Portland Portraits– Super Shots of a place by the sea
Please welcome our guest blogger, Phillip, Project Coordinator, Focus Force-Kids With Camera. This blog is in courtesy to the Super Shots created by the PORTLAND PS. FOCUS FORCE Kids With Cameras.
These are the SUPER SHOT images and others by students from the PORTLAND PS. FOCUS FORCE Kids With Cameras. The project as part of the “MOUNTAINS TO SEA” was originally planned to be sent to Arizona, but the invitation by the local schools there was withdrawn. Hopefully, it will be happen in the future, and the promise made to the students fulfilled.
In the early days of settlement, the Henty Brothers with their families set sail for Victoria, and Portland from Tasmania, then known as Van Diemans land, looking for greener pastures and supplementing seas..They landed, and their names became synonymous with the region, and entrenched in the history books. Then, as now, the sea was the mainstay of the thriving town with both commercial and recreational fishing adding to the populations workforce and income. In the 1960′s a new wharf was built jutting into the sea, where today it provides loading for the many ships that enter the port. These include the large container ships, and those that transport live sheep to the Middle Eastern markets. The port is growing in importance, and this will be enhanced more so in 2013, when the first cruise liners tie up to allow tourists to travel through the region in short stopovers. How it has changed, and the visions of the Henty’s and those early settlers.
In the winter months whales frequent the bay with them actually being seen frolicking in the bay. What an awesome sight from the towns streets1
BELOW, Standing tall, and offering safe guidance home to the ships of the sea of today, this like many other lighthouses on the Victorian coast celebrates it’s 150′th anniversary in 2011. Chosen as the MAYOR’S CHOICE by Cr. Wilson in the PORTLAND PS FOCUS FORCE Kids With Cameras “MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA” project.
ABOVE: The view of the lighthouse where it stands prominently for all to see, both from sea and land making a strikiong attraction to the local landscape.
BELOW: It is seaspray or a fishing fighting to make it’s release, to escape back to the depths of the ocean? It is, in fact the spray from the motor of a recreational boats motor, before being loading onto the trailer.
BELOW. Two markers for travelers to be guided by that are familiar to all who live in the town. Left, another view of the lighthouse framed by the leaves of a gumtree. Right, What was a common sight on the roads of early day Australia, a distance marker with it showing the number of miles to the nearest town, or most cases from Melbourne.
BELOW: Gateways show the way home and the entrace to some of the magnificent residences of the town. Like all country towns, there is pride in where they live, and this shown by the care and love taken in maintaining them.
ABOVE: The port has changed immensely since early settlement, and now has a mixture of all sizes of boats and purposes tied up beside each other. Big ships from all over the world come and go, bringing a new found wealth to the town and the district. Add to this, the ever-growing recreational fishing, which in the last few years has seen the growth of tuna chasing with record catches being the talk of the day.
ABOVE:The view looking towards the town across the bay from the pier across. A truly busy, yet relaxing environment.
Source: Focusfor’s