About Port Albert

Historic General Store.

A little history about the town and this cottage.

We acknowledge the traditional owners of that land on which Windspray Cottage sits, the Gunaikurnai People, and pay their respects to Elders Past Present and Emerging. Port Albert was first established as a port by European settlers in 1842, following Angus McMillan’s discovery of the area the year prior, and is known as the first established port in the colony of Victoria. It was previously home to the GunaiKurnai Aboriginal people over thousands of years prior to the European settlement. The site was chosen to settle due to proximity to the fertile land ideal for farming and livestock, as well as it’s natural deep water harbour, which resulted in the port becoming a vital gateway for the transportation of goods from Sydney Cove to the newly established colony in Victoria, and later a transport hub between Melbourne and Tasmania.

Initially, the site was referred to as Old Cove or Seabank, however the name was changed to New Leith once the town properly started developing, before finally being changed to Port Albert, in honour of Queen Victoria’s husband. During the boom of the Victorian Gold Rush in the mid-19th century, however, Port Albert became a bustling centre for shipping and trade, due to its close proximity to the goldfields in Gippsland, fostering the rapid growth of the town, with various hotels, stores and warehouses being constructed the accommodate the needs from the influx of the incoming prospectors. You may notice in the town, that several of these historical sites, such as the Maritime Museum (originally the Bank of Victoria), the Derwent hotel, Bond Store and the General Store were constructed during this period, with later additions being the Rocket Shed, the Ship Inn Hotel, and the bakery.

However, since the Gold Rush has subsided, Port Albert has gradually subsided into a more quiet costal town, although it still retains much of its heritage charm through its historic buildings and picturesque waterfront.

When the town was closing, houses within the Yallourn township became available for purchase and relocation. This is how 16 Westbrook Street started it's new life in Port Albert!