Portland Road, Queensland

Portland Road
Queensland
Beach at Portland Road, 2014
Portland Road is located in Queensland
Portland Road
Portland Road
Coordinates12°35′51″S 143°24′40″E / 12.5974°S 143.4111°E / -12.5974; 143.4111 (Portland Road (town centre))
Postcode(s)4892
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)Shire of Cook
State electorate(s)Cook
Federal division(s)Leichhardt

Portland Road is a town in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia.[1] The town is within the locality of Iron Range.[2]

History

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The town takes its name from the Portland Road harbour (12°35′41″S 143°24′41″E / 12.5947°S 143.4114°E / -12.5947; 143.4114 (Portland Road (harbour))).[1] The harbour, in turn, is named after William Henry Cavendish, Duke of Portland.[3] The name first appears on an 1897 chart published by the British Admiralty.[4]

Portland Road was previously the port and support centre for Iron Range. In World War II, Portland Road became an airstrip and staging post.[5] There was a large jetty, which has since been removed. Many old bunkers and rusting 44 gallon drums can still be found in bush areas.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Portland Road – population centre in Cook Shire (entry 43618)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Sea Tragedies". The Capricornian. Vol. 54, no. 38. Queensland, Australia. 8 August 1929. p. 12. Retrieved 26 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Portland Road – harbour in the Shire of Cook (entry 27362)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  5. ^ Randall, Brian (6 November 2015). "Queensland Places - Restoration". State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 25 September 2023.