Port Howard is the largest settlement on West Falkland. It is in the east of the island, on an inlet of Falkland Sound. It is on the lower slopes of Mount Maria. Port Howard is the centre of an 800-square-kilometre sheep farm, with twenty permanent residents and over 40,000 sheep. Sometimes this population is doubled by transitory residents. The settlement has two airstrips which receive regular flights from Stanley, and it is also the West Terminal of the new East-West Ferry. The Falkland Islands Government built a network of all weather roads around East and West Falkland, Port Howard is at the northern end of the West Falkland network. Attractions in the settlement include a ford, and large sheep shearing sheds. Many of the houses have attractive green roofs, and there are also a number of hedges about. Every three years, Port Howard hosts the West Falklands Sports. This week-long celebration of the end of the shearing season combines serious horse-racing with other festivities. The Warrah River and Chartres River are nearby fishing rivers.
History
Port Howard was founded by James Lovegrove Waldron, and his brother in 1866; the Waldron brothers later left for Patagonia, but left the farm under local management. In 1986, it was bought by Robin and Rodney Lee, who let the local population buy shares. In 2004 the farm was taken over by Myles and Christopher Lee, Robin's sons, after the retirement of Rodney Lee. In 1956, JL Waldron Ltd built a school at Port Howard, possibly inspired by the "gift" of the FIC at Darwin, a few years earlier. There is one listed building here, the Mount Rosalie Dip.
During the Falklands War, the settlement was occupied by around 1,000 Argentine troops, most of these from the Fifth Motorized Infantry Regiment. A small museum has been set up, in a shed. It contains a number of items which Argentine troops left behind, including an ejector seat. Pinned to the wall is a poem, Ode to Tumbledown, which was written by an anonymous Scots Guard. On 21 May 1982, an RAF Harrier, piloted by Flt LtJeffrey Glover RAF, was shot down by a Blowpipe missile fired by members of the Argentine601 Commando Company. On 26 May 1982, at least four Argentine soldiers were killed and several wounded after another Harrier raid found its mark. The British SAS had a secret observation post on Many Branch Point, a ridge above Port Howard, which was discovered on 10 June 1982, by an Argentine assault section, part of 601 Commando Company. During the ensuing fire fight, Captain Gavin Hamilton was killed, and his Goan signaller, Sergeant Fonseca captured. That night witnessed the inaccurate shelling carried out by British frigates on Port Howard. It led to speculation among Argentinian officers that the mission of Hamilton was to act as a forward observer for naval gunfire support. Hamilton's grave can still be seen up the hill from Port Howard. The Argentines allowed the Union Flag to be placed on his coffin before burial. On 15 June 1982, one day after the main Argentine surrender, the garrison surrendered to the Royal Marines of B Coy, 40 Commando and.
