Port Fairy, Victoria

Port Fairy Victoria
The main shopping precinct
Port Fairy
Coordinates	38°22′0″S 142°14′0″E / 38.36667°S 142.23333°E / -38.36667; 142.23333Coordinates: 38°22′0″S 142°14′0″E / 38.36667°S 142.23333°E / -38.36667; 142.23333
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
LGA(s)	Shire of Moyne
State electorate(s)	South-West Coast
Federal Division(s)	Wannon
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.