Sorrento, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Sorrento is a township in Victoria
, Australia, located on the shores of Port Phillip
on the Mornington Peninsula
, about one and a half hours south of Melbourne
. It is a largely upper-class, seaside resort area, but is also a quiet seaside township in the off-peak months of the year.
in Sorrento became the site of Victoria's first European settlement
.
Due to a lack of fresh water the settlement was short lived and subsequently moved to Hobart in Tasmania. Victoria's first magistrates' court
, public hospital
, postal service
and government printing office were established in Sorrento. The first Victorian wedding, christening and funeral services were held at Sullivans Bay.
The first settlement site overlooking Sullivans Bay includes graves believed to be of first settlers.
Sorrento Post Office opened on 10 January 1871.
A horse and steam powered tram which ran between the foreshore and the back beach opened in 1890 and closed in 1920.
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.
Sorrento has regular bus routes and a vehicular ferry, Peninsula Searoad Transport, operates an hourly service between Sorrento and Queenscliff
.
The Sorrento Park, established in 1870, contains a variety of trees, including an Aleppo Pine
grown from the seed of the Lone Pine
of Gallipoli
.
who won the flag in 2008 and 2010.
The Sorrento Cricket Club, coached by former Melbourne CC player and guru Nic Davern, competes in the Provincial Division of the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association, having won the District Division in 2005/2006.
Golfers play at the course of the Sorrento Golf Club on Langford Road.
released a song "Sorrento Moon (I Remember)
" in 1995. The song is about Arena's childhood memories of summers past with her family at Sorrento beach in Victoria, Australia.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia, located on the shores of Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
on the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
, about one and a half hours south of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. It is a largely upper-class, seaside resort area, but is also a quiet seaside township in the off-peak months of the year.
History
In 1803, 30 years before the founding of Melbourne, Sullivan BaySullivan Bay, Victoria
Sullivan Bay lies 60 km due south of Melbourne on Port Phillip, one kilometre east of Sorrento, Victoria. It was established as a short-lived convict settlement in 1803 by Lieutenant Colonel David Collins. The site was chosen because of its strategic location near the entrance of the Bay...
in Sorrento became the site of Victoria's first European settlement
History of Victoria
This article describes the history of the Australian state of Victoria.-Aboriginal history:The state of Victoria was originally home to many indigenous nations that had occupied the land for tens of thousands of years...
.
Due to a lack of fresh water the settlement was short lived and subsequently moved to Hobart in Tasmania. Victoria's first magistrates' court
Magistrates' Court
A magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions...
, public hospital
Public hospital
A public hospital or government hospital is a hospital which is owned by a government and receives government funding. This type of hospital provides medical care free of charge, the cost of which is covered by the funding the hospital receives....
, postal service
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
and government printing office were established in Sorrento. The first Victorian wedding, christening and funeral services were held at Sullivans Bay.
The first settlement site overlooking Sullivans Bay includes graves believed to be of first settlers.
Sorrento Post Office opened on 10 January 1871.
A horse and steam powered tram which ran between the foreshore and the back beach opened in 1890 and closed in 1920.
Today
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 Mechanics' Institute, SorrentoMechanics' Institute, Sorrento
The Mechanics' Institute, Sorrento is a building classified by the National Trust of Australia and located at 827 Melbourne Road, Sorrento, Victoria, Australia....
was built in 1877 using local limestone and the building, which is now classified by the National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
, houses the Nepean Historical Society's museum.
Sorrento has regular bus routes and a vehicular ferry, Peninsula Searoad Transport, operates an hourly service between Sorrento and Queenscliff
Queenscliff, Victoria
Queenscliff is a small town on the Bellarine Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia, south of Swan Bay at the entrance to Port Phillip. It is the administrative centre for the Borough of Queenscliffe...
.
The Sorrento Park, established in 1870, contains a variety of trees, including an Aleppo Pine
Aleppo Pine
Pinus halepensis, commonly known as the Aleppo Pine, is a pine native to the Mediterranean region. Their range extends from Morocco and Spain north to southern France, Italy and Croatia, and east to Greece and northern Tunisia, and Libya, with an outlying population in Syria, Lebanon, southern...
grown from the seed of the Lone Pine
Lone Pine (tree)
The Lone Pine was the name given to a solitary tree on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, which marked the site of the Battle of Lone Pine in 1915...
of Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
.
Sport
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football LeagueMornington Peninsula Nepean Football League
The Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League is an Australian rules football competition, governed by the Victorian Country Football League. The MPNFL contains teams near the south eastern region of Victoria, Australia...
who won the flag in 2008 and 2010.
The Sorrento Cricket Club, coached by former Melbourne CC player and guru Nic Davern, competes in the Provincial Division of the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association, having won the District Division in 2005/2006.
Golfers play at the course of the Sorrento Golf Club on Langford Road.
Trivia
Australian singer Tina ArenaTina Arena
Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena is an Australian singer, songwriter and musical theatre actress. She has won several awards, most notably 6 ARIA Awards and in both 1996 and 2000 she received the World Music Award for the world's best selling Australian artist...
released a song "Sorrento Moon (I Remember)
Sorrento Moon (I Remember)
"Sorrento Moon " is a song written by Tina Arena, David Tyson and Christopher Ward for Arena's second album Don't Ask . The song is about Arena's childhood memories of summers past with her family at Sorrento beach in Victoria, Australia...
" in 1995. The song is about Arena's childhood memories of summers past with her family at Sorrento beach in Victoria, Australia.
External links
- Sorrento - Official state tourism site
- Sorrento Museum and Heritage Gallery
- Watts Cottage