Aerial view - Historic images - walkabout : Portarlington - Victoria Australia

Portarlington is a historic coastal township located on the Bellarine Peninsula, 28 km from the city of Geelong and 99 km (62 mi) from Melbourne in the state of Victoria, Australia.

It has a mixed population which includes a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, a high proportion of retirees, and a large seasonal migration of holiday visitors. Today it also includes a sea-change for younger families with an excellent kindergarten and State Primary School.

The terrain behind the town feature vineyards and olive groves, and offer spectacular panoramic views across Port Phillip Bay.
Portarlington is a popular family holiday destination and a centre of fishing and mussel catching and collecting.

At one time the town claimed the largest Caravan Park in the Southern Hemisphere, although the size has reduced considerably in recent decades. With direct ferry links to the city of Melbourne Portarlington also serves as a gateway to the historic towns and surf beaches of the Bellarine Peninsula.

The area around Portarlington was originally inhabited by the aboriginal Wathaurung people. Aboriginal shell scrap or refuse heaps can be found along the cliff-line at Portarlington. Mussels are the dominant shell species in evidence, demonstrating the importance of mussels to the area, even in prehistoric times.

In February 1803, the Surveyor-General Charles Grimes landed from his ship, the Cumberland, at Portarlington with an expedition and spent several days exploring the Bay coastline to Point Cook. They were impressed by the fine pasture and soil in the Bellarine Hills. They sailed back from Point Cook to Portarlington and landed again, where they were met by aboriginals.

Surveyed town lots were sold in Portarlington in 1851. The Bellarine Peninsula was an early agricultural region for cereal crops, and later for hay, onions, peas and potatoes.

The condition of the roads to Geelong, and the placement of shire tolls on the roads, encouraged farmers to ship produce to Melbourne from the nearest port. Portarlington's first public jetty was opened in 1859, lengthened into deeper water in 1870 and rebuilt a few years later.

Town amenities and institutions mostly came during the 1870s-90s: after holding church services in the mill, the Wesleyans built a church in 1871, and the Anglican and Catholic churches were built in 1883 and 1891. A primary school was opened in 1873 and the racecourse in 1883.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portarl...
https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/po...
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