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. Fishermans wharf in background. Long pier. Ocean pier. Baths. Cypress trees in foreground of Bentinck Street. Electric light poles. Ute carying wool bales.Front: Portland Victoria. (Length of Ocean Pier 2880ft).portland, photography, fishermens wharf

Used by the Henty cordial company in Portland.Henty grapefruit drink label with design of a ship of choppy waters in a roundel in upper right corner. Name of drink is in a white banner across lower centre.Front: (text on label includes brand name, flavour of drink, etc...)henty cordial, grapefruit, drink, domestic

Port of Portland Authority archives.Front: (no inscriptions) Back: 'Impression of Ultimate Development of Port of Portland, Victoria.' 'Bruce Ormandy' 1977-port of portland archives, portland harbour

Front: 'Deepwater Pier' & Baths, Portland Vic' - black script, bottom left Back: Handwritten message

Lithograph, orange / yellows, white, grey, white double mount, black wooden frame, reflective glass, hanging wire width of frame, on backFront: 'Lake Surprise 4/40 No.1 Vocanic Plains of Victoria Kenneth Jack (signature) - pencil, in border between lithograph and mount Back: Black stamp 'KWD JACK P/L P.O.Box 1 Doreen Vic 3754' - centre back '79' pencil, bottom Left Hand corner

Lithograph, sepia, view of Portland, showing steam train at Portland station; goods shed, Post Office and Customs House at rear. Off-white background, white mount, matte black wooden frame, reflective glass, wire for hanging, on backFront: 'Portland, Victoria' 'Artists Print' 'Kenneth Jack' (signature) Pencil beneath lithograph 'KENNETH JACK 1954' -bottom left hand corner of lithographkenneth jack, portland

Booklet. Executive summary of the 1989 Regional economic Strategy Report for Portland Victoria. 28 pages, covers red card, blue print on red and white striped front cover

Hardcover book - photo of Portland Court House on frount cover, with view of part of harbour and lighthouse. 'Portland Victoria' 'In orange print 'Jocelyn Burt' - white print. Back cover - photo of fishermens Breakwater, boats and vehicles. Book contains photographs of Portland and Distrct in 1975.

Twenty page booklet, white 'shiny' cardboard cover with blue printing and Victoria 150th logo and shire of Portland logo.

Promotional booklet 'Where to go in Victoria (Hotel and Guesthouse Guide) produced by the Vic Govt, printed and published by the Victorian Railways Advertising Division and Printing Works. Print and pictures in black and white

Black and white photograph with inscription beneath, from newspaper dated 21 NOV. 1929, headlined, 'How Portland Recalled Its Early History' Re-enactment of Henty landing on beach at Portland, 19 NOV. 1929. Stuck to white cardboard.

White card, monochrome print of Customs House, Portland Victoria.Front: 'H.M. CUSTOMS PORTLAND Built 1849' - printed bottom right 'Pauline Grayling 1973' - printed, bottom left

Glenelg Shire CouncilFront: Side - 'Client' Portland Tourism Authority Title: "Portland Promotional Video" Date: 1989. Duration 15 mins

Black and white etching showing 6 bullocks, 1 dog, 1 ploughman. Ploughman is holding the plough. 1 Man holding whip on clifftop overlooking ocean. Frame - Golden timber/mottled. Inner mount - Gold.Front: Panorama of Portland, Victoria (length of Ocean Pier 2880 ft).etching, portland, plough, rural, farming

Medallion struck to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Portland in 1984. Belonging to Carol Payne.Blue velvet case. Red lining. Lid lining white satin. Polished brass medallion.Front: Portland's 150th Anniversary, 1984. Whale in triangle. Reverse: Pink heath. Brim Melb. Victoria. Pink Heath No. 26celebrations, 150th, anniversary, portland, numismatics, medal

White metal medal issued to commemorate Melbourne's centenary 1934-35. This medal was given out to Victorian school children; 325,600 white metal medals were struck. There were also a few VIP pieces in other metals, including two in gold. The medal references Portland, the location of Victoria's first settlement. The Henty brothers, entrepreneur farmers and whalers, established the state's first permanent European settlement in Portland in 1834. Melbourne was established the following year by a party of settlers led by John Batman.White metal medal. Medal, silver. with hole and ring at the top. Obverse: Sailing Ship, Coast, Boat on shore, 3 men. Reverse Colonial man on grass, river, city buildings on other river bank Medal commemorates the centenary of Victoria and Portland 1834 and Melbourne 1835. Obverse:Scene of landing at Portland Bay; in ground below, PORTLAND / 1834; above, centenary of victoria / 1934 Reverse: Pioneer on south bank of Yarra looking across to Melbourne, below 1835 above, CENTENARY / OF / MELBOURNE / 1935Front: Inverse: Centenary of Melbourne 1835 (Top) 1835 (Bottom) Back: Obverse: Centenary of Victoria 1934 (Round Top) Portland 1834 (Bottom)medal, numismatics, celebration, 1834, 1934, 1935, melbourne, portland

Souvenir of Portlands 150thGlass - stemmed sherry. Gold rim. Gold lettering.Front: Portland's 150th Anniversary, 1984. Edward Henty who established a small community at Portland in November 1834 is officially credited with being Victoria's first permanent white settler. Today Portland has a keen sense of the past and a great pride in its future.

Record of the Glenelg Shire CouncilUnused oblong shaped sticker with the text 'Portland a Whale of a Place Victoria" and design incorporating boat sails, whale and the sea, printed blue ink on a white backgroundsouvenir, tourism, portland whales

Portland celebrated the 150th anniversary of its formation as a town in 1984. A number of commemorative items were produced.Oblong-shaped promotional sticker, promoting Portland's 150th celebrations in 1984. Black text printed on white background, plus logo of whale in triangle with blue green wave designs.Front: Portland's 150th Anniversary 1934-1984 Victoria's First Permanent Settlement150th, 1984, 1934, sticker, commemorative, celebration

(Previous collection, Exhibitions, Prizes, etc.) Displayed at History House. Used by Henty cordial company in Portland (?)Label with design of a ship of choppy waters in a roundel in upper right corner. Name of drink is in a white banner across lower centre.Front: (text on label includes brand name, flavour of drink, etc...)