Portland Road is a town in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. [1] The town is within the locality of Iron Range. [2]
The town takes its name from the Portland Road harbour ( 12°35′41″S 143°24′41″E / 12.5947°S 143.4114°E). [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]