Port Fairy, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Port Fairy is a coastal town in south-western Victoria, Australia
. It lies on the Princes Highway
in the Shire of Moyne, 28 kilometres (17 mi) west of Warrnambool
and 290 km west of Melbourne
, at the point where the Moyne River
enters the Southern Ocean
.
people have long inhabited the area.
In the early 19th century whalers
and seal hunters
used the coast in this region. The bay was named by the crew of the whaler The Fairy in 1828.
John Griffiths
established a whaling station in 1835 and a store was opened in 1839. In 1843, James Atkinson
, a Sydney
solicitor, purchased land in the town by special survey
. He drained the swamps, subdivided and leased the land, and built a harbour on the Moyne River. He renamed the town 'Belfast
' after his hometown in Northern Ireland
. The Post Office opened on 1 July 1843 as "Port Fairy" but was renamed "Belfast" on 1 January 1854 before reverting to the original name 20 July 1887.
Agriculture developed in the region, and Belfast became an important transport hub. By 1857 the town had a population of 2,190. In the mid-to-late 19th century, Belfast was one of Australia's largest ports, catering to the whaling
industry. In 1887 the town went back to the original name Port Fairy, as a result of an Act of Parliament.
A railway was extended to the town in 1890, but closed in 1977. It is being converted into the Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail
.
, Port Fairy had a population of 2,599. Its main industries are tourism
and fishing
, and it is the home port for one of Victoria's largest fishing fleets. A small pharmaceutical factory owned by GlaxoSmithKline
is located on the outskirts of the town. Port Fairy has a rich history and 50 buildings are protected by the National Trust of Australia
. Griffiths Island nearby holds a breeding colony of the Short-tailed Shearwater
or Australian Muttonbird
.
The Port Fairy Folk Festival
is held during the Labour Day long weekend in March each year. The festival has run continuously since 1977. The other major celebration in the town is the Moyneyana festival, held over summer from Christmas eve to 26 January.
Port Fairy also has a highly rated 18-hole links golf course
, the Port Fairy Golf Club, situated on Woodbine Road.
The town has an Australian Rules football team, named the Port Fairy Seagulls
, which plays in the Hampden Football League.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It lies on the Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
in the Shire of Moyne, 28 kilometres (17 mi) west of Warrnambool
Warrnambool, Victoria
-Cityscape:The original City of Warrnambool was a 4x8 grid, with boundaries of Lava Street , Japan Street , Merri Street and Henna Street . In the nineteenth century, it was intended that Fairy Street – with its proximity to the Warrnambool Railway Station – would be the main street of...
and 290 km west of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, at the point where the Moyne River
Moyne River
The Moyne River is a river in western Victoria, Australia. It flows from the edge of the lava flows west-southwest of Penshurst to Belfast Lough at Port Fairy.The total length of the Moyne River is approximately 82 km....
enters the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
.
History
The Knarn Kolak AboriginalIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
people have long inhabited the area.
In the early 19th century whalers
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
and seal hunters
Seal hunting
Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...
used the coast in this region. The bay was named by the crew of the whaler The Fairy in 1828.
John Griffiths
established a whaling station in 1835 and a store was opened in 1839. In 1843, James Atkinson
James Atkinson
James Atkinson may refer to:* James Atkinson , surgeon and bibliographer* James Atkinson , founder of the phpBB project...
, a Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
solicitor, purchased land in the town by special survey
Port Phillip District Special Surveys
In August 1840, the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners of the British Government decided to allow the purchase of land anywhere in the Port Phillip District of New South Wales – now Victoria, Australia. Special Surveys could be requested to enable the purchase of , or eight square...
. He drained the swamps, subdivided and leased the land, and built a harbour on the Moyne River. He renamed the town 'Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
' after his hometown in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The Post Office opened on 1 July 1843 as "Port Fairy" but was renamed "Belfast" on 1 January 1854 before reverting to the original name 20 July 1887.
Agriculture developed in the region, and Belfast became an important transport hub. By 1857 the town had a population of 2,190. In the mid-to-late 19th century, Belfast was one of Australia's largest ports, catering to the whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
industry. In 1887 the town went back to the original name Port Fairy, as a result of an Act of Parliament.
A railway was extended to the town in 1890, but closed in 1977. It is being converted into the Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail
Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail
The Port Fairy - Warrnambool Rail Trail is a 37 kilometre rail trail nearing completion in southwestern Victoria, Australia. At present the path is open for travel between Port Fairy and Illowa. The remaining link to Warrnambool is nearing completion mid 2011. The trail begins in Port Fairy,...
.
The town
At the 2006 censusCensus in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Port Fairy had a population of 2,599. Its main industries are tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and it is the home port for one of Victoria's largest fishing fleets. A small pharmaceutical factory owned by GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
is located on the outskirts of the town. Port Fairy has a rich history and 50 buildings are protected by the National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
. Griffiths Island nearby holds a breeding colony of the Short-tailed Shearwater
Short-tailed Shearwater
The Short-tailed Shearwater or Slender-billed Shearwater , also called Yolla or Moonbird, and commonly known as the muttonbird in Australia, is the most abundant seabird species in Australian waters, and is one of the few Australian native birds in which the chicks are commercially harvested...
or Australian Muttonbird
Muttonbird
Muttonbird, mutton-bird or mutton bird refer to seabirds – particularly certain large shearwaters – whose young are collected for food and other uses before they fledge ....
.
The Port Fairy Folk Festival
Port Fairy Folk Festival
The Port Fairy Folk Festival is a popular annual four-day music festival based in the historic fishing village of Port Fairy in Victoria, Australia....
is held during the Labour Day long weekend in March each year. The festival has run continuously since 1977. The other major celebration in the town is the Moyneyana festival, held over summer from Christmas eve to 26 January.
Port Fairy also has a highly rated 18-hole links golf course
Links (golf)
A links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word "links" comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect...
, the Port Fairy Golf Club, situated on Woodbine Road.
The town has an Australian Rules football team, named the Port Fairy Seagulls
Port Fairy Football Club
The Port Fairy Football Club are an Australian rules football club which compete in the Hampden Football League.They are based in the Victorian town of Port Fairy and have played in the Hampden Football League since 1949.-Maskell Medallists:...
, which plays in the Hampden Football League.
Notable people from Port Fairy
- T. J. RyanT. J. RyanThomas Joseph "T.J." Ryan was Premier of Queensland, Australia from May 1915 until October 1919 when he resigned to enter Federal politics.-Early life:Thomas Joseph Ryan was born at Port Fairy, Victoria...
, Premier of Queensland (1915–1919) - John Coleman (Australian footballer)
See also
- MV Port FairyMV Port FairyMV Port Fairy was a UK merchant vessel built in 1928 for the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd shipping company and sold in 1965 to Embajada Compania Naviera SA of Piraeus...
External links
- Visit Port Fairy Moyne Shire - official tourism website
- See Port Fairy illustrates and describes the village's many attributes.
- Port Fairy Accommodation, Tourism and Community Pages
- My PortFairy - Accommodation, Dining, Events and Activities
- Port Fairy Folk Festival
- History and overview of the town today
- Port Fairy destination information