Sorrento, Victoria
Sorrento is a town on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, located within the Shire of Mornington Peninsula local government area. It is south-west of Melbourne's central business district. Sorrento recorded a population of 2,013 at the 2021 census. Sorrento is known for its appealing weather, limestone buildings, and its world-class day-spas, which take advantage of the local water pressure to provide an unparalelled scrub.
It is thought that the name "Sorrento" was conferred upon what was known as Sullivans Bay when the area was first opened for housing development in 1869.
History
The Boonwurrung people occupied the area now known as the Mornington Peninsula for tens of thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. The area now known as Sorrento is traditionally known to the Boonwurrung as Bullanatoolong.In February 1802, Lieutenant John Murray of led the first British force to enter Port Phillip Bay. Murray chose to anchor Lady Nelson off what is now known as Sorrento Beach. On 17 February the crew landed ashore and were greeted by about 18 local Boonwurrung. The crew, with their dinners in hand, showed how they ate bread. While one of the crew was handing out bread to everyone, they were ambushed. In response, several Boonwurrung were shot at by musket fire, with three receiving likely mortal wounds. Murray then ordered grapeshot and round shot to be fired from the carronades aboard the ship at the fleeing men. This occurred at a place Murray named Bowen's Point which is now referred to as the Western Sister headland on the Sorrento foreshore. After exploring the southern part of the bay, Murray formally took possession of the area on 8 March 1802 for King George III of Great Britain in a small ceremony at a place now known as the Point King Foreshore Reserve in Sorrento. A few days later Murray sailed out of the heads and returned to Sydney.
In 1803, the British returned and established a convict settlement under the command of Lieutenant Governor David Collins at the Eastern Sister headland of Sullivan Bay in Sorrento. The site became the first British settlement on mainland Australia outside of the Sydney region. Within a few months, the settlement of around 500 people was abandoned and subsequently moved to Hobart in Tasmania. The famous convict, William Buckley, escaped from the Collins Settlement and went on to live with Aboriginal people in the Geelong area for over thirty years.
The Collins Settlement in Sorrento saw the first magistrates' court, public hospital, postal service and government printing office to be established in the region later known as Victoria. The first Victorian wedding, christening and funeral services were also held at the Sullivan Bay site.
Sorrento Post Office opened on 10 January 1871; the heritage-listed Sorrento Post Office building dates from 1904 to 1905.
From the 1870's actor and entrepreneur George Coppin who had a holiday home there invested heavily in making Sorrento a popular destination, through both transportation and accommodation. In 1874 he founded the Sorrento-Queenscliff Steam Navigation Company, which operated the paddle steamer Golden Crown between Port Melbourne, Sorrento and Queenscliff, making the town much more accessible, and built the Continental Hotel in 1875 on what was then called Ocean Amphitheatre Road. Then in 1889 he founded a company that built a steam powered tram which ran between the ferry terminal and the back beach, where he built a large hotel, the Back Beach Palace, in 1890. The tram operated in the summer months, and out of peak periods became a horse tram, the line eventually closing in 1921. Through his efforts the town became a popular destination, with more hotels and holiday homes, sometimes quite grand, built into the early 20th century, as well as shops lining Ocean Beach Road.
The town has a number of grand historic homes and hotels which date back to the 1860s, almost all of which have been constructed with local limestone. The Australia ICOMOS charter for the conservation of places of cultural significance in the practice of local heritage protection has listed 30 properties. Mechanics' Institute, Sorrento was built in 1877 using local limestone and the building, which is now classified by the National Trust of Australia, houses the Nepean Historical Society's museum. Other notable limestone buildings still standing include: Sorrento Hotel, Anglican Church, Athenaeum Theatre, Continental Hotel, Whitehall Guest House. The Koonya Hotel and Morgans were built by the Skelton/Clark family. The sandstone Presbyterian Church was built around 1880. Ophir House, opposite the Masonic Lodge on Cooper Street was a smaller version of Whitehall.
The Sorrento Park, established in 1870, contains a variety of trees, including an Aleppo Pine grown from a seed of the Lone Pine of Gallipoli. Situated above the beach and overlooking the bay, Sorrento Park has a children's playground, BBQ facilities, and public toilets.
The town continues to be a popular destination, with regular ferry services to Portsea and Queenscliff.
Population
In the 2016 census, there were 1,592 people in Sorrento. 78.0% of people were born in Australia and 86.8% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 29.0%, Catholic 24.7% and Anglican 19.3%.Tourist attractions
Charter fishing boats operate from Sorrento Pier. A regular ferry service links Sorrento with Queenscliff 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Restaurants and shops line the main street, Ocean Beach road.Sport
The town has an Australian Rules football team, The Sorrento Sharks, competing in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League before winning flags in the PFA in 1929 and 1933, then the MPFL in 1935, 1953, 1964, 1969, 1979, 1980 then the MPNFL in 2004, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012.The Sorrento Cricket Club competes in the Provincial Division of the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association. Its first and only Provincial First XI premiership was 1971/72. Forty years on, the seniors had their next opportunity in a Provincial Grand Final losing to rivals Baxter in 2011/12. Season 2012/13 looked promising with the inclusion of ex-Victorian batsman Nick Jewell who scored 3 centuries before the Christmas interval, going on to win the Club Championship with 706 runs and 7 catches.
The original Macfarlan Reserve pavilion was erected in 1935 with a terraced grandstand upstairs. It was demolished and completely rebuilt in 1984 and re-opened as the Robert Keegan pavilion in 1985. Several balconies have been added since. Plans exist to add a gymnasium when funds are available.
The Sorrento Tennis Club originally occupied the land beside the Museum and is a sunken garden today. It was relocated to its current site in the 1960s followed by the Scout Hall and fire track a decade or so later. Netball courts, a skate park and basketball stadium followed creating a single sports complex together with the lawn bowls rinks.
Golfers play at the course of the Sorrento Golf Club on Langford Road.