Prior to 1960 Sydney’s international shipping facilities were exclusively located in Port Jackson, with bulk and break bulk docks at Darling Harbour and Walsh Bay. and bulk and ro-ro docks at Glebe Island and White Bay. With the advent of containerization in the late 1950s it became clear that Sydney would require additional port facilities to cater for new cargo types. In the 1960s the government agency responsible for ports, the NSW Maritime Services Board, recommended that a new port complex be developed in the northern part of Botany Bay adjacent to Sydney Airport. This facility opened in 1979 and now takes virtually all of Sydney’s freight apart from vehicles that are now handled at Port Kembla.

All the photos are courtesy of Don Smith/Phototransport.com.