Sorrento Today
Always a favoured destination with visitors and holiday makers, Sorrento's mix of
natural attractions, seaside charm, casual sophistication and historic flavour are a winning combination.
Sorrento, Portsea and Blairgowrie all offer a wonderful array of seaside attractions providing inspirational
opportunities for getting away from it all!
A mecca for water sports enthusiasts, from sailing and snorkelling, to swimming with
the seals and dolphins. Sorrento is also perfectly placed for exploration of the other Peninsula on the Bay,
Queenscliff just a short and enjoyable ferry trip across the Bay on the Queenscliff Car & Passenger Ferry
or the 'Nepean' Passenger Ferry.
These days Sorrento can be reached by car within 90 minutes from the heart of Melbourne
rather than a day's voyage. The Southern Peninsula is blessed with the best stretch of north facing beaches in
Australia, providing an incredible venue for swimming, snorkelling, scuba-diving, water skiing and of course the
International drawcard Swimming with the Dolphins!
19th Century buildings of local quarried limestone line the chic Ocean Beach Road,
housing elegant eateries, boutiques, galleries and specialists shops offering boutique clothing, health &
beauty products & services, home wares & gifts, beach & surf fashions, books and crafted jewellery.
Most visitors start with a leisurely cafe latte on the famous Sorrento strip where they can launch
themselves onto the wonderful mix of these unique Sorrento shops.
From the quiet front beach to the spectacular amphitheatre of the ocean beach everything
is within walking distance.
The rugged coastline offers everything from patrolled surf beaches at Sorrento and Portsea
ocean reserves, to the safe playground of Port Phillip Bay where children can safely play in the shallows.
Sorrento is a seaside town with few equals in Australia.
Nepean Historical Society Museum Old Melbourne Road
Coppins Walk and Lookout Ocean Beach Road
Sorrento Park & Adventure Playground Pt. Nepean Road
Queenscliff - Sorrento Passenger Ferry departs hourly from the Sorrento Pier
or explore further afield across the Mornington Peninsula
Sorrento & Portsea - A slice of history
The southern Peninsula has been Melbourne's playground since the 1800's and the area is rich with
historic attractions, from the first settlement Site at Sorrento's entrance, to the Museum on Old Melbourne
Road and the fortifications of Point Nepean Park at Portsea.
The cradle of Victoria's First settlement was in 1803, in Sorrento. 30 years before the founding of Melbourne.
It was here in Sorrento that Victoria's first European settlement was established.
The settlement was short lived due to the lack of fresh water resources. Sullivans Bay was the site of the first
magistrate's court, first public hospital, first postal service and the first government printing office. The first
wedding, christening and funeral service were held in Sullivan's Bay. It was also the home of a camp of soldiers
and convicts.
The first settlement site overlooking Sullivans Bay includes the graves of the first settlers.
In 1835, when the Tasmanian founders of Victoria bought their flocks across Bass Strait in search of new pastures
they were greeted by a 'wild white man' William Buckley, convict and escapee from the original Sullivans Bay
Settlement whom had been living with Aboriginal friends and families in the western area of Port Phillip.
Sorrento's more illustrious rise to fame as a seaside escape for Melbourne's rich and famous came about in the
1870's.
George Coppin 'The Father of Sorrento' led a colourful life including stints as an actor. G.S. Coppin was a prime
mover in the development of Sorrento. His theatrical talents were considerable but as an entrepreneur he left an
indelible mark on the seaside town. The land that Carmel of Sorrento was built on was owned by owned by George
Coppin in 1876. A copy of the land title is mounted in the entrance hallway of Carmel of Sorrento Bed & Breakfast
and self contained units.
It was George Coppin's recognition and subsequent promotion of the special atmosphere of Sorrento that shot it to
prominence as Victoria's most fashionable seaside resort town during the late 19th century.
Coppin was not only involved in land sales, but also encouraged the development of paddle steamers links between
the capital of Victoria and even a small steam train to transport visitors to the area from the Bay beach jetty to the
Ocean Beach. By the late 1890's numerous guest houses, hotels and public buildings that still grace the main street had
been built from the high quality limestone of the district.
Coppin's legacy remaines in the elegant buildings that grace the main street (Ocean Beach Road) and headlands of the
Bay foreshore.
The Coppin Era (Period 1870 - 1921)
In the early 1860's Sir Charles Gavin Duffy took up land in Sorrento, and in time other professional men built their
seaside residences here. J.D. Tayton built many of the homes in Sorrento such as the property now known as Ocean Beach
Sorrento Bed & Breakfast at 200 Ocean Beach Road and his office at 150 Ocean Beach Road now known as Kraftwerkz
Jewellery.
However, when the Hon. George Selth Coppin (also a Parliamentarian) with his ability to quickly grasp the possibilities
of the unique marine attractions and historical associations of the Mornington Peninsula, used his talents for organisation
and promotion together, with his power to inject his enthusiasm into others, a rapid transition from a fishing village and
erstwhile limeburning village into a bustling seaside resort took place.
In 1870 he chartered a paddle steamer to bring a party of Melbourne's businessmen to Sorrento in order to demonstrate
to them the possibilities for development. Point King become a featured spot again, as the paddle steamer ran aground there,
the party being landed in rowing boats. They were then transported in horse cabs, previously arrange for by Coppin,, over a
rough track to the Back Beach and were introduced to the Ocean 'Amphitheatre' so named by him. (Ocean Beach Road was
previously known as Ocean Amphitheatre Road.
He gained their support, resulting in the floatation of the Ocean Amphitheatre Co. which bought a strip of land, erected
several cottages and later built the Continental Hotel (which still stands) and other houses. It is of interest to note that
a cottage with four rooms, kitchen, laundry and servants' quarters could be purchased on terms of 6 per cent for an outlay
of 600 pounds.
In 1871, a government census showed that Sorrento, including Portsea had 22 occupied houses with 98 inhabitants and Rye
had 14 occupied houses with 69 inhabitants.
Fort Nepean, Port Nepean, Mornington Peninsula
Built in 1882, Fort Nepean was in service until the end of World War Two. In all that time it fired just 2 shots in anger.
Today you can explore the tunnels leading to the gun emplacements and bunkers and inspect the cemetery. You can also see
Cheviot Beach where Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared in 1967 and the Rip, the treacherous divide between Point Nepean
and Point Lonsdale.
Tour the old fortifications at the tip of Mornington Peninsula. Listen to their history in a bomb proof room. Every day
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The Quarantine Station, Portsea, Mornington Peninsula
Located at Portsea this is another of Victoria's hidden secrets established in 1852 to protect the State against disease
from foreign shores. Guided tours of approx. 1 hour include a leisurely walk around the historic buildings with time to
browse through the Museum, annex, and view the varied displays of artefacts covering over 100 years of the Quarantine Station
Operation. Enquiries: 5984 0062.
