The Port Fairy Botanical Gardens were formed in 1856 making it one of the earliest gardens in Victoria. The first curator was James Prior, he was paid fifty-two pounds per annum. He was an outstanding curator having been apprenticed to the trade in England at the age of 12, his brother Edward in later years was the Curator of the Koroit Gardens. Prior retired in 1903. During the years of his curatorship Port Fairy was said to have the best gardens outside the city of Melbourne, he was constantly in touch with Baron Von Mueller and later Guilfoyle of the Royal Botanical Gardens of Melbourne. In the early years plants from all over the world were planted here with varying rates of success many of them sent by Baron Von Mueller. In the 1930’ and 40’s the gardens were still very beautiful, and the curator was Roy Manuell. The beautiful iron gates at the entrance were destroyed in the 1946 floods and were replaced in 1989 using some of the material from the original gates. From the 1950’s on the gardens went into a state of decline, much being taken up by the caravan park until in 1986, after a public meeting ‘Friends of the Gardens’ was founded when the entrance section was restored. Bless keep and white photograph of a circular flower gardengarden, flowers, paths, trees

Southcombe park october 1985Coloured photograph with workmen and trucks in backgroundpark, botanical, paddock, field

One of the large cannons located in Port Fairy in reply to the threat from foreign invaders. Originally located in the fort on Battery Hill they migrated to various destinations around the town. One of the two originally located at King George Square found its way to the gardens where it occupied several locations before resting at the car entrance to the Gardens - possibly when the Avenue of Honour was planted in Bourne Avenue. A great favororite with the kids of the town, both have now been returned to their original location where they are currently having their carriages refurbished.Black and white photograph of cannon situated in botanical gardensBotanical Gardens Port Fairycannon, gardens, botanical

Funding for the construction of the Rotunda was bequeathed in the Will of local resident Mrs Annie Williams, who was born in Daylesford in 1872 and died in Kew in 1930. Annie’s Will stipulated that the remaining value of her Estate be spent on erecting a Bandstand in the Port Fairy Botanical Gardens dedicated to the memory of her brother Hugh, a stretcher bearer in WW1 and who died in 1921 after being discharged with health issues, her husband Henry, and herself naturally. There is a plaque dedicated to Annie on the Bandstand She requested that the Bandstand be a replica of the one at Daylesford but by 1933 the value of her Estate had diminished to £76.4/8 which was insufficient to cover a similar design and the Borough Councillors felt it would be too extravagant for the Port Fairy Botanical Gardens. Local builder J.J.McLaren’s tender of £71.15/- was accepted and the octagonal concrete pillared construction was completed with the use of sustenance labour the following year. The Bandstand was opened in December, 1934 with a performance by the Port Fairy Band and local residents enjoying the entertainment and a picnic. In 1934 it was reported that there was some fuss in Council because of the whereabouts of the sum of approximately £3/- , being the amount left over from the build. After some months of debate, in which the Councillors suggested that the Engineer had used the money inappropriately, and to which he responded that the build had cost more than the quote, the matter seems to have ended there Black and white photograph of gardens with dividing paths and palm treebotanical, rotunda, gardens, trees, bandstand

W. Denney Saddler and Harness MakerBlack & white photograph of Morris Denny outside his shop in Sackville Street62.02.003 Morris Denny Father- port Fairy Gazette officeshop, commercial, w.denny, saddler, harness, sackville street, morris denny

This shop stood at the corner of Bank and Church Streets and was pulled down to make way for another service station. When the service station closed in the 1990's it was used as a storage unit for a Port Fairy builder. It in turn has been pulled down and replaced with 2 shops, a bank and two units above.Black & white photographMrs C.W. Freckleton Toolong.- my father's saddlery business-shop now owned by Mr Richter taken in 1880shop, commercial, warehouse, bank street, church street

St Patrick’s Catholic Church Port Fairy Coloured photograph of a church with a spire surrounded by a bluestone fencest patricks catholic church, port fairy, bluestone, fence