Appleton Dock is an international shipping facility in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was opened in about 1956 by the

Melbourne Harbor Trust The Melbourne Harbor Trust was established in 1877 to improve and operate port facilities for the growing city of Melbourne. It was superseded by the Port of Melbourne Authority in 1978 and later by the Port of Melbourne Corporation. Creation ...

, and is named after MHT commissioner William Thomas Appleton (1859-1930), who was a staunch advocate of harbour improvements in the early 20th century. Following the construction of Spencer Street Bridge over the

Yarra River The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, ( Kulin languages: ''Berrern'', ''Birr-arrung'', ''Bay-ray-rung'', ''Birarang'', ''Birrarung'', and ''Wongete'') is a perennial river in south-central Victoria, Australia. The lower s ...

in 1929, the wharves on the upper section of the river were blocked to shipping, so the provision of replacement wharfage became necessary. The Harbor Trust had commenced works at the outlet of

Moonee Ponds Creek Moonee is a coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for ...

in 1929, which became Appleton Dock. It had been planned since the 1930s but, because of interruptions caused by the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, it was not completed until 1956. At the same time, South Wharf was extended to the west. It handles bulk grain and coal and, since the 1960s, some container shipping. Appleton Dock berths B,C and D, managed by DP World, are used for general cargo. Appleton Dock E is used for general cargo to and from Tasmania. Appleton Dock F is used for bulk dry cargo, having been reconstructed by joint venture partners Cortex Resources and Walter Construction Pty Ltd, as Australia's premier bulk export terminal, operated by Australian Bulk Alliance (ABA) and AWB (formerly the Australian Wheat Board). The rail sidings to Appleton Dock reopened in 2000, after reconstruction of the Footscray Road crossing, to serve a new export grain terminal.SECOND STANDARD GAUGE RAIL LINE IMPROVES ACCESS TO MELBOURNE PORT www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au

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