Port of Albany
Encyclopedia
The Port of Albany or Albany Port is an Western Australia
n port located on the south coast of the state in the Great Southern
region.
. The city of Albany
is located next to the port facilities.
A dredged shipping channel that has a width of 145 metres (476 ft) and a minimum depth of 12 metres (39 ft) provides an approach to the port from King George Sound.
The channel to the port has Point Possession to the South and Point King at the base of Mount Adelaide to the North, the body of water between these two points is called Atatürk entrance.
The Albany Port takes up a total land area of 80 hectares (198 acre), a mixture of crown and freehold land that is managed by the Albany Port Authority.
s that are currently operational with a site that is ready to develop into a fifth berth when it is required. The port is able to accommodate panamax
size vessels with a maximum laden draft of 11.7m, a deepening of the channel is being proposed to allow capesize
vessels entry to the port.
The port has two tugs with 45 tonne bollard pull capacity provided by Svitzer, a 12 tonne mobile crane, three forklift trucks (two of 2 tonne, and one of 5 tonne capacity) and a large cold storage facility with volume of 98000 m3 at the rear of Berth No. 1.
The port has direct rail access from the Mirambeena Industrial Estate 12 kilometres (7 mi) from, Albany that allows woodchips from the Albany Plantation Export Company's woodchip mill to be transported directly to the port by rail instead of road. The rail line is narrow gauge and continues in a northerly direction to Perth
.
The port is able to service both Cargo and Naval vessels with 7 Naval vessels docking at the Port in 2008.
and the main port
in the state until the Port of Fremantle
was opened in 1900.
The first settlers arrived in Albany in 1826 when Major Edmund Lockyer arrived at the harbour aboard the brig Amity.
The Port started from humble beginnings when a finger jetty
was built between 1862 and 1864 in Princess Royal Harbour. The construction was extended in 1874 and fitted with a T-shaped head and had gas lighting installed.
Dredging and land reclamation around the port area commenced in 1893, with a further five dredging operations taking place between 1901 and 1979.
Albany was an important arrival point for migrants and settlers in Western Australia with over 40,000 people arriving between 1839-1925.
The Great White Fleet
visited Albany on 11 September 1908 and stayed for one week to take coal aboard as part of the fleet's circumnavigation of the world. The fleet arrived from Melbourne and the next port of call was Manila
.
In 2004 2,685,000 metric tonnes of cargo passed through the port and in 2005 2,990,000 metric tonnes of cargo was achieved. During this time woodchip exports increased by 105%.
A huge drug seizure was recorded in the Port area in 2004 when the Australian Federal Police
and the Australian Customs Service
recovered 100 kilograms (220 lb) of powder cocaine
, worth over $45 million, was recovered from a local beach after being buried in the dunes. The drugs were imported on a bulk grain carrier Marcos Dias having come from South America via South East Asia, three men were arrested as a result.
In 2005 handler and exporter CBH
, proceeded with a $130 million upgrade of their grain handling and loading facilities at the port.
The Albany Port Authority won the national Lloyd
s Port of the year award in 2006 for its development of new technology used to restore degrade load-bearing concrete piles without disrupting cargo handling activities.
The port was visited by the Queen Elizabeth II passenger liner in February 2008 as part of its final world trip. Albany was the only regional port that was visited during the Australian leg of the voyage.
The largest vessel ever handled by the Port was the Bulk carrier 71,749 dwt
Maritime Grace which was partly loaded at the port.
It was consequently found that the ordnance had been spilt during loading of excess munitions to be disposed of at sea in 1947 and 1948 by the Australian Army and Navy.
Tha Albany Port Authority took the Commonwealth government to court to pay for the clean-up of the munitions. The Commonwealth lost the case and were ordered to pay $5.25 million dollars for past and future clean-up costs and an additional $1 million for legal costs.
Some of the ammunition that has been found included a 250 pound aerial bomb, 18 pound artillery shells and rifle ammunitions.
Products that are commonly imported through Albany port are manufactured fertilizer
s, fertilizer raw materials, petroleum
fuels and fish.
Products most commonly exported through the port are woodchip
s, wheat
, silica sand
, barley
, canola
and oat
s.
Woodchips were first exported from Albany Port in 2002 and by 2007 made up in excess of 40% of the total tonnage exported.
The Port contributes significantly to the economy of the Great Southern Region estimated to be in excess of $160 million per annum.
35°02′12"S 117°54′03"E
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n port located on the south coast of the state in the Great Southern
Great Southern
Great Southern can refer to any of the following:*Great Southern Television, based in Auckland and Sydney.*Great Southern , a region in Western Australia.*Great Southern , the backing band for American rock guitarist Dickey Betts....
region.
Location
It is located on the northern shore of Princess Royal Harbour, a natural harbour, that is part of King George SoundKing George Sound
King George Sound is the name of a sound on the south coast of Western Australia. Located at , it is the site of the city of Albany.The sound covers an area of and varies in depth from to ....
. The city of Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
is located next to the port facilities.
A dredged shipping channel that has a width of 145 metres (476 ft) and a minimum depth of 12 metres (39 ft) provides an approach to the port from King George Sound.
The channel to the port has Point Possession to the South and Point King at the base of Mount Adelaide to the North, the body of water between these two points is called Atatürk entrance.
The Albany Port takes up a total land area of 80 hectares (198 acre), a mixture of crown and freehold land that is managed by the Albany Port Authority.
Facilities
Facilities at the port consist of 4 berthBerth (moorings)
A berth is a location in a port or harbour used specifically for mooring vessels while not at sea.-Locations in a port:Berth is the term used in ports and harbors to define a specific location where a vessel may be berthed, usually for the purposes of loading and unloading.Most berths will be...
s that are currently operational with a site that is ready to develop into a fifth berth when it is required. The port is able to accommodate panamax
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
size vessels with a maximum laden draft of 11.7m, a deepening of the channel is being proposed to allow capesize
Capesize
Capesize ships are cargo ships originally too large to transit the Suez Canal . To travel between oceans, such vessels used to have to pass either the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn. In effect Capesize reads as "unlimited"...
vessels entry to the port.
The port has two tugs with 45 tonne bollard pull capacity provided by Svitzer, a 12 tonne mobile crane, three forklift trucks (two of 2 tonne, and one of 5 tonne capacity) and a large cold storage facility with volume of 98000 m3 at the rear of Berth No. 1.
The port has direct rail access from the Mirambeena Industrial Estate 12 kilometres (7 mi) from, Albany that allows woodchips from the Albany Plantation Export Company's woodchip mill to be transported directly to the port by rail instead of road. The rail line is narrow gauge and continues in a northerly direction to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
The port is able to service both Cargo and Naval vessels with 7 Naval vessels docking at the Port in 2008.
| Berth | Length (m) | Depth (m) | Max. Draft (m) | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berth No. 1 | 209 | 10.4 | 9.8 | Passenger and cruise ship berth and General and Bulk Cargo |
| Berth No. 2 | 172 | 10.4 | 9.8 | Passenger and cruise ship berth and General and Bulk Cargo |
| Berth No. 3 | 227 | 12.2 | 11.5 | Bulk Cargo loaded via 3 mechanical shiploaders also for container cargo and Ro Ro vessels |
| Berth No. 5 | To be completed for future Bulk Cargo products | |||
| Berth No. 6 | 216 | 12.3 | 11.5 | Bulk Cargo for Woodchips |
History
Albany Port was the first deep water point in Western AustraliaWestern Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and the main port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
in the state until the Port of Fremantle
Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour
Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour is a commercial marina in Fremantle, Western Australia adjacent to the more recently constructed Challenger Harbour...
was opened in 1900.
The first settlers arrived in Albany in 1826 when Major Edmund Lockyer arrived at the harbour aboard the brig Amity.
The Port started from humble beginnings when a finger jetty
Jetty
A jetty is any of a variety of structures used in river, dock, and maritime works that are generally carried out in pairs from river banks, or in continuation of river channels at their outlets into deep water; or out into docks, and outside their entrances; or for forming basins along the...
was built between 1862 and 1864 in Princess Royal Harbour. The construction was extended in 1874 and fitted with a T-shaped head and had gas lighting installed.
Dredging and land reclamation around the port area commenced in 1893, with a further five dredging operations taking place between 1901 and 1979.
Albany was an important arrival point for migrants and settlers in Western Australia with over 40,000 people arriving between 1839-1925.
The Great White Fleet
Great White Fleet
The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the United States Navy battle fleet that completed a circumnavigation of the globe from 16 December 1907 to 22 February 1909 by order of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with...
visited Albany on 11 September 1908 and stayed for one week to take coal aboard as part of the fleet's circumnavigation of the world. The fleet arrived from Melbourne and the next port of call was Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
.
In 2004 2,685,000 metric tonnes of cargo passed through the port and in 2005 2,990,000 metric tonnes of cargo was achieved. During this time woodchip exports increased by 105%.
A huge drug seizure was recorded in the Port area in 2004 when the Australian Federal Police
Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police is the federal police agency of the Commonwealth of Australia. Although the AFP was created by the amalgamation in 1979 of three Commonwealth law enforcement agencies, it traces its history from Commonwealth law enforcement agencies dating back to the federation of...
and the Australian Customs Service
Australian Customs Service
The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service is the Australian Federal Government agency responsible for managing the security and integrity of the Australian border, facilitating the movement of legitimate international travellers and goods, and collecting border-related duties and...
recovered 100 kilograms (220 lb) of powder cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, worth over $45 million, was recovered from a local beach after being buried in the dunes. The drugs were imported on a bulk grain carrier Marcos Dias having come from South America via South East Asia, three men were arrested as a result.
In 2005 handler and exporter CBH
Co-operative Bulk Handling
Co-operative Bulk Handling or Co-operative Bulk Group, commonly known as CBH, is a Western Australian based cooperative company that operates grain receival points and also markets grain...
, proceeded with a $130 million upgrade of their grain handling and loading facilities at the port.
The Albany Port Authority won the national Lloyd
Lloyd
The name Lloyd is a variation of the Welsh word llwyd or clwyd, which means "grey" or "brown".-People:See main articles:* Lloyd * Lloyd * Lloyd Lloyd or Lloyd's or Lloyds may also refer to:...
s Port of the year award in 2006 for its development of new technology used to restore degrade load-bearing concrete piles without disrupting cargo handling activities.
The port was visited by the Queen Elizabeth II passenger liner in February 2008 as part of its final world trip. Albany was the only regional port that was visited during the Australian leg of the voyage.
The largest vessel ever handled by the Port was the Bulk carrier 71,749 dwt
Deadweight tonnage
Deadweight tonnage is a measure of how much weight a ship is carrying or can safely carry. It is the sum of the weights of cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, passengers, and crew...
Maritime Grace which was partly loaded at the port.
War legacy
During dredging in 2000 to expand the harbour, a large amount of unexploded munitions was found a the bottom of the harbour so that the Worksafe demanded that dredging cease until the harbour was made safe again.It was consequently found that the ordnance had been spilt during loading of excess munitions to be disposed of at sea in 1947 and 1948 by the Australian Army and Navy.
Tha Albany Port Authority took the Commonwealth government to court to pay for the clean-up of the munitions. The Commonwealth lost the case and were ordered to pay $5.25 million dollars for past and future clean-up costs and an additional $1 million for legal costs.
Some of the ammunition that has been found included a 250 pound aerial bomb, 18 pound artillery shells and rifle ammunitions.
Port Trade
The port handles a variety of goods that are imported and exported through the harbour.Products that are commonly imported through Albany port are manufactured fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
s, fertilizer raw materials, petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
fuels and fish.
Products most commonly exported through the port are woodchip
Woodchip
Woodchip may refer to:* the product of Woodchipping* Woodchips, a solid-biomass fuel* Ingrain wallpaper...
s, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, silica sand
Silicon dioxide
The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica , is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula '. It has been known for its hardness since antiquity...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, canola
Canola
Canola refers to a cultivar of either Rapeseed or Field Mustard . Its seeds are used to produce edible oil suitable for consumption by humans and livestock. The oil is also suitable for use as biodiesel.Originally, Canola was bred naturally from rapeseed in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur R...
and oat
Oat
The common oat is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name . While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed...
s.
| Year | Imports (tonnes) | Exports (tonnes) | Total trade (tonnes) | Vessels entering port |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 244,205 | 1,429,206 | 1,673,454 | 89 |
| 2002 | 160,401 | 1,434,123 | 1,594,524 | 86 |
| 2003 | 147,778 | 1,813,468 | 1,961,271 | 104 |
| 2004 | 156,396 | 2,684,629 | 2,841,066 | 116 |
| 2005 | 156,065 | 2,834,170 | 2,990,385 | 120 |
| 2006 | 121,794 | 2,538,167 | 2,660,834 | 91 |
| 2007 | 92,599 | 3,408,478 | 3,501,877 | 119 |
| 2008 | 111,677 | 3,554,323 | 3,666,150 | 129 |
| 2009 | 144,368 | 4,024,311 | 4,168,679 | 138 |
Woodchips were first exported from Albany Port in 2002 and by 2007 made up in excess of 40% of the total tonnage exported.
The Port contributes significantly to the economy of the Great Southern Region estimated to be in excess of $160 million per annum.
External links
35°02′12"S 117°54′03"E