Port Fairy

Talara.

Tuesday 7^th September.

After breakfast we set out from Mt. Gambier for Port Fairy.  We enjoyed our time in the crater lakes area, so glad we decided to come home this way. It meant seeing the Great Ocean Road.
for the third time, but who’s counting? It’s a lovely part of Victoria. We drove into Portland to have a look at this shipping port. Again, lovely old heritage buildings are preserved.

Portland dock area.

There is a little part of the world that means a lot to my family. My mother’s ancestors came out from Ireland in the mid 1800’s to settle in what was then known as Belfast. We now know it as Port Fairy.

My mother’s great grandfather, Dilmond Howes, became the shire engineer and lived in the area. He came here in his 20’s married and had two children. One was Robert Henry, my great grandfather. Dilmond was a colourful character, he made enemies and at one time was jailed for setting fire to the shire offices, later released. But that another story. Before this happened, he had designed several bridges, roads and his own house, which luckily for us, still stands.

Braim House

“Talara” meaning softly falling rain, is on the Princes Highway
as you come into Port Fairy from Portland. It’s a Gothic Revival design, Dilmond and his family lived in the house for over twenty years. His first wife died in childbirth having their third child. Dilmond remarried Mary Quinn, the daughter of Dr John Singleton, well known in Melbourne in his day. His first wife was the sister of Dr John. Dilmond and Mary Quinn went on to have about thirteen children. I guess he needed a big house, it also had servant quarters.

Side view of "Talara"

Shopping precint.

                                        Lighthouse on Griffiths Island.

John and I visited the church where most of the children were christened, St John’s Anglican. It was locked so I didn’t get to see the organ gallery that Dilmond had designed. We took photos outside Talara and Braim House, where Dilmond’s father had been the principal of the school there.

Swans and cygnants.

Wednesday 8^th September.

John and I went for a walk to Griffiths Islands over a causeway. Port Fairy lies on the Moyne River, it has the Southern Ocean on it’s doorstep. I only went a short way, John walked 3.6 klms to the lighthouse and back. We met a man on the track who is a journalist for a nearby town’s newspaper; told us the lifestyle here is so good that there are seven doctors in town, unusual in a regional town. The small hospital would benefit as well. This guy said he moved here and does his work from home or café on his IPad.

Near Griffiths Island.

The Rivermouth.

St. John's.

James St.

little heritage cottage.

We drove into town after driving along the headland overlooking the ocean. Newer estates are all along the coast with great views out to see. The older heritage cottages are closer in town, there are 50 heritage listed including “Talara.”

I enjoyed taking photos of these small cottages and historical buildings.

We had a coffee in Rebecca’s Café.

The Marina.

Rebecca's Cafe.