HISTORY RE-ENACTED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18559, 20 November 1934, Page 7

HISTORY RE-ENACTED

LANDING AT PORTLAND CENTURY OF PROGRESS MELBOURNE, Nov. 19. Whereas only a few aborigines watched the Hentys land at Portland' from the Thistle a century ago, thousands of well dressed modern citizens gazed from the cliffs on the shore as the scenes of a century ago were made to live again. Every vantage point was crowded. A strange contrast was presented by a 4iny ketch representing the Thistle and the towering hulks of the Sussex and the Canberra. When the Thistle came to anchor a boat, was dropped, and a party dressed in the costumes of the period came ashore with a queer assortment of cattle, dogs and farming implements. Then they ceremoniously landed with some unrehearsed incidents, such as one steer fouling* the anchor chains and later colliding with a motor boat which came incongruously on tho scone. ( The Duke of Gloucester was keenly interested in tho proceedings. Mrs Coster was later presented- to. bin Tho Duke remained at Portland throughout the day leaving in the evening. . , y’.'lT," V' In a farewell message to Victoria the Duke said: “Having travelled the length and breadth of Victoria, I have met its men, women and childrenfrom the city and the land, and I feel encouraged to say that here is stock worthy to hold‘this 'fair land which has been handed down to it." The service at Portland at dawn was conducted by Archbishop Head, who, in an address said: “We should give thanks for our Empire, our monarchy, our church and our British character. You people of Portland have given a lead to the city as how to celebrate a centenary." Bishop Crick spoke of those who, in humble confidence and venturesome faith had landed here a century ago and established under the Southern Cross a new home for their sons and daughters ’ ’—our common stock,- "We thank God. for those who have followed and built faithfully on foundations so well and truly laid," he added.