Dampier and The Story Behind

There are many interesting places here nearby Karratha Western Australia; they are Dampier, Burrup Peninsula, Roebourne, Point Samson, Cossack and Wickham. Below are the story behind this town.

Dampier

Dampier is getting well known after recent story of the Kelpie/cattle dog story a.k.a Red Dog is filmed. The story was so legend. Many people love him and believe as one of the best friend of the Pilbara and Kimberley.

Dampier is a major industrial port in the north-west of Western Australia. The Dampier Port is part of the Dampier Achipelago. 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. At the 2006 census, Dampier had a population of 1,370. 

Aboriginal peope 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.

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.

William Dampier born August 1651 at Hymerford House in East Coker, Somerset England; died March 1715 in London, England) was an English buccaneer, sea capteain, author and scientific observer. He was the first Englishman to explore or map parts of New Holland (Australia) and New Guinea and was the first person to circumnavigate the world three times.

Diana and Michael Preston, in A Pirate of Exquisite Mind, describe him as the greatest nautical explorer-adventurer, British or otherwise, between the Elizabethans (notably Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh) and James Cook. He has been described by natural scientist Alex George, as "the first natural historian of Australia".

(continued on next post)

source taken from wikipedia