Port Fairy

Port Fairy
Victoria

The main shopping precinct

Port Fairy

Coordinates

38°22′0″S 142°14′0″E / 38.36667°S 142.23333°ECoordinates: 38°22′0″S 142°14′0″E / 38.36667°S 142.23333°E

Population

2,835 (2011 census)

Established

1843

Postcode(s)

3284

Elevation

6 m (20 ft)

Location

293 km (182 mi) W of Melbourne
75 km (47 mi) E of Portland
29 km (18 mi) W of Warrnambool

Mean max temp	Mean min temp	Annual rainfall
18.6 °C ^{65 °F}	9.5 °C ^{49 °F}	770.1 mm ^{30.3 in}

Port Fairy /pɔːt ˈfɛəri/ is a coastal town in south-western Victoria, Australia. It lies on the Princes Highway in the Shire of Moyne, 28 kilometres (17 mi) west of Warrnambool and 290 kilometres (180 mi) west of Melbourne, at the point where the Moyne River enters the Southern Ocean.

In the early 19th century whalers and seal hunters used the coast in this region. The bay was named by the crew of the whaler The Fairy in 1828.

John Griffiths established a whaling station in 1835 and a store was opened in 1839. In 1843, James Atkinson, a Sydney solicitor, purchased land in the town by special survey. He drained the swamps, subdivided and leased the land, and built a harbour on the Moyne River. He named the town "Belfast" after his hometown in Ireland. The post office opened on 1 July 1843 (the post office actually opened in 1837 as "Port Fairy" but was renamed "Belfast" on 1 January 1854 before reverting to the original name on 20 July 1887.)

Agriculture developed in the region, and Belfast became an important transport hub. By 1857 the town had a population of 2,190. In the mid-to-late 19th century, Belfast 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.

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Wikipedia