Portland

Introducing Portland

Portland is the site of Victoria’s first European settlement and was a whaling and sealing base from the early 1800s. The first permanent settlers were the Henty family, arriving from Van Diemen’s Land in 1834. Blessed Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint, came here from Melbourne in 1862 and founded Australia’s first religious order. Portland is the only deep-water port between Melbourne and Adelaide, and home to the huge Portland Aluminium Smelter (5km from town), exporting 340, 000 tonnes per year. The huge industrial wharf is an eyesore on an otherwise attractive colonial-era township.

Last updated: Jul 27, 2010