Things to Do at Port Fairy

Historic Walks
The Port Fairy Visitor Information Centre in Bank Street has extensive information about the town. Of particular interest are the brochures which outline suitable historic walks around the town. There are over 50 historic buildings in Port Fairy and it makes sense to get a map and a brochure before attempting to explore them. There is a brochure which nominates only 13 which is manageable for those who do not wish to see all the important buildings in town.

Port Fairy History Centre
Located in Gipps Street the History Centre has a good display of memorabilia and photographs which capture a sense of what the town was like in the late 19th and early 20th century. It is located on the old Court House which dates from 1859 and is a fine example of a design by the Public Works Department which was built out of local bluestone. It was once the home of sittings for the Supreme Court, Quarter Sessions and the Magistrates Court. It is huge and the ceilings are a reminder of the importance of the town when the building was completed. It is open Wednesdays and weekends 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; daily during school holidays. Other times by appointment.

Port Fairy Wharves
In many ways the greatest attraction of Port Fairy is simply to park your car down beside the Moyne River and go for a walk. The walk along the wharves is delightful and can take you up into the town (if you head north) or towards Griffiths Island if you head south. The wharves are used by casual anglers as well as the commercial anglers who bring their catch in from the Southern Ocean. [ see Moyne River Images ]

Griffiths Island
If you continue south on Gipps Street you will reach a point where you can walk across a footbridge to Griffiths Island. This is a delightful way to spend a few hours. There is a track around the island which includes the Mutton Bird Viewing point and the lighthouse on the island's eastern extremity. 
The island has an interesting history. It was known as 'mallin' or 'mallone' by the local Aborigines. By 1836 there was a whaling station on the island and one of the partners running it was John Griffiths after whom the island is now named. By around 1850 a Mrs Dunlop had established a mission to Aborigines on the island. This lasted until about 1853.

The current appearance of the island is partly due to the construction of a breakwater which silted up and created a situation where the part of the island where the lighthouse is actually connected with the main part of the island.

The island is home to a large colony of muttonbirds (short-tailed shearwaters). The birds arrive within three days of the 22 September each year, settle in last year's burrow, mate in early November, the eggs are laid around 25 November and take around a month to hatch which means that the young start to appear in mid-January. In mid-April the birds head off on their annual migration around the Pacific. They travel an estimated 15,000 km in two months. Viewing the birds from the platform on Griffiths Island is best at dusk between September and April. [ Lighthouse images ]

ANZ Bank
Originally known as The Colonial Bank this simple and gracious building opened its doors to the public in 1856. It is a classical Georgian design with a Georgian fanlight complementing the doorway, arched windows and iron railings around the outside. Constructed of dark bluestone and panelled inside with hardwood it was designed to serve the local farmers much more than the local whalers. Its most famous customer was the poet Adam Lindsay Gordon.

Seacombe House
Located on the corner of Sackville and Cox Streets, Seacombe House was completed in 1847 by Captain John Sanders. It was originally known as Stag Hotel and in the 1850s became the centre of the town's social life with an upstairs ballroom being used for dinners and dances. It continued as a hotel until 1873 and then became a guest house and later a boy's school.

Mott's Cottage
No one knows for certain when this historic cottage was built but it was some time in the 1830s or 1840s. The only piece of that original cottage which is left is the timber and stone rubble section. The second storey was added in the 1860s and the back section in the 1880s. Located in Sackville Street, the cottage has been restored as an example of a typical Port Fairy working man's cottage. It is located at 3 Sackville Street.

Emoh
Located at 8 Cox Street this is a fine example of an elaborate merchant's home. It was built around 1847 by William Rutledge who, at the time, was known as the 'King of Port Fairy'. At its peak this was one of the town's most famous residences. Rolf Boldrewood, who wrote 'Robbery Under Arms', recalls the wonderful hospitality that Rutledge offered before his firm crashed in 1862. After that it was a doctor's surgery until it was converted into a Youth Hostel.

The Merrijig Inn
A real insight into the early history of the town the Merrijig Inn, known as 'The Royal Merrijig Inn' when it was first built, was designed to cater for the considerable thirsts of the whalers and sealers who first settled Port Fairy. Over the years this simple building, located on the corner of Campbell and Gibbs Streets, has served as the meeting room for the local council and as a local court house. There was also a time when the authorities occupied the building and turned it into a Police Barracks housing horses as well as twelve policemen - six mounted and six foot soldiers. Over the road is an old iron cannon which was brought to Port Fairy in the 1890s when it was feared that the Russians were going to invade Victoria. [ see Business Directory ]

Moyne Mill
Located in Gipps Street near the wharf, the Old Moyne Mill dates from the 1860s. It was built by Dr Alexander Russell and originally it had five storeys. It is a comment on the changing nature of society that in recent times it has been used as a skating rink.

John Mills Cottage
Sometimes known as Captain Mills Cottage this was the home of John Mills, one of the brothers who were the first settlers in Port Fairy. It is located at 40 Gipps Street and is a fine example of a cottage dating from the early 1840s. From this house Mills started his importing business which saw him bringing shoes, rum and building materials to the district.

Star of the West Hotel
Located on the corner of Sackville and Bank Streets, the Star of the West Hotel was completed in 1856 by John Taylor. An impressive and solid basalt building, The Star's main claim to fame was that it was used as the town's Cobb & Co destination and consequently was the centre of the town for many years. 

St Patrick's Church
The town's first Catholic Church was a wooden shed. St Patrick's is a comment on the strong Irish community which settled at Port Fairy. It was completed in 1858 at a cost of £6500 to a design by the notable local architect, Nathaniel Billing. The church, which is located on the Princes Highway, was built of basalt and Hobart stone in a typical Gothic Revival Style.

St John's Church of England
The tower of St John's can be seen from most points around the town. This Gothic Revival Church was originally planned to be the main Anglican cathedral in Western Victoria. It was built from 1853-57 of basalt. The carvings were done by local stonemason, Walter McGill, and the architect was the prolific, Nathaniel Billing.

Battery Hill and Fort
This is worth a visit simply because it offers a different perspective on the township. The guns possibly date from the 1860s and are more evidence of the concern about a Russian invasion which swept along this stretch of the coastline. The current guns were installed in 1885 but they have been rarely fired. On one occasion the vibration from the firing was so great that it broke some windows in the Moyne Mill over the river. You have to cross the Moyne to get to Battery Hill.

Woodbine
This was the home of Charles Mills who was one of the original settlers at Port Fairy. The two-storey, five room house with stables was constructed out of limestone rubble in 1845-46 and is an excellent example of Georgian rural architecture. It is one of the oldest farm houses in Victoria. It now stands in splendid isolation on Woodbine Road at Belfast Lough.

Shipwreck Walk
In 1988 the local council developed a walk which was named the 'Shipwreck Walk' and which starts at the local Surf Club (travel north on Gipps Street, cross the Moyne River and turn into Hughes Avenue). The walk is 2.1 km and runs from the Surf Club to the mouth of the Moyne River. The shipwrecks along this short stretch of coastline include (from north to south) the Barque Socrates which was battered and finally destroyed by huge seas in 1843; the Barque Lydia which was wrecked off the coast in 1847; the Schooner Thistle which broke her anchor chain and was wrecked on the coast in 1837 and the Brig. Essington which sank while moored at Port Fairy in 1852.

Botanical Gardens
The Port Fairy Botanical Gardens, in Fairy St, were established when the police paddocks were put aside for that purpose in 1858. The ground was swampy and reclamation work was carried out. Baron von Mueller, the original curator of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens acted as an advisor regarding the initial plantings and it is thought he supplied the aleppo and stone pines which are still growing in the Gardens today. In 1871 the Gardens were enlarged and 100 Norfolk pines planted. The land for the oval was set aside in 1887. An aviary with peacocks was established. However, the area fell into disrepair and work commenced on their revitalisation in 1986.

Lady Julia Percy Island
This volcanic outcrop is located 17 km from Port Fairy. The island is surrounded by almost vertical cliffs which range in height from 32 metres to 46 metres. It is home to rookeries of muttonbirds, kestrels, swamp harriers, sooty oystercatchers and blue penguins. There are also seals which live on the ledges around the shoreline and eat squid and crabs. If the weather is suitable there are trips to the island. Contact (03) 5568 1372 for more details.

Diving
Port Fairy is part of the shipwreck coast and as such has a number of good wrecks which are worth exploring. The wreck of the 'Thistle', which sank off Port Fairy's east beach in 1849, now lies in only 2 metres of water and is popular with scuba divers.