The town was settled in the 1870s, with the first wharf being built in 1880. Port Campbell Post Office opened on 19 March 1874. It was renamed Port Campbell West in 1881 when a new Port Campbell office opened near the wharf. At the 2001 census, Port Campbell had a population of 372. At the 2006 census, Port Campbell had a population of 599.
The town now serves tourists visiting the Twelve Apostles and the Port Campbell National Park, as well as maintaining a small cray fishing community
