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 Julia St. Portland, taken from middle of road, looking west, left hand side, block between Bentinck and Percy Streets. Four cars, 1 motorbike, road not sealed.'JULIA STREET, PORTLAND', black print, lower borderphotography, julia street, portland

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

Photograph showing the pioneers of portlandBack: Presented by Harry Goldsmithphotography, pioneers, portland

Black and white photo, white border. Nuns' Beach, looking towards Whalers' Point, closer view than 8795. 'WHALERS' POINT AND LIGHTHOUSE, PORTLAND', black print lower borderphotography, landscape, whalers bluff, lighthouse, portland

Black and white photo, white border. View of Henty Beach Portland, looking north to water tower, Whaler's Bluff, spire of the All Saints Catholic Church. Cars on beach in foreground, numerous people on sand / in water, Railway Pier and Baths visiblephotography, henty beach, portland, whalers bluff

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

View of the pier and Battery Point, Portlandlocal history, portland, photography, harbour, battery point

View of Julia Street, Portlandjulia street, landscape photography, streetscape

View of Battery Point in Portlandphotography, landscape, battery point

Photographs taken by Esther Winifred Hall (nee Smallpage) - great grand-daughter of Stephen George Henty. Taken in 1934 Centenary Celebrations in Portland.Black and white photograph showing beach, section of grass land on right foreground, pier and the harbour, a ship at end of pier (centre of image).Front: (no inscriptions) Back: View of Portland to E.W. Hall -, W.A. from Mary Grant - Geralton W.A.esther winifred hall, henty, photography, 1934, centenary, portland

Laminated copy of black and white photo. 2 gentlemen wearing suits. Trees and horse ridden in background.Front: Senator R. Henty. Martin Staypleton BREE, Portland Jubilee Show 16/2/1957.henty, photography

Frame - Golden timber/mottled. Inner frame - Gold embossed. Mount - Maroon flecked cardboard. Pen & Ink Sketch - Male - Facing left Grey jacket White shirt Grey tie Sort beard Full head of hair Silver mark on left eye and mouthFront: T.W. Smith 1871-72thomas webb smith, mayor, portland, portrait photography

Con Kroker Private CollectionBlack & white photo of part of bluestone external wall of All Saints Catholic Church, Portland, with a large wooden cross and statue of Christ, attached to it.Back: Kroker, top left, pencilcon kroker, kroker, photography, all saints church, portland, crucifix

From Mrs Helen Lindsay Mc Donald, family descendant. Vida Goldstein was a strong advocate for women's rights and equality. She was the first woman to stand for parliament in the British Empire.Black and white studio photographic portrait of a woman in late 19th century dress. She is central in the photo, standing next to balustrade and greenery, and in the background is a painted backdrop.Front: Front- Yeoman and Co 107 Swan Street, Richmond Back- 'Vida Goldstein' - Printed in texta on stellotape.portrait photography, vida goldstein, suffragette, equality