Port Albert

Overview

Port Albert, Gippsland's oldest Port established in 1841, remains today as one of the few operating fishing villages on the Victorian coastline.  Located some 225 kilometres east of Melbourne, and just fourteen kilometres south of Yarram, it is a most delightful village.
 
Port Albert has several historic buildings from the nineteenth century. Some have a National Trust classification or are on the Historic Buildings Register, many have been lovingly restored.

There is a charm and quiet ambience about Port Albert. The summer dawn is particularly pleasant, when the morning sun bathes a warm orange glow over the old buildings and boats tied up at the jetty. Mist rises as the sea warms to a new day.

History

Port Albert, Victoria’s first established port, is the original gateway to Gippsland. From the mid-1800s, Port Albert was the supply port for Gippsland’s pioneers until the completion of the Melbourne-Sale railway in 1878. It has berthed ships from Europe and America and welcomed thousands of Chinese on their way to the goldfields.

Still a commercial fishing port, Port Albert’s reputation for recreational fishing, with its waters protected by 30 small islands, sees its population swell considerably during summer. The quaint fishing village is off the beaten track and, more than 40 buildings in a Georgian and Victorian architectural style still exist. Port Albert’s 1860’s former Bank of Victoria building houses the Gippsland Regional Maritime Museum showcasing such treasures as artifacts from the wreck of the ‘Clonmel’, working models, navigational aids and charts.

Places of interest

Gippsland Regional Maritime Museum
Old Port Walking Trail
Historic Tarraville Church
Jetty with fishing fleet
Wharf restaurant
Many heritage buildings 1860-1900
Historic cemetery

Accommodation

Accommodation options in and around Port Albert include a motel, hotel, caravan parks, cottages and B&Bs. For further information please visit:

Tourism Wellington
http://www.tourismwellington.com.au/accommodation.asp

Wellington Visitor Information Centre
8 Foster Street (Princes Highway), Sale
Open: 7 days a week 9.00am-5.00pm
Telephone: 03 5144 1108
Email: admin@tourismwellington.com.au

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