Albany’s waterfront came alive over the weekend as the Port of Albany marked an impressive 200-year milestone with a celebration that blended history, community spirit and plenty of fun.

Hosted by Southern Ports, the bicentenary festivities drew more than 4500 people showcasing the ports’ vital role in both the region’s economy and identity.

The celebrations kicked off in style on Friday night at the Albany Entertainment Centre, where 150 industry leaders and stakeholders gathered for a formal event.

Minister for Ports Stephen Dawson, Menang elder Aunty Vern Gillies and renowned maritime historian Malcolm Tull provided insights and stories from the port and reflected on the importance of WA ports to the State’s economy.

On Saturday, thousands of people attended PortFest where the port precinct transformed into a buzzing festival hub, packed with family friendly entertainment including a large whale marionette puppet, mermaid hair braiding, face painting, sand sculptures and tours of the port by bus, boat and foot.

There was a fantastic line-up of entertainment, including the Royal Australian Navy Band and local performances from The Numbats, Tammy and Simon London, Freak Maestro, The Albany Shantymen and Adam Grok.

A crowd favourite was the Svitzer’s tug display with hundreds of people at the wharf to see the vessel’s firefighting capabilities and to take in the scale of the vessels alongside it, including the Jian Dian Ye Guang loading 27,000 tonnes of grain and the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate, the HMAS Warramunga.

HMAS Warramunga Commander Ken Brown said the bicentenary was an important celebration for Albany and its enduring relationship with the Royal Australian Navy.

“For 200 years the Port of Albany has connected Australia’s west coast to the world,” he said.

“From the departure of the first Anzac convoys, including HMAS Melbourne (I) and HMAS Sydney (I), to the support it provides modern navy and merchant vessels, Albany continues to be an important and significant port for Australia.

“My crew and I are extremely proud to be here representing the Royal Australian Navy in this beautiful port.”

Southern Ports chief executive Keith Wilks said it was a momentous occasion and was thrilled to hear that lots of people joined in the celebrations.

“It’s not everyday we get to celebrate 200 years and a port that has been so instrumental in shaping the industry and our regional communities,” he said.

“To more than double our previous open day attendance and with people travelling from across our regions and even interstate shows just how special this was for us and how connected our regional ports are within the community and country.

“Everyone has their own story to share about the ports, and while we colloquially hear these stories everyday, we were pleased to showcase a series of Voice Prints that capture some of the port’s history for everyone to enjoy, brought to life by Theatre 180.”

Southern Ports currently works across the South West, Goldfields-Esperance and Great Southern partnering with agricultural, mining and forestry industries to facilitate more than 30 million tonnes of vital trade each year.