Port Fairy

Port Fairy is a coastal town in the Moyne Shire of Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Princes Highway 28 km west of Warrnambool and 290 km west of Melbourne, where the Moyne River enters the Southern Ocean.

The area was initially inhabited by the Knarn Kolak Aborigines.

In the early nineteenth century the area was used by whalers and seal hunters. By 1835 a whaling station had been established on what is now Griffiths Island. Bluestone cottages built by whalers and sealers of the time are still standing around the town. A general store was opened in 1839. In 1843, James Atkinson, a Sydney solicitor, purchased land in the town. 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 Ireland.

Agriculture developed in the region, and Port Fairy became an important transport hub. By 1857 the town had a population of 2,190. In the mid to late nineteenth century, Port Fairy was one of Australia's largest ports, catering to the whaling industry. In 1887 the town was renamed Port Fairy, as a result of an act of parliament.

Other interesting attractions around Port Fairy include Battery Hill, the Boat Harbour, Giffisths Island Lighthouse, Lady Julia Percy Island, Mount Eccles National Park, The Crags diving location and the Port Fairy Aquarium.