Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....
Marble Bar Railway
Marble Bar Railway
The isolated Port Hedland to Marble Bar railway was a Western Australian Government Railways gauge branch line that was opened in July 1911. It was the second railway in the Pilbara region running from the north coast of Western Australia...
which serviced the gold mining area of Marble Bar
Marble Bar, Western Australia
-North Pole:An ironically named locality nearby is known as North Pole , no doubt for its heat. It is the location of rock formations considered to have evidence that puts the origin of life on earth back to 3,400–3,500 mya, due to stromatolites in particular rock sequences...
.
History
Port Hedland is known by the IndigenousIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
Kariyarra and Nyamal people as Marapikurrinya, which either means "place of good water" (as told by a Nyamal language speaker) and makes reference to the three reliable fresh water soaks
Soakage
A soakage, or soak, is a source of water in Australian deserts.It is called thus because the water generally seeps into the sand, and is stored below, sometimes as part of an ephemeral river or creek system.-Aboriginal water source:...
that can still be seen in and around the town, or as the town council's website says "refers to the hand like formation of the tidal creeks coming off the harbour (marra - hand, pikurri - pointing straight and nya - a place name marker)". According to Dreamtime
Dreamtime
In the animist framework of Australian Aboriginal mythology, The Dreaming is a sacred era in which ancestral Totemic Spirit Beings formed The Creation.-The Dreaming of the Aboriginal times:...
legend there was a huge blind water snake living in the landlocked area of water known as Jalkawarrinya. This landlocked area is now the turning basin for the ships that enter the port and as the story goes, "the coming of the big ships meant it was unable to stay".
Though the coastline in the area had been explored in the 18th century, Captain Peter Hedland was one of the first Europeans to explore the harbour for the purpose of developing an export port. Peter Hedland arrived in the area in April 1863 onboard his boat, Mystery that he had built himself at Point Walter on the banks of the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
. He named the harbour Mangrove Harbour and reported that it would make a good landing site with a well protected harbour and that there was also fresh water available. What Hedland failed to point out was that the harbour was difficult to enter because of a huge sandbar that sealed the entrance meaning it was only accessible at high tide and that it was difficult to enter in bad weather because of the narrow entrance.
In 1866, the resident Magistrate of Roebourne
Roebourne, Western Australia
Roebourne is an old gold rush town in Western Australia's Pilbara region. It is 202 km from Port Hedland and 1,563 km from Perth, the state's capital. It prospered during its gold boom of the late 19th century and was once the biggest settlement between Darwin and Perth...
, Treverton Sholl, commissioned Charles Wedge
Charles Wedge
Charles Wedge was a surveyor and explorer of the North West of Western Australia. He was the eldest son of Edward Davy Wedge and the nephew of John Helder Wedge, with whom he arrived, together with his cousin John Charles Darke in 1824 in Van Diemens Land...
to investigate alternative town sites to Roebourne. Wedge reported that Port Hedland's suitability was pessimistic. In 1891, exploration of the area by Tom Traine, John Wedge and Syd Hedley identified two landings and described the harbour as "pretty as well as safe". In September 1895, Cossack
Cossack, Western Australia
Cossack is an historic ghost town located 1,480 km north of Perth and 15 km from Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The nearest town to Cossack is Wickham. At the 2006 census, Cossack had a population of 236....
residents requested the District Surveyor to survey the headland at Port Hedland and requested the Government to build a jetty.
Goldsworthy Mining developed an iron ore mine approximately 100 kilometres east of Port Hedland in the early 1960s and built the towns of Goldsworthy
Goldsworthy, Western Australia
Goldsworthy is a former mining town in Western Australia east of Port Hedland and located in the Shire of East Pilbara...
and later Shay Gap as mine sites. A rail line was then built to Port Hedland where dredging was undertaken to deepen and widen the port's channel and a wharf was built opposite the township of Port Hedland on Finucane Island. Shipment of ore began on 27 May 1966 when the Harvey S Mudd sailed from Port Hedland to Japan with 24,900 tonnes of ore.
In 1967 iron ore was discovered at Mount Whaleback and a mining venture was undertaken that included the establishment of a new town, Newman
Newman, Western Australia
Newman, located about 1186 km north of Perth and 9 km north of the Tropic of Capricorn, is a town in the Pilbara region. It can be reached by the Great Northern Highway...
, 426 km of rail from the mine to the port and the development of processing equipment at both Newman and Port Hedland. In 1986, at a cost of $87 million, the existing channel was dredged to allow the port to increase the tonnage of those ships able to enter the port. Prior to dredging the port was only able to load vessels less than 2,000 tonnes but today it is able to accommodate ships over 250,000 tonnes.
1968 plane crash
On 31 December 1968, a Vickers ViscountVickers Viscount
The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
operated by MacRobertson Miller Airlines
MacRobertson Miller Airlines
MacRobertson Miller Airlines Ltd. , callsign "Miller", IATA code "MV", was established in Australia in late 1927, by pilot Horrie Miller with the backing of chocolate millionaire Sir Macpherson Robertson....
crashed at nearby Indee Station. The plane had flown from Perth to Port Hedland without incident until about 10 minutes before landing it suffered a catastrophic right hand spar failure with the wing separating from the fuselage. All 26 on board, including the pilot, a first officer and 2 hostesses were killed.
Geography and climate
The climate of Port Hedland is warm to hot, with mean maximum temperatures of 36.4 °C (97.5 °F) in January and 27.1 °C (80.8 °F) in July. Maximum temperatures in summer are usually moderated by a warm but humid sea breeze. Annual rainfall (falling almost exclusively between December and June) averages 311.5 mm (12.3 in) but because of erratic cyclonesTropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
is subject to some of the largest variations in the world. As an illustration, in 1942 1040 mm (40.9 in) fell, but in 1944 only 32 mm (1.3 in) fell and the town went for over 300 days with no rain. The high summer temperatures experienced in Port Hedland mean that most tourists to the area choose to visit in the cooler months between May and September.
Temperatures
Located between Port Hedland and South Hedland are the large salt hills of Dampier SaltDampier Salt
Dampier Salt is an Australian salt company located in Western Australia, with operations in Dampier, Port Hedland, and Lake MacLeod, with headquarters in Perth...
, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto Group
The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne. The company was founded in 1873, when a multinational consortium of investors purchased a mine complex on the Rio Tinto river, in Huelva, Spain from the...
. These large mounds have almost become a tourist attraction in their own right.
Immigration detention facility
In 1991 an immigration detentionImmigration detention
Immigration detention is the policy of holding individuals suspected of visa violations, illegal entry or unauthorised arrival, and those subject to deportation and removal in detention until a decision is made by immigration authorities to grant a visa and release them into the community, or to...
facility was opened at Port Hedland to deal with the arrival of boat people
Boat people
Boat people is a term that usually refers to refugees, illegal immigrants or asylum seekers who emigrate in numbers in boats that are sometimes old and crudely made...
seeking asylum. Port Hedland was seen as a good location as it is in an area where many illegal boat people were entering Australia, and had an international airport that would allow for easy deportations when required. The Detention Centre was privatised by the John Howard Government in the late 1990s. The centre was closed in 2004 due to the falling numbers of asylum seekers arriving by boat to Australia's northwest. The town mayor called for the federal government to allow the town to use the detention centre to accommodate the many new mine workers needed in the town's current mining boom. A lack of accommodation makes it difficult for companies to operate efficiently as they are unable to house staff or consultants within the town's small number of hotels. The Detention Centre, which is situated on the beach front and was formerly single-men's quarters for Mount Newman Mining (now BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
). The centre is now operating as the Beachfront.
Blackrock Stakes
The Blackrock Stakes is a 122 km race from Whim Creek to Port Hedland in which competitors, either in teams or as individuals, push a wheel barrows weighed down with iron ore. It was first run in 1971 and what developed has raised more than $1 million for charity and caused grown men, women and children to lump a wheelbarrow full of iron ore from a remote mine site and into Port Hedland.Teams of 10, trios, duos and lone runners now push modified wheelbarrows containing 11 kgs of iron ore over the distance.
See also
- Pilbara historical timelinePilbara historical timelinePilbara historical timelineThis timeline is a detailed list of events and locations of the development of the Pilbara region of Western Australia.-References:* Hamersley Iron Diary titled Hamersley Iron. The Pilbara Flora Collection 1984...
- Pilbara newspapersPilbara newspapersPilbara newspapersThis is a selection of newspapers published in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.The rise and fall of some of the newspapers reflect the shifts and changes in population in various localities of the region as mining starts and moves through different zones, and also as some...
- Port Hedland International AirportPort Hedland International AirportPort Hedland International Airport is an airport at Port Hedland, Western Australia. The airport is 14 km from Port Hedland and 11 km from South Hedland and is owned by the Town of Port Hedland Council. The airport has more than 250,000 passengers and 20,000 flights per year.It is...
- Port Hedland Saltworks Important Bird AreaPort Hedland Saltworks Important Bird AreaThe Port Hedland Saltworks Important Bird Area is a 103 km2 tract of originally intertidal land, now containing a saltern, lying about 20 km east of the port of Port Hedland on the coast of the Pilbara region of north-west Western Australia...