We had been greatly looking forward to visiting Port Fairy after a previous and very enjoyable trip here twenty years ago. We loved the harbour, the beach, the design of the houses and cottages, the restaurants, but we had no idea if this delightful coastal town would still be the same after all these years. We were in for a pleasant surprise.

Welcome to Belfast

Port Fairy, of European times, was believed to have been named in 1828 by the crew of the sealing ship ‘Fairy’ under the command of Captain James Wishart. The name was in common use up until 1835 when a Whaling Station was established and later followed by a local store in 1839. However in 1843 Sydney solicitor James Atkinson purchased land in the fledgling town, drained swamps, subdivided and leased land before constructing the town’s harbour on the Moyne River. Being the town’s head honcho he decided to rename the town ‘Belfast’ after his home town in Ireland.

Belfast quickly became an important transport hub with the rise of agriculture in the area and in the second half of the 19th century it was the second busiest and one of Australia’s largest ports. It provided facilities for the transport of wool, gold and wheat bound for England as well as providing support for the fishing fleet and, sadly, the needs of the whaling industry.

Curiously during this time Belfast’s port was named the Port of Port Fairy. Confused? It gets better…

What’s in a name?

The town’s grand post office opened on 1 July 1837 under the Port Fairy banner but was later changed in 1854 to match the town’s ‘official’ name of Belfast. But it was a name that wasn’t to last and it set a precedent by reverting back, in 1887, to its original name of Port Fairy. Within the same year, by an Act of Parliament, the town was officially renamed Port Fairy and, for now at least, the name remains.

Relax – it’s coffee time

Port Fairy is situated just 290KM west of Victoria’s capital Melbourne but it could be a million miles away with its relaxed easygoing lifestyle.

The high street consists of a number of quality restaurants and shops of a standard higher than you would find in many country towns. And there is no shortage of street-front cafes when you are in need of a coffee and pastry, as we often are, such as the excellent Bank St. and Co. Cafe as well as numerous ice-cream stores for those sunny days. It was one such cafe ’Le Crepe Man of Belfast’, highly recommended by the way, that roused our curiosity and lead us to researching Port Fairy’s naming history.

Today Port Fairy still hosts Victoria’s largest fishing fleet, but the elaborate grey and white stylish homes that now line the wharf are largely holiday rentals. It is a very pleasant place to take a stroll by the river and maybe stop for fish and chips at one of the new restaurants.

Ready for Battle

A large sandbank separates the harbour from Port Fairy Bay but a footbridge provides access to the beach and numerous properties built there to take in the ocean view. A walk along the beach is a must and you may come across the Battery gun emplacement built to defend Port Fairy from the perceived Russian threat during 1886-87.

Fortunately the guns were never fired in anger but remain to this day as a reminder of the town’s past and significance on the Victoria coastline. The rusting iron of the guns and fading paint of the signs make for great photo opportunities.

There have been changes since our last visit but we still love the place. It’s peaceful outside of the school and public holidays, it’s friendly, it’s scenic, it’s nice and warm during the summer months but perhaps just a little too cool for us during the winter. 

And the property prices certainly reflect the desirability of the town. After so many months on the road with surprisingly low house prices in rural towns, it comes as a sharp reminder just how expensive housing is in popular areas of Australia.

Port Fairy is one of those places you would be happy to visit over and over again. And we probably will.