Top 10 Major Ports of Australia

The Oceania region is made up of thousands of islands throughout the Central and South Pacific Ocean, and Australia is an island country here. In terms of total land area, Australia is the smallest continent in the world.

The geographic position of this country makes it very important for international shipping. Australia manages 98% of its trade through Ports. Every single day Australian ports move $1.2 billion of trade.

There are significant numbers of ports in Australia. Among those, we have picked the ten most important ones based on the socio-economic contribution of these ports. Let's get to know about these popular and influential ports.

Port of Sydney

While picking the most important ports of Australia, one can not ignore this one. This port is situated in Botany Bay, and that is why this port is also named Port Botany.

The following aspects of Port of Sydney make it one of the important ports of Australia:

• Port of Sydney is the second-largest container port in Australia.
• This port can handle both solid and liquid goods.
• The port of Sydney has a significant contribution to New South Wales' economy and created more than seventeen thousand jobs.
• It is also a very well-known cruise destination having two dedicated cruise terminals. It is a unique feature of Port of Sydney.

Port of Darwin

The Port of Darwin is located in the northern part of Australia. It is Australia's nearest port to Asia; such positioning makes it a suitable gateway for Australia - Asian trade. In 2014, Landbridge, a Chinese company, bought it for having a favourable geographic position.

These are some of the reasons behind it:

• Port of Darwin is the "northern gateway" for Australasian trade.
• This port manages up to four million tons of cargo each year.
• Port of Darwin is one of Australia's busiest ports.
• It has a top-class supply chain and harbour control systems that are capable of dealing with bulk liquids, general cargo, bulk materials, oversized cargos, etc.
• Port of Darwin provides cruise ship and defence vessel facility as well.

Port of Hedland

Port of Hedland is the world's largest bulk export port. Also, it is the biggest container port all over Australia as well as Oceania. It is situated on the western coast of Australia, and there it connects other seaports in Oceania.

It is the first port to handle more than a million tons of cargo in a year. There are some logical reasons behind considering this port on this list. Those are:

• It is the biggest port in Australia, even in the Oceania region.
• The Port of Hedland handles more than 452 million tons of cargo every year.
• This port is ranked level one in terms of Maritime Security.
• This port has advanced technology for cyclone tracking and forecasts.
• It is one of the three iron ore exporting ports in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Port of Dampier

Port of Dampier is located in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia; it is near to the port of Hedland. It is one of the biggest bulk export ports in the world.

Let's have a look at what makes this port important to the economy of Australia.

• Port of Dampier is the second largest port in Australia.
• This Port of Dampier has an annual loading capacity of 140 million tonnes of iron ore.
• This port handles iron shipments of that region.

Port of Melbourne

Melbourne is an important business hub in Australia as it is the coastal capital of the southeastern Australian state of Victoria.

That is why the Port of Melbourne has so much significance for the businesses in this region. There are a considerable number of transport and logistics companies in Melbourne that depend solely on this port for their businesses.

• This port undoubtedly deserves to stay on this list for the following reasons.
• It is located in the business hub of Australia.
• Port of Melbourne is the fourth-largest container port in the Southern hemisphere.
• It is the first Australian port that handled two million TEU a year.
• Now the Port of Melbourne is handling almost 2.6 million TEU and about 3000 ships each year.
• This particular port has a history of 180 years.

Port of Fremantle

The Port of Fremantle has a vast contribution to the economy of the country. It is an integral part of Australia's domestic economy as it creates so many employment opportunities.

This Port of Fremantle is one of the busiest ports in Australia as well.

The following aspects make this port stand out from all other ports to be considered as one of the important ports of Australia:

• It handles more than thirty-five million tons of cargos each year.
• It also handles maritime cruises and the navy.
• By creating a lot of employment, it contributes to the local economy of Australia.
• The total value of this port's trade is over 26 billion euros.

Port of Brisbane

Right now, it is the third busiest port in Australia. Port of Brisbane is also the fastest-growing container port in the country.

Port of Brisbane is situated on the east coast of the state of Queensland. It is the largest seaport in Queensland State.

Let's get to know why it is an essential Port of Australia:

• This port is responsible for more than 28 million cargo and 2600 ships each year.
• Again, Port of Brisbane is ranked at level 1 of Maritime Security.
• This port follows strict environmental regulation and focuses intensely on maintaining ecological balance.
• It is the first port in Australia that used automated container handling equipment.

Port of Wellington

The Port of Wellington is a major port in Oceania, though it is located outside of Australia. Still, it is considered a part of Australia's chain of ports.

The following characteristics make it an essential port to Australia.

• Yearly it is responsible for fifteen million tons of cargo.
• This particular port handles the international and domestic shipping that is linked to transportation and railroad.

Port of Newcastle

The Port of Newcastle is located in New South Wales. It is the biggest port on the East Coast of Australia. It has been a global trade gateway for Australia for more than 220 years.

Now, let's know why this port is important:

• Each year the Port of Newcastle handles 167 million tons of cargo.
• This port fosters businesses across the Hunter and around the New South Wales region in the international market.
• Port of Newcastle handles a large number of maritime cruises each year.
• The port of Newcastle creates jobs and investments in the local communities. Thus, it boosts the local economy significantly.
• This port is connected with the major shipping ports throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Port of Adelaide

It is the largest port in Southern Australia. It is located 14 kilometres north-west of Adelaide.

It is a significant port for the city of Adelaide. This port played a very vital role in the formative decades of this region, as it was the main supply and information link to the other parts of the world.

The following reasons make it an important port in Australia:

• The majority of the port activity of this region happens here.
• Yearly it handles over 100 millions cargo.
• It also manages maritime cruises for tourists.
• The port of Adelaide is one of South Australia's earliest settlements.
• Being the main marine gateway for South Australia, it deals with different types of inbound and outbound cargoes.

Wrapping up

For globalisation and evolution in terms of technology and infrastructure, worldwide trade has increased more than ever in recent times. According to Our World in Data, the previous century didn't witness as much trade as today.

Due to the geographical positioning of Australia, the country is dependent on the ports for international trades. All the ports mentioned-above serve different regions of Australia. These ports have a vital contribution to making Australia financially more robust as a nation considering the significance of trade in a country's economy.