Located on a peninsular 360km west of Melbourne, Portland was the site of Victoria's first permanent settlement, established in 1834 by Pastoralist Edward Henty. Protected from the wild seas and winds of the Southern Ocean by the volcanic rock of Cape Grant, Portland had also been a haven for its original aboriginal inhabitants and for the whalers and sealers of the early 1800s, however recorded European history dates back to 1800 when Lieutenant James Grant in the Lady Nelson pioneered the Bass Strait route for ships bound for Sydney and named the area Portland Bay.

Today the city which has the only deep water harbour between Melbourne and Adelaide offers an excellent choice of accommodations and a wide range of interesting and pleasant attractions. It is the perfect base for visitors exploring Victoria's Green Triangle and a favoured fishing haven.

The Port of Portland is one of few in the world where visitors can drive or walk into the heart of the wharf area, and for those with an interest in the sea the wharf represents the opportunity to take a close look at a range of vessels from small coastal fishing boats to 80,000 d.w.t. bulk carriers.

Natural Attractions

As well as its close proximity to the attractions of the Green Triangle, within Portland visitors can spend days touring around many areas of superb coastal scenery which include unspoilt natural habitats, peaceful rivers and beaches as well as the wild cliffs and areas rich with wildflowers and native animals.

There are many wonderful places to enjoy picnics in Portland, sights of particular beauty include beaches along Discovery Bay, Bridgewater Bay and the sheltered waters of Portland Bay where visitors can enjoy a range of water sports. There are also a number of National Parks and State Forests that surround Portland including Mount Eccles with its scenic Lake, bushland and volcanic landscapes.

The spectacular coastline with its sheer cliff faces where the waters have pounded the coastline are also magnificent. This coastal town also offers some of the State's best fishing, boating, sail boarding and wave riding and it's lakes and rivers also provide for excellent canoeing, fishing and a range of water sports

Southern Right Whales are seen in Portland Bay between May and September and whale spotting has become a popular pastime while sightseeing cruises in whale season often bring unexpected delights.

Portland's Botanic Gardens are also a wonderful attraction particularly when they are in full bloom at the height of spring. The delightful gardens at Burswood are also a wonderful sight. Originally constructed for Edward Henty, the property is dominated by a sweeping 19th century tree lined drive ending in a carriage loop, the gardens are superb.

In nearby Dartmoor there are the delightful Waterfall Gardens to explore and in Heathmere the Cave Hill Gardens offer two hectares of native and exotic plants.

Fawthrop Lagoon offers a splendid array of wildlife and visitors can enjoy a walk around the foreshore or around the wetlands of the Lagoon. At Cape Bridgewater visitors can walk around the fascinating petrified forest and view the spurting blowhole, lakes and caves.

Portland also has a range of walks to enjoy including the Great South Walk, 250 km of spectacular scenery divided up into half and one day walks starting and finishing at the Tourist Information Centre.

Heritage Attractions

Portland is also of great interest to visitors who wish to discover a little more about Australia's colonial past. Portland is rich in colonial history, there is a sense of romance and adventure in its history with shipwrecks off shore and within the city itself over 200 heritage buildings many still in use.

A self guide map is available from the Tourist Centre which is housed in a gaol dating back to the 1850s, the map allows visitors to enjoy a walk around the streets of Portland past some of the oldest buildings in Victoria including Edward Henty's bluestone residence at Burswood and his brother Francis Henty's home at Claremont.

At the Old Town Hall visitors can research their family's arrival in Australia or visit a range of museum displays. Other points of historical interest include the Portland 1889 Battery which was built to repel a feared Russian invasion. On Sundays visitors can tour the underground magazine once used to store explosives.

As well as having the distinction of being Victoria's oldest settlement, between 1862 and 1866, Portland was also the home of Australia's first beatified patron Sister Mary Mackillop. Mackillop came to Portland as a Private governess and the following year became a teacher at the town's Catholic Denominational School.

In order to reunite her scattered family, Mary Mackillop rented a house in Bentinck Street a house which is now apart of the Portland Christian Community College. Mackillop ran the house and 'an establishment for young ladies' and later returned to 131 Bentinck Street where she had been a governess. The remains of the cottage can be found by the railway bridge.

A map detailing six sites associated with Mary Mackillop's Portland days is available from the tourist information Centre. There are also tours conducted by the Sisters of St Joseph's that take visitors on a tour of the commemorative Mackillop walk and discuss Mary Mackillop's link with the city of Portland.

Museums

Portland has a number of fascinating museums to explore. The Portland Powerhouse Car Museum holds a unique collection of veteran, vintage and classic cars. The Bowerbird Museum in nearby Heywood has an extraordinary collection of exhibits ranging form a pin to a ship anchor

For those interested in family history there are a range of documents, maps journals and an outstanding photographic collection detailing much of Portland's history at History House.

Other Attractions

Portland is the site of Australia's single export earner one of the most modern aluminium smelters ever built. Free tours of the Smelter are available at 10am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and give visitors the opportunity to see the plant and the work surrounding its tree planting programs which will see over one million tress planted in and around the plant over a five year program.

Other tours include taste tours at four of the local wineries Barretts Gorea West Wines, Kingsley Wines, Crawford River Wines and Haig Vineyard

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