Port Fairy, Great Ocean Road — Victoria

Port Fairy is a town located in the southern coast of Victoria, Australia, within the Moyne Shire. It is also situated at the mouth of the Moyne River.

The town has two major industries, fishing and tourism. This is manifested when visitors stop by the Port Fairy Wharves. Strolling by the wharves will give them a sense of this town’s vibrant fishing industry and its idyllic ambience.

A short walk to the southern end of the wharves will bring visitors to Griffiths Island, just across a footbridge. The island features a lighthouse on its eastern end and is an ideal destination for those who wish to go bird watching with its large colony of muttonbirds. The birds fly into the island every September and stay there to mate and breed until April.

A good sense of town’s history can be had at the Port Fairy History Centre, located along Gipps Street. The museum showcases memorabilia and personal items that impart information on the town’s community life centuries before. The museum is also housed in a historic building, the former Court House that was constructed in 1859 out of local bluestone.

For those who wish to explore the town further, Port Fairy has several historic buildings that are quite interesting to behold. One is the ANZ Bank building, located along Cox Street. This Georgian structure was constructed in 1856 for the Colonial Bank and is quite beautiful with arched windows and iron railings.

The Star of the West Hotel was built in 1856 and was used as a Cobb & Co. destination for several years. It is located on the corner of Bank and Sackville Streets.

Among the religious structures that hold historic significance in Port Fairy are the St. Patrick’s Church, built in 1858 and located on the Princes Highway, and the St. John’s Church of England which was constructed in 1857.

There are also historic residences that bear witness to the lives of early settlers and their families. The Seacombe House is located on the corner of Cox and Sackville Streets and was built in 1847. It was originally constructed to be a hotel and was converted into a private residence and a boy’s school later on. The Mott’s Cottage, located on Sackville Street, was also built at a similar time and had undergone restoration to retain its original appearance as a typical cottage of the 19th century. On the other hand, Emoh is an example of a merchant’s house and was once known to be one of the town’s most fabulous residences. This structure was constructed in 1847 and is located on Cox Street.

A must-see destination in town is the Port Fairy Botanical Gardens along Fairy Street. It is also part of the town’s heritage, being established in 1858. The gardens feature fine species of pine trees and has undergone revitalization in 1986.

The Lady Julia Percy Island is located several kilometers away from Port Fairy and may be accessed through boat trips during favorable weather. Numerous birds and seals call this island home.

Adventurous individuals can go scuba diving, with several dive centers offering different diving packages in the nearby waters of Port Fairy. One of the more popular diving destinations is the wreck of the ‘Thistle’ which lies in only 2 meters of water.