This port was first discovered by Capt Peter Hedland who at the time was looking for a decent deep water port for shipping and exportation from the Australian northwest. br/The port handles shipment overseas of everything from iron ore and manganese to livestock and natural gas. The port was enlarged at great expense in 1986 so it could handle the larger ships that were being built at the time. It can now handle ships upwards of 250,000 tons, which makes it the highest tonnage port in the country.br/It's not a very big town considering (maybe 15,000 people, including the surrounding area) and from outward appearances seems to be situated in the remotest part of the continent.