Captain Mills Cottage

Eastern Maar Country Port Fairy
Book Tickets

One of Victoria's oldest homes, Mills Cottage is a reminder of maritime history and life in Port Fairy, a fishing village on the Shipwreck Coast.

Port Fairy, also known as Belfast, was one of the busiest ports in colonial Victoria.

Named after the Mills family, who occupied or owned the cottage from 1842 – 1909, the house remains considerably intact including over fifty different wallpapers layered throughout its rooms. The earliest surviving part of Mills Cottage dates to 1843, making it one of Victoria’s oldest homes.  

 

John and his brother Charles Fredrick Mills had been sealers and whalers, but settled in Port Fairy, where John became a maritime trader and Harbour Master and Charles a farmer. From the mid 1850s-1871 Captain John Mills was the Port Fairy Harbour Master, an important role in such a bustling port.

 

In 2017, the National Trust was awarded a Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) Living Heritage Grant for Mills Cottage to undertake interior and exterior conservation works to the cottage. The works commenced in January 2018 and were completed in September 2018. The works involved interior and exterior conservation works, including stabilisation of wallpapers and interior finishes. 

Plan your visit

Opening Times
1st & 3rd Saturday of the Month 
2.00pm-4.00pm 
(Last Entry 3.30pm) 
Admission

General Admission: $5 
 
National Trust Members receive FREE entry. 
 
*Booking fees apply. 

Location

40 Gipps Street, Port Fairy, VIC 3284 

Eastern Maar Country 

Closed:

Closed June, July & August. 

Book Tickets Port Fairy Branch

WHAT'S ON View all events

Be part of Victoria's living story.

  • Membership

    Our members play an active role in the conservation of Australia's built and natural heritage.
    Join & Renew

  • Give

    Without the generosity of Australians who value our heritage, our treasured history and culture would be lost.
    Donate today

  • Volunteer

    Volunteering is a wonderful way to make a difference by protecting our heritage for future generations.
    Sign up