View of Belfast, Port Fairy, Victoria.

Abstract

Seascape with three men in a small boat that has a single mast and a furled sail. On shore can be seen the township of Port Fairy, including light coloured buildings, a windmill, a flagpole and a signal station. A ship with sails and a funnel emitting smoke, a sailing ship and rowing boat are visible on the harbour beyond Griffiths Island. This part of the coastline was a centre for hunting whales and seals, and crews from Tasmania and New South Wales established stations on the island. The settlement was originally called Port Fairy, but a major land holder re-named it Belfast until in 1887, an Act of Parliament gave the town back its old name.