Lower Portland is a rural

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

near

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, in the state of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Lower Portland is located 80 kilometres northwest of the

Sydney central business district The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main Central business district, commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or ...

, in the

local government areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The ph ...

The Hills Shire The Hills Shire (known until 2008 as Baulkham Hills Shire) is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the Greater Western Sydney, Greater Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The area is north-west of the Sydney ...

(east of the

Hawkesbury River The Hawkesbury River, or Hawkesbury-Nepean River (Dharug language, Dharug: Dyarubbin) is a river located northwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its associated main tributary, the Nepean River, almost encircle ...

and the

City of Hawkesbury The City of Hawkesbury is a Local government in Australia, local government area that is located on the far northwest fringe of the Sydney, Greater Sydney area in New South Wales, Australia. The local government area is located in the Hawkesbury ...

(west of the

). Lower Portland is a peaceful hamlet located at the junction of the Colo and

Hawkesbury Hawkesbury or Hawksbury may refer to: People *Baron Hawkesbury, or Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool (1727-1808), English statesman Places Australia * Hawkesbury Island, Queensland, an island *Hawkesbury River, a river in New South Wal ...

rivers. The area has historical significance, is scenic and is popular for water skiing.

History

The original inhabitants of the Lower Portland area were the

Dharug people The Dharug or Darug people, are a nation of Aboriginal Australian clans, who share ties of kinship, country and culture. In pre-colonial times, they lived as hunters in the region of current day Sydney. The Darug speak one of two dialects of ...

. The Dharug were the custodians of the majority of what is now the Greater Sydney region. They were divided into a number of different 'clans', whose quick demise upon European settlement has resulted in very little information remaining on how the local area was utilised. The area situated on the banks of the Hawkesbury River below the junction with the Colo River was given the name Portland Place by Governor Hunter when it was first settled in 1799 by convicts who were engaged in clearing timber and building a stock yard, i.e. a paddock at Portland Place that enclosed thirty acres. The name Portland Place came from a street in the Marylebone area of London. (H.R.A. Series I Volume II p. 745) Lower Portland was named after William Henry Cavendish Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, and Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1783, and 1807–1809. The name was first used in 1805, and almost certainly seems associated with the story that a rock on the plateau above the headland resembled the Duke of Portland. Lower Portland was the area settled downstream from Portland Head.''The Book of Sydney Suburbs'', Compiled by Frances Pollon, Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1990, Published in Australia

Transport

The

Lower Portland Ferry The Lower Portland Ferry is a cable ferry across the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales, Australia. The ferry is situated in the community of Lower Portland. The ferry is operated by a private sector operator under contract to Hawkesbury City ...

is one of only four vehicular ferries operating across the Hawkesbury River. The River Road is a popular scenic drive. Lower Portland Ferry operates 24hrs 7days a week. Closed 1st Wednesday of each month 9:00am–11:00am.

References

{{authority control Suburbs of Sydney City of Hawkesbury Hawkesbury River The Hills Shire William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland