The first State School in Portarlington (No. 1251) opened in the Wesleyan Church building in 1873, with 73 pupils. Following a dispute with church authorities, it was soon relocated to the Temperance Hall (built in 1874). The permanent red-brick school building, located on the current site, was formally opened on 27 Apr 1882, as State School No. 2455. It featured a bell-tower, a central fireplace, and two large rain-water tanks. A free public library opened in the ante-room of the Temperance Hall in 1883. A well-furnished building, purpose built for the library, was opened a year later, and a Market Reserve was established near the jetty in 1877.