Sorrento, Victoria

Sorrento
Melbourne, Victoria

Sorrento Beach
Sorrento
Coordinates 38°20′20″S 144°44′27″E / 38.33889°S 144.74083°E / -38.33889; 144.74083Coordinates: 38°20′20″S 144°44′27″E / 38.33889°S 144.74083°E / -38.33889; 144.74083
Population 1,448 (2011)[1]
 • Density 207/km2 (540/sq mi)
Established 1830s
Postcode(s) 3943
Area 7 km2 (2.7 sq mi)
Location 91 km (57 mi) from Melbourne
LGA(s) Shire of Mornington Peninsula
State electorate(s) Nepean
Federal Division(s) Flinders
Suburbs around Sorrento:
Portsea Port Phillip
Sorrento
Bass Strait Blairgowrie

Sorrento is a township in Victoria, Australia, located on the shores of Port Phillip on the Mornington Peninsula, about one and a half hours by car 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. It was named by the Italian founders after the southern Italian town.

History

In 1803, 30 years before the founding of Melbourne, Sullivan Bay in Sorrento became the site of Victoria's first mainland 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 Sullivan Bay.

The first settlement site overlooking Sullivan Bay includes graves believed to be of first settlers.

Sorrento Post Office opened on 10 January 1871.[2]

A horse and steam powered tram which ran between the foreshore and the back beach opened in 1890 and closed in 1920.[3][4]

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.[5] 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 (1872), Anglican Church (1875 nave, 1889 transept), Athenaeum Theatre (1894),[6] Continental Hotel (1875), Whitehall Guest House (1904). The sandstone Presbyterian Church was built around 1880. Ophir House, opposite the Masonic Lodge, a miniature Whitehall, was replaced by contemporary units. Stringers Store and

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.[7]

Sport

The town has an Australian Rules football team, The Sorrento Sharks,[8] 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 (seniors and reserves) and 2012. Former St.Kilda footballer Troy Schwarze coached the four grand finals between 2008 to 2011, before Nick Claringbold took over for 2012 so Troy could follow his dream coaching St.Kilda's mid-fielders at their new facility in Seaford and on match days. Troy played with Sorrento in about 9 matches during 2012 when not required in the AFL, and the finals series. Ben McCormack took over the captaincy from Dave Lawson when Dave was appointed coach at Crib Point 3 years ago.

The Sorrento Cricket Club, coached by former Melbourne CC player and mystic guru Nick Davern, also known as "Tin Hat", competes in the Provincial Division of the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association, having won the Sub-District in 1989/90 and 2002/03, District Division in 2005/2006. It also won senior premierships in the Southern Peninsula Cricket Association (1922-1965) six in succession between 1946/47 and 1951/52, under Bill Clark and Arthur Robertson (3 each), then again in 1955/56 under Jack Mullen and 1957/58 under Derek Minter. Its first and only Provincial First XI premiership was 1971/72 under ex-Northcote and Collingwood player Graham Burt. 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, including an opening partnership with Jedd Falck of 205. Sadly, a second consecutive grand final appearance failed. In 2010/2011 Ryan O'Connor became the first player to win the W.B. Wedgwood medal for Sorrento but it didn't take long for the club to win another with Captain Anthony Blackwell winning in 2011/2012.

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 (Bob) 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.[9]

Trivia

Australian singer Tina Arena 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. Darbys Rock off the back beach was named after John Darbyshire who was marooned there during a king tide. Dame Nellie Melba sang to raise funds for cemetery gates which rusted over time and were taken down and dumped at the tip where they were souvenired and used as a garden ornament. Federal Senator John Button, State MP Vince Heffernan, and Dame Zara (Holt) Bate are buried in the cemetery.

References

  1. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Sorrento (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  2. ↑ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, retrieved 11 April 2008
  3. ↑ Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, December 1960 pp181-185
  4. ↑ "The Sorrento Steam Tram", TMSV Running Journal, retrieved 28 November 2010
  5. ↑ Historic buildings
  6. ↑ Victorian Heritage Database place details www.vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/report/report_place/112521
  7. ↑ http://www.mornpen.vic.gov.au/documents/other/Complete%20Amendment%20C23.pdf
  8. ↑ "Sorrento Sharks Football Club - Sorrento, Australia - Home". sorrentosharksfc.com.au. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  9. ↑ Golf Select, Sorrento, retrieved 11 May 2009
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