Built in 1858 at the Port and Harbour Master's yard in Williamstown Victoria, the Portland Lifeboat was overseen by Harbour Master Charles Ferguson. It is understood to have been constructed from the same moulds used to build the Port Fairy Lifeboat, designed by William White, in 1857. Both boats are similar to the lifeboats designed in England by James Peake and adopted by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in the UK. The Portland Lifeboat's 9.14 m (30 ft) long hull is double diagonally planked in New Zealand kauri, and many of the planks run from gunwale to gunwale in one piece under the inner keel section. Eucalyptus and oregon were used elsewhere and the local blacksmith made the iron work. The fastenings are copper. There are two flotation or buoyancy tanks at either end, with prominent whaleback style decking. Under the thwarts is a deck with scuppers so that the craft is both buoyant and self draining whenever large waves are taken aboard in rough conditions. The lifeboat was oar-powered with a sailing rig. The original rig was a lug mainsail, but this was replaced with a lug and headsail rig taken from a fishing boat in 1903. The lifeboat was manned by volunteer crews, mostly local fishermen from Portland. They maintained this service until 1915 when the boat was replaced with a new motorised craft. The lifeboat's most outstanding service was to the steamer ADMELLA in 1859 when the ship grounded on a reef off Cape Banks in South Australia, 150 km to the west of Portland. Survivors clung to the rigging in heavy seas for over a week and 89 people lost their lives in the shipwreck. Taken to the scene by the steamer LADY BIRD, the Portland Lifeboat was unable to assist until eight days after the ADMELLA's grounding when the seas abated enough for the lifeboat to manoeuvre close to the ship and rescue the last 19 survivors. Since its retirement in 1915 the lifeboat has been a memorial to those who manned it and those it rescued. For a long period it was on display in the Portland Gardens, first in the open and then under a canopy. In 2008 it was on display inside the Portland Maritime Discovery Centre, still in original condition complete with the rig from 1915. It is one of the oldest vessels of its type in Australia, and the world.Portland LifeboatPhotograph showing the Portland Lifeboatphotography, portland lifeboat, admella

Black and white photo, white border. View of the baths, Ocean Pier, Railway Pier with steamer at berth. Fishermen's Breakwater, Battery Point in background. Taken from ground level, looking east.'THE PIERS AND BATTERY POINT PORTLAND', black print, lower borderphotography, portland baths, pier, battery point, portland, fishermans breakwater

Black and white contact print from glass plate negative. Image shows a young woman sitting on, and two others standing near a bridge in Portland Botanical Gardens. Dress is late 19th, early 20th century.portland botanic gardens, photography, 19th century, 20th century

Glass plate negative. Informal portrait in a garden. Vine on verandah of house in background.photography, portland

Black and white aerial photo of coastline around Portland. Black border, scale on all sides, 5 rows of 3 't', at regular intervalsFront: '607 -102' -- handwritten, white, lower border 'RUN 5' 'PORTLAND', printed, white, lower borderaerial photography, portland harbour, south west coastline

Port of Portland Authority ArchivesBack: Black stamp- Feb 92 c/off "JA & JIWAN" - blue biroport of portland archives, portrait photography

Black and white contact print from glass plate negative. Image of stone house with shingle roof and stone chimneys. Verandah with iron support poles and lace work. Vines growing up poles. People standing on verandah and in garden. Dress late 19th, early 20th century.Back: 'Mellons' - blue birophotography, portland

Black and white photo taken from glass plate negative. Bentinck Street/Julia Street corner. Bank Australasia on right. Bentinck Street from London Hotel to Macs Hotel visible.photography, portland town, trade, commerce, bank

Sheet of 12 contact prints of rephotographed photographs: (a) 5 young women on dam wall (b) sailors (c) Bentinck Street, looking north from Post Office (d) Julia Street looking east from Percy Street (e) Railway line and Duttons (Nuns) Beach towards Whalers Bluff (f) Fawthrop Lagoon (g) sailors (h) Post Office (i) River, bush close to banks both sides (j) Botanic Gardens (k) Town and Port of Portland reproduced from III London News (l) North side, Julia Street looking west, Bank AustralasiaFront: (c) Bentinck Street approx. 1900 (d) Julia Street, portland Nicholls (h) Portland Post Officeportland scene, street scene, photography, portland harbour, portland seafront, julia street

Port of Portland Authority ArchievesBack: Stamp - K Pridham Officer in charge Ports and Harbours Depot Port Fairy Dutton Way 16.5.75 - blue biro Red Kodak Stampsport of portland archives, colour photography, dutton way

Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: Dave Milner (blue pen, lower centre)port of portland archives, portrait photography, david milner, tugmaster

Port of Portland Authority Archivesport of portland archives, portrait photography, woman

Port of Portland AuthorityBack: fdou3 - pencilport of portland archives, aerial photography, bentinck street, portland railway station, ocean pier

Port of Portland Authority ArchivesBack: Purple Stamp - 14 Jun 1958 Harb-009 L 49 pencilport of portland archives, 1950s, 1958, aerial photography, portland harbour

Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: (no inscriptions)port of portland archives, portrait photography

Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: (no inscriptions)port of portland archives, aerial photography, cresco

Port of Portland Authority archivesFront: (no inscriptions) Back: (no inscriptions)port of portland archives, portrait photography

Port of Portland Authority Archivesport of portland archives, portrait photography