First Settlement of Victoria

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 268, 15 November 1934, Page 10

First Settlement of Victoria

PORTLAND CELEBRATIONS.

MELBOURNE, Nov. 13,

Although the ceremonies relating to the Centenary have been in progress for several weeks in Melbourne, a series of events which began to-day in Portland, a small coastal town about 200 miles west of Melbourne, mark the real centenary of the dawn of Victoria’s history. These celebrations will continue till November 19th, when the Puke of Gloucester will make a special visit in the Susses to take part in some of the elaborate pageantry upon the preparation of which the townsfolk of Portland have been engaged for many months past. The history of Portland Bay goes bac.. .u ISOO when it was discovered fcy Lieut. Grant, of the Lady Nelson, and duly charted. In 1802 another famous navigator, Matthew Blinders, passed by but did not enter. Onl. a few days before, however, a Frenchman anchored in the Bay and named it Trouville, but he did not hoist the tricolour; Portlr 1 thus missed being a French settlement. For some years before sealers and whalers had used the bay as a headquarters, but they were never regarded as settlers. Tho actual story of the settlement began back in England, in the ancient village of West Tarring, in Sussex—the name stra. jely enough of the warship which has brought the King’s son to Victoria to the Centenary celebrations. In West Tarring lived the Henty family, who were destined to go down in history a 3 the virtual founders of the State of Victoria. Thomas Henty was a breeder of Merino sheep from the famous stud of George 111. The Hentys were among the first to respond to the call of the colonies, and in 1529 they arrived in Australia for the purpose of taking up land. After many unsuccessful attempts to obtain land to their liking they eventually landed at Portland to settle, after having previously inspected and approved the surrounding country as suitable for grazing. Thus, with four heifers, four working bullocks, five pigs, two turkeys, so: le fowls, and dogs, a plough, a fishing boat, a frame house and tents, Portland, which they named after the Duke of Portland, came into being as Victoria’s first settlement on November 19th, 1834, „A portion of the pageant which will be presented to the Duke of Gloucester when he attends at Portland this week will depict the landing of the Hentys. Scenes of 100 years ago will b© re-enacted and spectators will dwell for a brief space among the pages of a living history. For months past all available accommodation in Portland has been booked for the period of the celebrations and the peaceful little town on its picturesque bay is crowded as it has never been before.