Port of Melbourne

Melbourne’s working port follows the lower Yarra towards Webb Dock and Port Phillip Bay. Container shipping is its principal business, supported by automotive, bulk and multipurpose terminals serving manufacturers, retailers and agricultural producers across the surrounding region.

Swanson Dock and Webb Dock East provide international container facilities. Other quays handle machinery, timber, paper, iron and steel, while specialised terminals accommodate grain, cement, chemicals and petroleum products. Vehicle handling adds a separate stream of imports and exports through roll-on/roll-off operations.

Road and rail infrastructure connects the dock estates with inland distribution. The port’s layout reflects successive moves downstream as the city developed, leaving different cargo areas along the river and near its mouth. This spread of facilities gives each trade its own handling space within a connected metropolitan freight network.