75-446: Western Port , ( Boonwurrung : Warn Marin ) commonly but unofficially known as Western Port Bay , is a large tidal bay in southern Victoria , Australia, opening into Bass Strait . It is the second largest bay in the state . Geographically, it is dominated by two large islands; French Island and Phillip Island . At the time it was renamed, its position was west of other known ports and bays, but Western Port has become something of
150-598: A $ 15m overpass in Cliff Street constructed for VicRoads in October 2006. The government committed to the project in May 2003, and work began in 2005. The overpass allows road transports and trains continuous access to the port; moving commodities like grain, fertiliser, wind-farm blades, aluminium ingots and woodchips. Port activity is projected to increase significantly and the overpass, which had been discussed since 1991,
225-602: A clan name, a dialect, or a closely related language. Boonwurrung is closely related to Woiwurrung, with which it shares 93% of its vocabulary, and to a lesser degree with Taungurung spoken north of the Great Dividing Range in the area of the Goulburn River , with which it shares 80%. Woiwurrung, Taungurong and Boonwurrung have been considered by linguists to be dialects of a single Central Victorian language, whose range stretched from almost Echuca in
300-504: A line from the southeastern tip of Cape Woolami, Phillip Island to Griffiths Point on the Bass Coast. Source: Western Port Recreational Boating Guide: sixth edition, June 2021. Western Port has several industrial complexes, including a BlueScope steel processing works and the major Royal Australian Navy training base, HMAS Cerberus . Holden Australia's proving ground is located just east of Western Port. The Westernport Oil Refinery
375-631: A loss of 89 lives. The Portland Lifeboat and crew were taken to the scene, and were pivotal in the rescue operations. On display is a real whale skeleton, and the famed 'Portland Lifeboat' used in the Admella rescue. Portland is 362 kilometres (225 mi) west of Melbourne via the Princes Highway . It is connected to Hamilton by the Henty Highway . Portland is served by the standard gauge Maroona-Portland line , which branches from
450-633: A maintenance hub at Portland Airport, so support staff could service the growing commuter and tourist airline. Community radio station 3RPC-FM 99.3 is located opposite The Arts Company, on the corner of Richmond Street, and broadcasts to the majority of the Shire of Glenelg. This too lends itself to the promotion of the city's various performances, exhibitions and cultural events. Each week volunteer presenters write and produce many hours of on-air entertainment covering arts, culture, sport, community news and special interest programs. Portland tourist radio station
525-583: A misnomer as it lies just to the east of the larger Port Phillip and the city of Melbourne . It is visited by Australian fur seals , whales and dolphins , as well as many migratory waders and seabirds . It is listed under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international significance. The area around the bay and the two main islands were originally part of the Boonwurrung nation's territory prior to European settlement. Western Port
600-593: A motel and the town 2000m³ swimming pool in Portland. Commissioned in 1983, naturally hot groundwater (58 °C) was extracted from a bore (1400m deep) at a rate of 90 litres/second. The total capacity of the Portland facility, operated by the Glenelg Shire was 10.4 MW before being closed down prematurely in April 2006. The Great South West Walk is a 250-kilometre (160 mi) walking track that begins at
675-478: A rare vegetation community in Victoria. Western Port consists of rocky platforms, sandy beaches and marine habitats. It is home to a diverse range of invertebrates including colonial ascidians, sponges and corals . Mudflats and mangrove swamps around the northern end of the bay support a large number of invertebrates that are an important food source for waders and visiting migratory birds. French Island
750-483: A regular service to Portland and Warrnambool airports from Essendon airport up until 30 June 2019. Sharp Airlines started operations in Portland by flying staff and employees from Portland Aluminium to Avalon Airport , so they could link to the Point Henry Smelter near Geelong. With significant demand and the support of the community, non-charter, passenger flights were also added. Sharp has established
825-417: A rough stretch of water, Bass could not get more than halfway through the strait now known as Bass Strait. This voyage led to the recording of Western Port, so named because of its situation relative to every other known harbour on the coast at that time (the area from Point Hicks to Cape Howe ), even though it lies to the east of Port Phillip and the city of Melbourne . Seal hunting was conducted here in
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#1732773339547900-430: A short time houses were erected and fences put up. In his diary entry for 3 December 1834, Henty wrote: Arrived at 6 p.m., made the boat fast in the middle of the river, and started three days' walk in the bush accompanied by H Camfield, Wm Dutton, five men, one black woman and 14 dogs, each man with a gun and sufficient quantity of damper to last for the voyage. In the 5 December entry Henty wrote: On descending
975-531: A small number of holiday villages with sandy swimming beaches lie on its shores. Prior to European settlement, the Bunurong people lived around Warn Marin living off shellfish, mutton birds and plant life. The bay was first explored by Europeans in 1797, when George Bass received permission from Governor Hunter in Sydney to sail a whaleboat along the unexplored section of coast south of Botany Bay . On such
1050-458: A voice for many of the objections raised by concerned locals. For the protection of the marine environment, a number of activities are prohibited within the boundaries of Victoria's Marine National Parks and Marine Sanctuaries. No fishing, netting, spearing, taking or killing of marine life. All methods of fishing, from the shore or sea, are prohibited. No taking or damaging of animals, plants and objects or artefacts. There are strong penalties under
1125-541: Is Victoria's largest exporter. The Portland aluminium smelter is located in Portland in South West Victoria. The smelter was commissioned in 1987 and is managed by Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals for Portland Aluminium (a joint venture project between Alcoa (55%), CITIC (22.5%) and Marubeni (22.5%)). Portland is Australia's third largest aluminium smelter, with a capacity of around 352,000 tonnes of aluminium per annum. The majority of Portland's production
1200-432: Is WAVE-FM, broadcasting easy listening music, news and information about local attractions. Portland has a vibrant cultural diversity, with many potters, painters, musicians, quilters, lead lighters, wood-turners, photographers, cinematographers, multi-media artists, print-makers, jewellers, sculptors, actors and writers. Many of these talents come together under the banners of CEMA Inc (Council for Encouragement of Music and
1275-537: Is a city in Victoria , Australia, and is the oldest European settlement in the state. It is also the main urban centre in the Shire of Glenelg and is located on Portland Bay . As of the 2021 census the population was 10,016, increasing from a population of 9,712 taken at the 2016 census . The Gunditjmara , an Aboriginal Australian people, are the traditional owners of much of south-west Victoria, including what
1350-406: Is a significant employer and directly generates approximately $ 30 million in export and domestic earnings for the town with major flow-on benefits through local seafood processing (both export and domestic), transport & engineering services, fuel supplies and other ancillary industries. An abalone hatchery has been established on the shores of Portland Bay and apart from some current difficulties,
1425-504: Is essential. Some of the major tributaries of Western Port are Bunyip River , Lang Lang River , Bass River , Cardinia Creek , Redbill Creek, Mosquito Creek, Brella Creek and Tankerton Creek. Until the mid 20th century, the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp adjoined the bay in the north, covering an area of 30–40 thousand hectares, extending inland to present-day Pakenham , prior to cultivation of the land by early settlers. The mangroves in
1500-586: Is home to migratory waders , Australian pelicans , short-tailed shearwater rookeries, and many other significant fauna species. The bay has been identified as a 623 km Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it regularly supports small numbers of critically endangered orange-bellied parrots , over 1% of the world populations of Far Eastern curlews , red-necked stints and pied oystercatchers , and declining numbers of vulnerable fairy terns . Phillip Island Penguin Reserve has
1575-519: Is likely to be an indicator of future seafood production. Easy access to prime locations supports a flourishing amateur angling fraternity, with many locals and tourists regularly enjoying a fresh catch of King George Whiting, Snapper, Kingfish, Flathead, Morwong and in recent times, Southern bluefin tuna . The first blades from the Vestas Portland plant were produced in July 2005 and the plant
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#17327733395471650-504: Is listed under the Ramsar Convention for its internationally important wetlands . The Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park situated near the north western corner of the bay in Pearcedale offers a close up look at some of the indigenous mammals and birds of the region. In recent years, the number of whale sightings (mostly southern right and humpback ) has increased; local institutes conduct research of their presence in
1725-576: Is now Portland, having lived there for thousands of years. They are today renowned for their early aquaculture development at nearby Lake Condah . Physical remains such as the weirs and fish traps are to be found in the Budj Bim heritage areas . The Gunditjmara were a settled people, living in small circular weather-proof stone huts about 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) high, grouped as villages, often around eel traps and aquaculture ponds. On just one hectare of Allambie Farm, archaeologists have discovered
1800-533: Is of the kilcarer gundidj clan of the Gunditjmara people, the council is undertaking an audit of their colonial monuments, to assess the "nature and magnitude of monuments and place names across the shire". The mayor, Anita Rank, sees it as "an amazing opportunity for our community to be better educated". At the 2021 census Portland had a population of 10,016 people. Through the 19th century Portland developed to become an important fishing port providing for
1875-493: Is supplied to the export market. The Portland Aluminium smelter, in conjunction with Alcoa's Point Henry smelter which closed in 2014, produced about 30% of Australia's total aluminium. Portland today is the home of a varied professional fishing fleet of approximately 60 vessels, harvesting a wide variety of sustainable commercial species. During the austral summer (November to May), the Bonney Upwelling (part of
1950-479: Is the Woiwurrung dialect: It is not clear if the two rhotics are trill and flap, or tap and approximant. Vowels in Woiwurrung are /a e i o u/. In the case of the Woiwurrung pronouns, the stem seems to be the standard ngali ' you and I ' , but the front was suffixed to wa- , so wa+ngal combines to form wangal below. In Kulin languages there is no grammatical gender. A numbering system
2025-747: The Eastern Maar people, the Gunditjmara People were recognised to be the native title-holders of almost 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of Crown land in the Yambuk region, including Lady Julia Percy Island , known to them as Deen Maar . The Gunditjmara People are represented by the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation . As of August 2020 , after a question raised at a council meeting by resident Shea Rotumah, who
2100-605: The Goulburn River Valley around Mansfield, Benalla and Heathcote, and Boonwurrung by the six clans which comprised the Boonwurrung people along the coast from the Werribee River , across the Mornington Peninsula , Western Port Bay to Wilsons Promontory . They are often portrayed as distinct languages, but they were mutually intelligible. Ngurai-illamwurrung (Ngurraiillam) may have been
2175-548: The Port of Geelong instead. In September 2008 it was announced that freight traffic would restart using the line from Portland, with operator El Zorro signing a multi-million deal with miner Iluka Resources to carry containerised mineral sands to Melbourne , with Iluka saying rail transport was cheaper than road. Portland is served by the Portland Airport ( IATA : PTJ , ICAO : YPOD ). Sharp Airlines provided
2250-579: The Sabbath with guns, for the ostensible purpose of kangarooing, but, in reality to hunt and kill these miserable beings". Around 1842 a Presbyterian church and school were founded by the Rev. Alexander Laurie (c. 1817–1854), who later ran the Portland Herald . His widow Janet Laurie (Black) and two sons founded The Border Watch in nearby Mount Gambier . From the time of European settlement,
2325-668: The Western Victoria Region of the Victorian Legislative Council and the federal Division of Wannon . It is in the local government area of the Shire of Glenelg . Its postcode is 3305. On 30 March 2007, the Gunditjmara people were recognised by the Federal Court of Australia to be the native title -holders of almost 140,000 hectares (350,000 acres) of Crown land and waters in the Portland region. On 27 July 2011, together with
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2400-600: The 19th century. In the year 1826 it was reported that the French had resolved to found a settlement at some Australian harbour – probably King George's Sound or Western Port. The British Government at once sent instructions to Sydney for Governor Darling to immediately take possession of these places. As a result, Colonel Stewart, Captain S. Wright, and Lieutenant Burchell were sent in HMS ; Fly (Captain Wetherall) and
2475-686: The 2006–07 financial year. The Portland Maritime Museum was developed to house the Portland Lifeboat built in 1858. The Lifeboat is one of the oldest lifeboats remaining in the world. Famous for rescuing 19 survivors of the Admella shipwreck in 1859, and the Julia shipwreck in 1863. The Admella , a steamship of 392 tons, was sailing from Adelaide to Melbourne when it was smashed onto a reef off Carpenter Rocks in South Australia with
2550-582: The Arts), or the associated The Arts Company. The Portland Art Centre, on the corner of Glenelg and Bentinck Streets, incorporates a gallery and theatre, where local and visiting performances are regularly staged. The Arts Company is located in the heritage precinct of Portland in refurbished old buildings in Julia Street. Along with community workshops and studios, local artists' works are also for sale. The Arts Company also has accommodation and studios for
2625-600: The National Parks Act for fishing in Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries. All offenses can by reported to the Department of Primary Industries. However, you may carry fin-fish on board your boat within park boundaries if you caught the fish outside the parks and you may also carry but not use, a fishing rod or spear gun. You may also have abalone or rock lobster associated equipment on board
2700-658: The Strait in search of the fine grazing land of the Western District . After a voyage of 34 days, the Thistle arrived at Portland Bay on 19 November 1834. Henty was only 24 years old, and, early in December, cultivated the land using a plough he had made himself. He was the first white man to turn a sod in Victoria. The next voyage of the Thistle brought his brother Francis, with additional stock and supplies, and in
2775-590: The Visitor Information Centre, Portland. Designed as a long distance walking track, it is also ideal for short walks and day walks. The walk travels through forests, river gorges, cliff tops and sublime bays. Established in 1981 the walk is administered, maintained and promoted by 'The Friends of the Great South West Walk Inc', a wholly volunteer organisation, in partnership with Parks Victoria . The Portland Cable Tram
2850-538: The Western District, however it has since lost its primacy to facilities at Geelong . Even in western Victoria, Portland fell behind Warrnambool as the main commercial centre. In the 20th century Portland's role as a port revived, and its economy was also boosted by the tourism industry and an aluminium smelter. The port of Portland was sold in 1996 by the State Government to a group including
2925-502: The bay and the neighbouring Port Phillip Bay and ask the public to report sightings. Western Port's marine water is monitored by the Environment Protection Authority of Victoria and was considered Good over the 2021-2022 period. Fishing, pleasure boating and yachting are some of the popular pastimes on the bay. Deep channels lead from Bass Strait into the western section of the bay, giving access to
3000-717: The boat provided that you are travelling straight through the park by the shortest practicable route. Boonwurrung language Woiwurrung , Taungurung and Boonwurrung are Aboriginal languages of the Kulin nation of Central Victoria . Woiwurrung was spoken by the Woiwurrung and related peoples in the Yarra River basin, Taungurung by the Taungurung people north of the Great Dividing Range in
3075-494: The brigs Dragon and Amity , with orders to proceed to Western Port, on 18 November 1826. They took a number of convicts and a small force composed of detachments of the 3rd and 93rd regiments. The expedition landed at Settlement Point, on the eastern side of the bay near present-day Corinella , which was the headquarters until the abandonment of Western Port at the instance of Governor Darling about twelve months afterwards, as unfit for civilisation, Samuel Anderson established
Western Port - Misplaced Pages Continue
3150-567: The closure of its near new Portland blade manufacturing plant with the loss of 130 jobs. The Portland Wind Energy Project, PWEP involves the development of four wind farms at Cape Bridgewater, Cape Nelson, Cape Sir William Grant and Yambuk in south-west Victoria. As one of the biggest wind farm developments in the Southern Hemisphere, the 195MW project proponents claimed that it will deliver major environmental, economic and social benefits. The four Portland sites are considered by
3225-648: The early 19th century, whalers and sealers were working the treacherous waters of Bass Strait, and Portland Bay provided good shelter and fresh water, which enabled them to establish the first white settlement in the area. Whaling captain William Dutton is known to have been resident in the Portland Bay area when the Henty clan arrived, and is said to have provided seed potatoes for the Henty garden. The Convincing Ground massacre , in which 20 native owners of
3300-403: The foreshore, cliff tops and botanic gardens. The Portland Cable Tram Group is planning additional tram carriages and engines, for greater capacity and to provide more reliability and maintenance support options. Volunteer drivers and conductors provide a commentary about Portland's significant past and present-day buildings, harbour and sights. Over 12,000 passengers were carried on the tram during
3375-481: The hill we saw a native. He immediately ran on seeing us. He was busily employed pulling the gums from the wattle trees. Henty sowed the first Victorian wheat crop on clifftop land, known today as "The Ploughed Field". The Hentys were "discovered" in Portland by the explorer Thomas Mitchell in 1836. The squatter settlement was illegal since, at that time, the British Colonial Office policy
3450-530: The land were massacred by whalers, occurred in Portland Bay in 1833 or 1834, following a dispute about a beached whale between whalers and the Kilcarer gundidj clan of the Gunditjmara people. In 1834, the year before Melbourne was founded, Edward Henty and his family, who had migrated from England to Western Australia in 1829, and then moved to Van Diemen's Land , ferried some of their stock across
3525-441: The larger Great South Australian Coastal Upwelling System ) brings nutrient-rich deep ocean water to the surface in the Portland area, supporting a rich abundance of marine life. Trawlers target deepsea finfish such as rockling , hoki , blue eye trevalla and more, while Southern rock lobster , giant crab , blacklip and greenlip abalone , arrow squid, wrasse and others are also landed in significant quantities. The industry
3600-508: The largest colony of little penguins in Victoria as well as a major colony of short-tailed shearwaters, with breeding hooded plovers and peregrine falcons . Seal Rock off Phillip Island is home to the largest colony of Australian fur seals and a breeding site of kelp gulls and sooty oystercatchers . San Remo's marine community is a rich assemblage of marine biota listed under the State Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, 1988. The bay
3675-707: The listed New Zealand company Infratil & the Scott Corporation (owned by Allan Scott ), the first privatisation of port facilities in Australia. Since then, it has been traded a number of times and is now owned by two institutional investors – the publicly listed Australian Infrastructure Fund and Utilities Trust of Australia, a private infrastructure fund – both of which are managed by Hastings Funds Management. As new supertankers have emerged, Portland, along with Hastings in Western Port Bay
3750-554: The main Western standard gauge line . Until 1995 the line was broad gauge , the line having been opened on 19 December 1877. Passenger movements are by coach to Warrnambool where passengers transfer to rail, the last direct passenger train between Ararat and Portland was on 12 September 1981 operated by a DRC railcar . Grain is the most common commodity delivered by rail from the Wimmera . Transport Minister Peter Batchelor , opened
3825-494: The necessary infrastructure with minimum environmental impact. The Port of Portland has received major assistance through public funding of an A$ 18 million overpass which gives better access to the port for heavy traffic. In 2007, the Glenelg Shire Council adopted a plan for the redesign and development of the foreshore precinct including a new multi purpose marina in the north-west corner of the harbour. Alcoa
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#17327733395473900-523: The north, to Wilsons Promontory in the south. R. Brough Smyth wrote in 1878 that "The dialects of the Wooeewoorong or Wawoorong tribe (River Yarra) and the Boonoorong tribe (Coast) are the same. Twenty-three words out of thirty are, making allowances for differences of spelling and pronunciation, identical; five have evidently the same roots, and only two are widely different". The following
3975-478: The northern reaches are the only remnants of this swamp today. Western Port contains two large islands and several small ones; in approximate order of size: Western Port supports a mosaic of habitat types including underwater seagrass beds, intertidal rock platforms, sandy beaches, intertidal mudflats, tidal channels, saltmarshes and mangroves. The coastline around Phillip Island is of State significance because of its remnant coastal tussock grasslands and dune scrub,
4050-410: The northern reaches, several rivers and creeks drain into the bay and flow through extensive mangroves, mudflats and sand banks before being channelled either side of French Island and into the open water in the southern reaches around Phillip Island. Several natural river paths and channels provide access for boats to the northern reaches; however, this is highly dependent on the tides and local knowledge
4125-504: The proponents of the project to be ideal wind farm locations, with consistently strong winds, access for construction vehicles and machinery, a nearby connection to the National Electricity Grid, compatible farming activities and a large land area. By August 2007 construction was underway but there is still ongoing substantial resident opposition to the project regarding the planning process enabling this development and
4200-655: The region around Melbourne was known as the Port Phillip District , and this gained some administrative status prior to separation from New South Wales and the declaration as the Colony of Victoria in 1851. Portland was proclaimed a city on Monday 28 October 1985, in the presence of Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales . Portland is in the Victorian Legislative Assembly electoral district of South West Coast ,
4275-772: The region's port facilities. The town of Hastings is the main boat landing in the bay with the Yaringa Marina at Somerville also offering boat harbor facilities. There are boat launching ramps at: Stony Point -Concrete 3 lane ramp, 2 holding jetties, All Tides Blind Bight -Tarmac Single lane ramp, Holding Jetty, High Tide Corinella -Concrete 2 lane ramp, 2 Holding jetties, All Tides Hastings - Concrete 4 lane ramp, Holding Jetty, All Tides There are also ramps at Tooradin, Newhaven, Cowes, Warneet, Lang Lang, Grantville, Flinders, and Rhyll (Phillip Island). A ferry runs between Cowes, Tankerton And Stony Point at certain times ( Check timetable at destinations) during
4350-709: The remains of 160 house sites. Portland was named in 1800 by the British navigator James Grant , who sailed in the Lady Nelson along the Victorian coast. "I also distinguished the Bay by the name of Portland Bay , in honour of His Grace the Duke of Portland ", wrote Grant. The bay, the only deep sea port between Adelaide and Melbourne , offers a sheltered anchorage against the often wild weather of Bass Strait . By
4425-649: The rising sea in the Holocene period; the Western Port sunkland now forms an extensive tidal bay. The waters of Western Port cover an area of 680 km² of which 270 km² are exposed as mud flats at low tide. The topography of Western Port is dominated by two large islands: French Island and Phillip Island . The coastline, including that of the islands, is some 263 km. The bay and its islands are criss-crossed by seven seismically active fault lines and experiences numerous minor earthquakes every year. In
4500-467: The same language, so a sign language was used to indicate the number of days in the future when the people should assemble. The number was indicated by pointing to a location on the body from 1 to 16. After 16, at the top of the head, the count follows the equivalent locations across the other side of the body. Some Boonwurrung words for animals and plants include: Portland, Victoria Portland ( / ˈ p ɔːr t l ə n d / PORT -lənd )
4575-403: The third permanent European settlement in Victoria, after Portland and Melbourne , at Bass in 1835. It was only after the end of World War II that serious consideration was given to the development of the port, and its flat shores north of Stony and Crib Points have become a centre for heavy industry. Formerly a major river drainage system, it was inundated together with Port Phillip by
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#17327733395474650-414: The three Marine National Parks— French Island , Churchill Island and Yaringa , while the land adjacent to the north is largely used for farming purposes including cattle and wineries. Today the bay is mostly used for recreation; however, there is also a military base ( HMAS Cerberus ), shipping and oil production facilities adjoining the bay. Western Port is around one hour from Melbourne by car and
4725-400: The town and later, with the connection of the railway, to the region as far afield as Ballarat and eventually Melbourne. Barracouta , Australian salmon and crayfish (now southern rock lobster ) were the main catches with many fishermen working the bay, around the Lawrence Rocks and in the season, Bridgewater Bay . Portland's harbour enabled the development of the wool growing industry of
4800-410: The visual impact of towers and the power lines. The 195MW project will produce enough clean electricity to power about 125,000 homes each year, equal to more than 7 per cent of Victoria's residential electricity demand, or powering a city the size of Geelong. The project is being developed by Pacific Hydro . Geothermal heating was used to heat more than 19,000 square metres of municipal buildings,
4875-399: The year. Accommodation is available on both Phillip Island and French Island. The boundary between the coastal waters of Bass Strait and the enclosed waters of Western Port is defined on the western side by a line from West Head on the Mornington Peninsula to Black Rock, Phillip Island. Then from Black Rock to the tip of Point Grant at The Nobbies on Phillip Island. On the eastern side, it's
4950-451: Was conveyed between Maroona and Portland on grain services twice a week, but Pacific National said that due to the drought there were no trains to attach the loading to. On the route the price differential between rail and road is $ 12.97 per tonne in rail's favour. Pacific National closed their Portland operations in March 2008, with GrainCorp leasing a limited number of locomotives and rolling stock from them, but favour transporting grain to
5025-426: Was established as a community organisation in June 1996, with the view to laying light rail to carry refurbished diesel powered trams, as both an outlet for rail and heritage enthusiasts and a tourist venture. The tram carries passengers along the scenic route from Henty Park to the World War 2 Memorial Lookout, at the old North Portland Water Tower. The route takes in the natural wetlands (tidal) of Fawthrop Lagoon Park,
5100-411: Was finally installed. The project was completed three months ahead of schedule because of the drought and less than the expected delays due to rain. Freight operator Pacific National indefinitely suspended all rail services to the town of Portland in 2004, impacting local companies including Portland Aluminium , transport company Kalari , and freight broker Anchor Logistics. Portland container traffic
5175-408: Was first seen by Europeans in 1798 when an exploration crew in a whaleboat led by George Bass , journeyed south from Sydney to explore Australia's south eastern coastline. Due in most part to a lack of food, the expedition was halted, spending two weeks in Western Port before returning to Sydney. As it was the most westerly charted point at the time, it was named Western Port. The bay is home to
5250-475: Was officially commissioned in August 2005. The facility cost $ 9 million, and has a capacity of 225 blades (75 blade sets) per annum. Vestas began manufacturing wind turbines in 1979. Their core business comprises the development, manufacture, sale, marketing and maintenance of wind power systems. The blade manufacturing facility in Portland worked in conjunction with their assembly plant in Tasmania which has since been closed down. In August 2007, Vestas announced
5325-437: Was opened on 4 December 1841, the third to open in the Port Phillip District after Melbourne and Geelong . During the 1840s the Eumeralla Wars between Europeans and Gunditjmara took place in the area between Portland and Port Fairy . At Wesleyan Mission meeting in 1841, Rev. Benjamin Hurst (missionary to Aboriginal people at Port Phillip) noted that in the Portland bay area "it was usual for some to go out in parties on
5400-497: Was operated by BP at Crib Point from 1966 to 1985. Current development plans for the Port at Hastings would see it become the major shipping port for container and bulk freight in and out of Victoria. Substantial opposition to the development has been raised by local communities concerned with the scale of the development and its impact upon the fragile ecosystem of the bay. Blue Wedges and Preserve Westernport Action Group provide
5475-425: Was proposed as an alternative to the controversial plans for deepening of Melbourne's shallower Port Phillip . The plans are aimed at maintaining Victoria's shipping status (since Melbourne has become Australia's busiest port, the Victorian economy relies heavily on the import and export of goods). Due to environmental reasons, the plan to deepen Port Phillip has been heavily criticised, whereas Portland offers some of
5550-489: Was to contain colonial settlements in Australia within geographic limits. It had been still considering how to deal with the rights to the land of Aboriginal Victorians . The Hentys also farmed in areas known as " Australia Felix " , around Casterton . By 1838, land auctions had been authorised from Sydney , and Charles Tyers surveyed the Portland township in 1839. "It was government policy to encourage squatters to take possession of whatever land they chose". A Post Office
5625-437: Was used when Wurundjeri clans sent out messengers to advise neighbouring clans of upcoming events, such as a ceremony, corroboree , a challenge to fight or Marn grook ball game. Messengers carried a message stick with markings to indicate the number and type of people involved and a prop to indicate the type of event, such as a ball for a Marn grook event. The location of meeting was spoken, but neighbouring clans might not use
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