This week, Roy has decided it is time to visit a place which he has found fascinating ever since he first stopped by a few years ago. Portland is a place which for a long time has been bypassed by tourists heading across the mountains towards the Central West. Roy thinks this is a real shame though, because anyone who doesn't stop by misses out on seeing what Roy thinks of as 'Portlands Open Air Historic Art Gallery' - the amazing painted avertising signs dotted around the town. There are many other things to see around Portland, and Roy will revisit to show you some more another time!
If you would like to visit Portland, it is not far from Lithgow, about 30 minutes drive in total. Take the Great Western Highway and then simply follow the signs to Portland itself. Once you are there, make sure to have a good look around the town. The signs are hiding on the sides of buildings and fences, and you will need to keep an eye out for them - some are more obvious than others.
Portland is an important historic town, being the first place in Australia where cement was manufactured. The cement works opened in 1902 and continued to operate for the better part of a century, eventually closing in 1991. The cement made at Portland was shipped all over Australia, and much of it was used in building various areas of Sydney. Today, the site of the cement works is closed off, and even many houses are behind the big wire fence which seals the site.
After the cement works closed, Portland seemed to become a sleepy town, and it was in 2001 that Ron Bidwell decided to try to revitalise the town by creating 'Signs of Yesteryear'. Bidwell was a signwriter by trade and he thought that by recreating old advertising signs throughout the town, he would 'spruce' the area up and also bring in tourists. The signs vary from massive whole wall signs to smaller signs, sometimes with two or three on the same wall or fence. The signs show famous historic brand names like Arnotts Biscuits, Uncle Tobys Oats, Bushells Tea, Goanna Salve and Toohey's Flag Ale. If you would like to learn more about Portland click here.
