View allAll Photos Tagged Portland
I think if there's any port in the US that I find to be most interesting it's probably Portland, ME. So rich with history and beauty. I love the area that surrounds the dock. Heavily populated with all types of birds and a very interesting area that was left intact is the decaying remains of what had been docks.
My little sparrows were enjoying the rose hips along the dock. Once again, I'll be off and on as I think I said a couple of days ago. Really, this time I mean it. Got to go bird hunting.
Portland
Dranouter Festival 2018
3-AUG-2018
Jente Pironet Vocals & Guitar
Sarah Pepels Vocals and Keyboartd
Gill Princen Keyboards
Arno De Bock Drums
© Patrick Van Vlerken 2018
The wife of the gardener/chauffer at the Pittock Mansion was a cat fancier.
At Portland's Pittock Mansion.
I took a break from my normal routine and photographed some strangers. She was amused that I was able to change her camera settings even though the interface was Japanese (she had been shooting in ISO 3200 and I switched her to Auto). Never did catch their names.
Portland
The fine bay of Portland and nearby Cape Bridgewater were indirectly named by Captain Grant in 1800 on the Brig named Lady Nelson. Grant explored this part of the coast a year or so before Matthew Flinders and Nicholas Baudin. James Grant was receiving his orders from the Duke of Portland and so Governor King in Sydney named the bay Portland after looking at Grant’s maps. Nicholas Baudin, the French explorer also named the area and called it Terra Bonaparte. After Major Thomas Mitchell’s explorations in 1836 his Australia Felix region became known as the Western Districts (of NSW). From 1803 some American whalers established summer whaling camps along Portland Bay but there was no permanent white settlement until Edward Henty arrived here from Launceston in November 1834. His brother Francis arrived to settle in December 1834. Thus began the white settlement of Victoria almost a year before Fawkner and Batman settled on Port Phillip Bay. (John Fawkner and John Batman also moved from Launceston because of the land shortages there with Fawkner settling in August 1835 near Hobson’s Bay and Batman in June 1835 near the Yarra although he personally did not settle until April 1836.)
Edward Henty landed with 13 cattle, 4 bullocks, 5 pigs, 2 turkeys, vines, plants, seeds, and apple and pear trees. Francis arrived with dairy cows and Merino sheep a month later. In 1836 Major Mitchell called in to the Henty’s property where Portland now stands. Henty had already explored inland by then and he had discovered Darlots Creek and Lake Condah. Three of Henty’s pastoral runs were near the later town of Merino. The Hentys also earnt income from whaling but Edward did not even begin any whaling until 1836. Edward built his first house on what is now Bentinck Street. This was swept away when the town was surveyed in 1840 by Charles Tyers the government surveyor. By this time Edward and Francis had been joined by their other brothers Richard and John. It was a Henty son (Richard) who was the first white male born in Victoria and Edward Henty was the first to move inland in Victoria when he moved to near Merino in 1837. But many now assert that the first white settlement (not permanent or farming or pastoral settlement) in Victoria was by William Dutton with his fishery (sealing) and whaling station near Portland in 1833. Dutton had camped here in a temporary house for summer months since 1828. He also had whaling camps on Kangaroo Island. He did not spend all the year at Portland but his whaling camp was a permanent structure. Dutton also had early whaling camps at Port Fairy. When Edward Henty arrived in November 1834 Dutton was already there and assisted Henty to get established. But does this Dutton claim really detract from Edward Henty’s claim to be the first permanent white settler on the land in Victoria?
The Henty brothers had illegally squatted on land and despite having 60 acres under crop, sheep grazing at Merino, two houses in both Portland and at Merino and 53 whites living on the land (46 males including employees and 7 females) Governor Gipps of Sydney was not impressed. The Henty brothers claimed compensation for their development of the land and a grant of some of the land. Thus began many years of legal battles between the government and the Henty brothers. Gipps decided to send Police to Portland to remove Henty from the land but this never happened. In 1843 the government softened and gave a grant of 83 acres at £2 per acre; town acres at £100 per acre; and compensation of £118 for their buildings, including the house which was destroyed to create Bentinck Street. The Henty brothers declined this offer and the dispute continued. Eventually the Henty brothers got legal leases and they purchased freehold land. Merino Downs station is still in the hands of Henty descendants.
Government land in Portland was sold in 1840 with 70 town blocks being purchased immediately and many surrounding “suburban” blocks. Pastoral leases for inland areas were authorised from 1839. By 1842 the town had a temporary Presbyterian, Anglican and Wesleyan Methodist churches, a cemetery, a newspaper, a school house, hotels ( the Commercial Inn, the Portland Hotel, the Portland Inn and the Steam Packet Inn), a jetty and commercial enterprises. Customs duties were levied on the port trade. The main street along the foreshore Bentinck Street was named after the family name of the Dukes of Portland. The Customs House was completed in 1850; the Court House was built 1845; the Catholic Church 1848; the Presbyterian Church 1849; the Botanical Gardens began 1854; the Anglican Church 1856; a tramway to Heywood opened 1860; the Town Hall opened 1865 and a new Wesleyan Church opened 1865. In terms of population Portland grew quickly with around 1,200 residents in 1851 and around 3,000 by 1854. Today Portland has 10,700 residents.
As the major regional port railway lines from the interior were especially important to Portland. The tramway to Heywood opened in 1860 but soon became a railway line. The Portland Railway Company was formed in the town in 1872 and they raised funds for a railway to Hamilton and another to Coleraine. The company folded one year later. But the government built a railway line to Hamilton in 1878 and in 1889 they proposed a railway to the Wimmera - Horsham and Mildura. The first section of the railway from Hamilton to Horsham opened in 1911 to Cavendish and the line only got to Horsham in 1920! Meantime a rail link to Mt Gambier across the border was demanded by the residents of both Portland and Mt Gambier. The SA government opposed the idea and resisted for many years. The rail line was first suggested in 1900 and the Victorian government did a survey for the line in 1901. But it was 1912 before the two states agreed on rail lines crossing the border at Mt Gambier and at Pinnaroo. Work started on the line from Heywood to Mt Gambier in 1914. The line finally opened in October 1917.
Autumn retreated for a day leaving Portland Bill basking in a warm, sunny summers day and looking beautiful.
A walk out here listening to the ocean is so good for the soul!
Portland Street, a street that is originally most well-known for all kinds of night club and adult business, has been undergoing some big changes as the new Langham Place, a luxury commercial complex, introduced onto it.
I am dedicating my photo of this historic site to my new flickr friend from Brazil, Renan Aoki. He turned 19 today! He is a kind, considerate young man & has a wonderful eye for composition & color in his photography. His site is fully bilingual; I really respect him for that! If you haven't seen his photos, I hope you will visit his site--http://www.flickr.com/photos/a0k1/. Happy birthday, a0ki!
Portland Head Lighthouse is located in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA. Cyberastrofolkie & I visited there this weekend.
This morning I we had some good clouds (not pictured) so off I went in search of some excellent photographs. I especially enjoyed my time at Portland Head Light. I climbed the jagged cliffs to my quiet lonely perch and after taking loads of pictures sat down and read my book (The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt).
This is an HDR from three exposures (the seagull is from the "middle" exposure).
PORTLAND, OREGON - JANUARY 10: People in inflatable frog costumes dance to a song called, "Trump is in the Epstein Files," in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE facility on January 10, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. Portland residents have been demonstrating following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good on January 7th in Minneapolis as well as the shooting of two individuals in Portland on January 8th by US Border Patrol. (Photo by Natalie Behring/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - JANUARY 10: People in inflatable frog costumes dance to a song called, "Trump is in the Epstein Files," in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE facility on January 10, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. Portland residents have been demonstrating following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good on January 7th in Minneapolis as well as the shooting of two individuals in Portland on January 8th by US Border Patrol. (Photo by Natalie Behring/Getty Images)
The fine bay of Portland and nearby Cape Bridgewater were indirectly named by Captain Grant in 1800 on the Brig the Lady Nelson when he explored this part of the coast a year or so before Matthew Flinders and Nicholas Baudin. James Grant was receiving his orders from the Duke of Portland and so Governor King in Sydney named the bay Portland after looking at Grant’s maps. Nicholas Baudin, the French explorer also named the area and called it Terra Bonaparte. After Major Thomas Mitchell’s explorations in 1836 his Australia Felix region became known as the Western Districts (of NSW). From 1803 some American whalers established summer whaling camps along Portland Bay but there was no permanent white settlement until Edward Henty arrived here from Launceston in November 1834. His brother Francis arrived to settle in December 1834. Thus began the white settlement of Victoria almost a year before Fawkner and Batman settled on Port Phillip Bay. (John Fawkner and John Batman also moved from Launceston because of the land shortages there with Fawkner settling in August 1835 near Hobsons Bay and Batman in June 1835 near the Yarra although he personally did not settle until April 1836.)
Edward Henty landed with 13 cattle, 4 bullocks, 5 pigs, 2 turkeys, vines, plants, seed, apple and pear trees. Francis arrived with dairy cows and Merino sheep. In 1836 Major Mitchell called in to the Henty’s property where Portland now stands. Henty had already explored inland by then and he had discovered Darlots Creek and Lake Condah. Three of Henty’s pastoral runs were at what became the town of Merino. The Hentys also earnt income from whaling but Edward did not even begin any whaling until 1836. Edward built his first house on what is not Bentinck Street. This was swept away when the town was surveyed in 1840 by Charles Tyers the government surveyor. By this time Edward and Francis had been joined by their other brothers Richard and John. It as a Henty son (Richard) who was the first white male born in Victoria and Edward Henty was the first to move inland in Victoria when he moved to near Merino in 1837. But many now assert that the first white settlement (not permanent or farming or pastoral settlement) in Victoria was by William Dutton with his fishery (sealing) and whaling station near Portland in 1833. Dutton had camped here in a temporary house for summer months since 1828. He also had whaling camps on Kangaroo Island. She still did not spent all the year at Portland but his whaling camp was a permanent structure. Dutton also had early whaling camps at Port Fairy. When Edward Henty arrived in November 1834 Dutton was already there and assisted Henty to get established. But does this Dutton claim really detract from Edward Henty’s claim to be the first permanent white settler on the land in Victoria?
The Henty brothers had illegally squatted on land and despite having 60 acres under crop, sheep grazing at Merino, two houses in both Portland and at Merino and 53 whites living on the land (46 males including employees and 7 females) Governor Gipps of Sydney was not impressed. The Henty brothers claimed compensation for their development of the land and a grant of some of the land. Thus began many years of legal battles with the government and the Henty brothers. Gipps sent Police to Portland to remove Henty from the land but this never happened. In 1843 the government softened and gave a grant of 83 acres at £2 per acre; town acres at £100 per acre; and compensation of £118 for their buildings, including the house which was destroyed to create Bentinck Street. The Henty brothers declined this offer and the dispute continued. Eventually the Henty brothers did get legal leases and they purchased more freehold land. Merino Downs station is still in the hands of Henty descendants.
Government land in Portland was sold in 1840 with 70 town blocks begin purchased immediately and many surrounding “suburban” blocks. Pastoral leases for inland areas were authorised from 1839. By 1842 the town had a temporary Presbyterian, Anglican and Wesleyan Methodist churches, a cemetery, a newspaper, a school house, hotels ( the Commercial Inn, the Portland Hotel, the Portland Inn and the Steam Packet Inn), a jetty and commercial enterprises. Customs duties were taken on the port trade. The main street along the foreshore Bentinck Street was named after the family name of the Dukes of Portland. The Customs House was completed in 1850; the Court House was built 1845; the Catholic Church 1848; the Presbyterian Church 1849; the Botanical Gardens began 1854; the Anglican Church 1856; a tramway to Heywood opened 1860; the Town Hall opened 1865 and a new Wesleyan Church opened 1865. In terms of population Portland grew quickly with around 1,200 residents in 1851 and around 3,000 by 1854. Today Portland has 10,700 residents.