Port Hedland, town in north-western Western Australia. Port Hedland is part of the Pilbara region, and is situated north of the Hamersley Range and west of the De Grey River. The port is actually built on an island connected to the mainland by causeways, the main one of which is 3 km (1 mi) long. It is a large and busy port on the Indian Ocean, shipping minerals from the Mount Goldsworthy and Pilbara reserves. The town also produces salt. Throughout the 20th century there has been extensive exploitation of tin, manganese, and, since the 1960s, large amounts of iron ore. Consequently, the port has prospered, expanding from its island docks on to the mainland. In the mid-1990s Port Hedland shipped up to 52 million tonnes of iron ore each year.
The British navigator Peter Hedland explored the area in the 1850s, and in that year it was settled as a pearling centre, exploiting the rich local oyster-pearl beds just offshore. The port developed later and was settled in 1896 with the discovery of the Pilbara goldfields and the development of the local railways. The strategic significance of Port Hedland during World War II was reflected by the heavy bombing it sustained. Population (1991) 11,344.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Port Hedland Information info
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