The Hale family homes at 10 and 8 Glenelg Street, Portland, Victoria.

Upon arrival in Portland, Victoria, in 1853, William and Harriet Hale took possession of land in Glenelg Street containing a small building, situated where No. 10 stands today. At that time cottages were constructed at the front and rear of these blocks, and it appears that initially William and Harriet occupied a small building somewhere on this site, while a Joseph Haggeston occupied the neighbouring small timber cottage which today is No. 8 Glenelg Street. Research suggests that the timber cottage that now occupies the site at No. 10 was built sometime between 1853 and 1856, and therefore presumably by William Hale, as he was a Carpenter and Builder by trade and was working as a Builder in the town. Certainly this building was in existence by February 1857, as William and Harriet's daughter Jane was born there in that month.

Detail of Glenelg Street from the 1853 survey map of Portland by Frederick William Birmingham, showing the concentration of dwellings around the site of No. 8 Glenelg Street.

William soon established his own business in Portland as a Carpenter and Builder, but little is known of his business activities. The 1856 Electoral Roll of Victoria (Portland Division), records William Hale of Glenelg Street, a Joiner by trade, as having a Freehold property in Glenelg Street, which he occupied. In 1857 the property was described as a cottage, outbuildings and yard, and was valued at £30.0.0. The outbuildings are elsewhere described as workshop, so it must be assumed that William ran his business from the premises.

The Portland Rate records that by 1865 the property had been sold to Joseph Haggeston, the owner of No. 8 during the late 1850's. It is possible that William was forced to sell due to financial difficulties associated with his business. Haggeston had sold No. 8 to John Shacklock around 1862 before buying William Hale's property a few years later. William and Harriet Hale remained resident in No. 10 after selling to Haggeston, renting the property from him for the rest of their lives. No. 10 Glenelg Street remained the family home until 1928.

According to Jane Hale's Obituary Notice, printed in The Portland Guardian on 22 January 1928, Jane "died in the same house in which she was born". Research of Nos. 8 & 10 entails working backwards with this knowledge from that date. At the time of her death Jane owned No. 10 Glenelg Street, and it is known that it was owned before her by Joseph Haggeston, and before that by her father William Hale. William Hale purchased the property sometime between 9 April 1853, the date that he arrived in Portland Bay, and the first Portland Rate of 1856.

Ownership of Nos. 10, 8 & 6 (recorded in this order in the Rate Books) is established by working backwards from 1928, correlating the change of ownership of the three properties recorded in the Rate Books with ownership details taken from the Title Deeds of Nos. 8 & 10. The result reveals that Nos. 8 & 10 were initially recorded incorrectly in the Rate Books from 1857 to 1860 as being in Allotment 19 of Section 2, when in fact they are situated in Allotment 20. The Rate of 1861 finally corrects the error, still recording the same three owners for Nos. 10, 8 & 6, but now placing them all in Allotment 20. The historical study of No. 10 contained herein was based on information taken directly from the early Rates, and therefore cites the wrong property and owner, though the correct house.

The Title Deed information that follows is known to be accurate for No. 10 Glenelg Street. The Title Deed information for No. 8 Glenelg Street is believed to be accurate, but required much interpretation.

Jane Hale purchased the neighbouring small wooden cottage at No. 8 Glenelg Street from Carroll Lane, who had inherited it a few years earlier from Mary Lane. Mary Lane died "At the Residence, Glenelg Street" on 27 January 1908.

Residence
National Trust Classified
8 Glenelg Street
Register of the National Estate.
R54M4K43; Pages 21, 84, 143-145, 170.

The double fronted timber cottage at 8 Glenelg Street was erected pre 1853 (the building is shown on town maps from 1853) by William Douglass, who purchased the land at the first public land auctions held in 1840. The cottage is one of the oldest surviving structures in Portland, and therefore, Victoria. With its wide sawn weatherboard cladding, timber shingle roof and continuous roof and verandah roof line, it epitomises the early timber structures of the town. The original verandah has been enclosed and now forms a front annex.

Recommended for addition to the Historic Buildings Register.

Jane Hale, Spinster, died on 21st February 1928, at Roseneatte, Portland, Borough of Portland, County of Normamby.
Usual Residence: Glenelg Street.

Residence
10 Glenelg Street
R55M4K44; Pages 84, 143, 145.

It appears that the timber cottage at 10 Glenelg Street dates from between 1853 - 57. The 1857 ratebook lists the site as "cottage and garden; W. M. Douglas owner; Mrs. McCarthy, occupant." The simply composed double fronted cottage with its simple line shows characteristics dating from the late nineteenth century and forms a cohesive group with the neighbouring cottage, No. 8 Glenelg Street. The rear outbuilding is also noteworthy.

Claremont, 65 Julia Street, Portland.

The premises constructed for Stephen Henty known as Claremont was not erected before 1853 as it not shown on Frederick William Birmingham's 1853 Map of Portland, which is accurate and reliable.

The construction of a major premises in Portland was always reported in The Portland Guardian, yet there is no mention on Claremont in any existing copies of the Guardian. However, all copies of The Portland Guardian are missing after 24 March 1853 until 12 January 1854, so it is probable that it was during this period that Claremont was constructed.

Claremont was not occupied before 1856, when it was listed in the Rate Book at a net annual valuation of £200-.