Town by town snapshot: Portarlington

THE size of Portarlington is approximately 24.8 square kilometres with 12 parks covering nearly 5.4 per cent of total area.

The population of Portarlington in 2011 was 3,581 people and by the 2016 Census the population was 3,618 showing a population growth of 1.0 per cent in the area during that time. Portarlington has been a standout performer in the Bellarine property market over the last two to thre years with gains of around 50 per cent in property value.

The origin of the towns name is obscure, possibly it was named after Portarlington in Ireland, a market town south-west of Dublin. Surveyed town lots were sold in Portarlington in 1851, about eight years after Anne Drysdale settled at nearby Drysdale on her pastoral run.

The Bellarine Peninsula was an early agricultural region for cereal crops, and later for hay, onions, peas and potatoes. Portarlington’s first public jetty was opened in 1859, lengthened into deeper water in 1870 and rebuilt a few years later. The current ferry service to Melbourne has been a great success and has certainly contributed to the increased demand for Portarlington property.

CoreLogic data indicated that the predominant age group in Portarlington is 60-69 years with households in Portarlington being primarily childless couples and are likely to be repaying $1,400 – $1,799 per month on mortgage repayments, and in general, people in Portarlington work in a professional occupation.