Port Hedland

Town in northern Western Australia, 1,637 km/1,017 mi north of Perth; population (1996) 12,800. It is the main centre for Western Australia's iron ore industry. Other industries include salt, government services, fishing, and tourism.

It was named after Captain Peter Hedland who in 1829 became the first European to reach the entrance to the shallow bay on which Port Hedland is now situated. Early pastoral development occurred in the Port Hedland area from 1863. A pearling base emerged in 1863, although Port Hedland was not proclaimed until 1896. The discovery of tin at Marble Bar, to the east of the town, led to the construction of a railway between the two towns in 1912. The railway closed in 1951, although the discovery of copper, gold, and manganese in the region ensured the town's prosperity. The emergence of the iron ore industry in the 1960s contributed to a rapid population expansion and further development of the port facilities.