Port Hedland

• Summary
• Weather for Port Hedland

Port Hedland is one of the major commercial centres in the area and its port has been used for a variety of industries over the years. Now, it is the 'Port of Big Ships' with massive tankers loading the rich iron ore mined in the area. A tour of the BHP Iron Ore facilities at Nelson Point will give you a good idea of the size and world-wide importance of the industry.

It is renowned for its Indigenous culture, big ships, long trains, piles of salt, red dust, Dalgety House Museum, Don Rhodes Open Air Museum, Red Pigeons in the main street, and it's fantastic community spirit. It's sometimes cliched to say "the friendliest town in the Pilbara", but the truth is, the people are what make Port Hedland what it is today.

The Visitor Centre runs daily BHP Iron Ore Tours, and Town Tours three times per week. During season there are harbour cruises and whale watching. A notice board at the Visitor's Centre tells you when the ships are due into port, and they basically sail right past the end of the mainstreet. There is also information about the train movements, and Redbank Bridge is an ideal spot to watch the incredible horsepower right under your nose. You can climb the observation tower and get a birds eye view of the surrounding area.

Port Hedland's Indigenous and early European history is rich and interesting. We have a WA Tourism Award winning Cultural and Heritage Trail that clearly maps out the early times of European settlement, and encompasses Indigenous and European interaction from that time late last century and early this century.