Portland Police Magistrates Records 1840-1860

In 1840 Foster Fyans was appointed as Police magistrate at Portland Bay. He appears to have not taken up those duties with the first Police magistrate actually in Portland being James Blair. At the same time a Clerk of the bench and Constables were also appointed with a Commissioner of Crown Lands and the Portland Bay Survey Office also as part of the Government establishment.

By c1850 a Coroner’s Court and a Court of Petty Sessions had been established in Portland thus making the Police Magistrate the principal officer of the courts rather than him having any broader administrative role. From about 1859 it would appear that the Police magistrate was stationed at Belfast (Port Fairy) or Warrnambool rather than at Portland.