| Dampier Western Australia |
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Map of Dampier, Western Australia and surrounding area. |
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Dampier
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| Population: | 1,370 (2006 Census)[1] | ||||||
| Established: | 1965 | ||||||
| Postcode: | 6713 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 48 m (157 ft) | ||||||
| Location: | |||||||
| LGA: | Shire of Roebourne | ||||||
| State District: | North West | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Durack | ||||||
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Dampier is a major industrial port in the north-west of Western Australia. The Dampier Port is part of the Dampier Archipelago. The port services petrochemical, salt, iron ore and natural gas export industries. Rio Tinto exports large volumes of iron ore through the port, and in September 2010 announced plans to expand capacity.[2] At the 2006 census, Dampier had a population of 1,370.[1]
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Aboriginal people, including the Yaburara and Ngarluma tribes, have lived in the area for many thousands of years. The town derives its name from the nearby Dampier Archipelago, named after the English buccaneer William Dampier, who visited the area in 1699.[3]
The town was built from 1965 onwards, to serve the railway transporting iron ore from Tom Price and Paraburdoo. By 1968, the further expansion of Dampier had been constrained by geographical factors and the new town of Karratha was established as a result.[4]
The nearby Murujuga (Burrup Peninsula) which means "Hip Bone Sticking Out" in the Ngarluma/Yaburara language, is home to what is believed to be the largest collection of petroglyphs (ancient rock art) in the world.[5]
There are 42 islands within the Dampier Archipelago.[6] There is a hugely diverse marine ecosystem around these islands where the fauna includes whales, dugongs, turtles, coral and sponges.[6] Green turtles, (Chelonia mydas) are also known to nest in the Dampier Archipelago.[7]
At the entrance to the town is a statue of "Red Dog", a red kelpie/cattledog well known for roaming the area in the 1970s and hitching rides to nearby towns. The statue reads "Erected by the many friends made during his travels".[8] Other attractions include the fishing not far off the coast, the most commonly targeted species being barramundi (Lates calcarifer).
The port of Dampier, opened in 1966, when the first iron ore from the Mount Tom Price mine was transported via the Hamersley & Robe River railway to Parker Point and loaded on ships. The port at East Intercourse Island opened in 1972.[9]
The port has an annual capacity to handle 140 million tonnes of iron ore, in comparison to Rio Tinto's other iron ore port, Cape Lambert, which is able to handle 80 million tonnes. It takes between 24 to 36 hours to load a ship at port.[9]
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