LOCAL HISTORY
The First Forests in Flower
Long before gum trees and wattles, Gippsland was blanketed in cool-temperate rainforests where ferns, conifers, and the world’s first flowers thrived. Fossils from Koonwarra and the Strzelecki Group reveal how these early plants and insects reshaped ancient life — one bloom and beetle at a time.
Dinosaurs in the Dark: Gippsland’s Prehistoric Polar Forests
Long before Gippsland’s hills rolled green with pasture, it was part of a polar forest teeming with small, fast-moving dinosaurs. Creatures like Leaellynasaura and Qantassaurus thrived in icy darkness, challenging what we thought we knew about dinosaurs. Discover the deep-time story of Australia’s southernmost prehistoric survivors.
Dinosaurs in the Mist
Discover Gippsland’s polar dinosaurs — from feathered runners to giant predators — and how they survived in a land of darkness and ancient forests.
The Land Before Continents
Long before humans set foot in Gippsland, this land lay near the South Pole, teeming with polar dinosaurs and ancient forests. Discover how millions of years of fire, ice, and shifting continents forged the landscapes we know today — from Tarra-Bulga’s rainforest to Port Albert’s coastline.
Salted by the Sea: The Hidden Story of Chinese Fishermen in Port Albert
Uncover the forgotten legacy of Chinese fish curers in Port Albert—how they fed the goldfields and shaped a town, now rising back into view with the tide.
The Rise and Ruin of Victoria’s Oyster Empire: Port Albert’s Forgotten Boom
Once teeming with native oysters, Port Albert’s waters tell a story of colonial greed, ecological collapse, and the long road to cultural and environmental repair.
Gold
Supply Pipeline for the Gippsland Goldfields In the mid-19th century, as gold fever swept through Victoria, Port Albert emerged as a vital hub, connecting the remote and rugged Gippsland goldfields with the bustling world beyond. It was the lifeline for an entire region's dreams and economic prosperity. As miners flooded into Gippsland, drawn by...
The former Bank of Victoria – now the Port Albert Maritime Museum
The former Bank of Victoria, now the Port Albert Maritime Museum, is a rare example of Conservative Classical revival architecture and a symbol of the town’s economic and social development since 1856.
The evolution of Australian Coins
,The coinage of Australia encapsulates a rich narrative, charting the nation’s transition from a mosaic of colonial currencies to a unified modern economy. This journey reflects pivotal shifts in economic policies, technological advancements, and a deepening national identity. From the rudimentary use of foreign and makeshift currencies in the...
Agnes Buntine: A Remarkable Life
Agnes Buntine, a pioneering spirit, journeyed from Scotland to Gippsland, overcoming challenges and shaping Australia’s early history.
Alberton Cemetery
The picturesque Alberton Cemetery is one of Victoria’s oldest and most historically significant graveyards. Commissioner Charles Tyers surveyed the site in 1846 however, the first recorded burial at the cemetery was that of Robert McClure who died in 1842. Folklore has it that older carved wooden grave markers dated 1823 & 1833 existed on the...
Port Albert – The Oldest Port
Long isolated by steep forested mountain ranges to the east and north, swamps to the west and an inhospitable coastline the Gippsland area was bypassed by early European explorers. Unknown to Tasman as he sailed south, around Van Diemen’s land in 1642, merely sighted at its eastern extremity by Cook in 1770, its shoreline skirted by both Bass...
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78 Tarraville Rd,
Port Albert VIC 3971
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