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| Port Phillip
Bay beach at Sorrento
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Sorrento (including Blairgowrie)
Attractive seaside resort destination on Port
Phillip Bay
Sorrento is a popular and attractive seaside
settlement of 1500 people located 91 km
south-west of Melbourne, near the western tip of
the Mornington Peninsula. In summer it is
transformed from a relatively quiet village to a
frenetic and fashionable holiday resort.
Sorrento offers good beaches, some excellent
scenic walks, a range of accommodation, historic
buildings and sites, dolphin-watching cruises
and ferry trips across to Queenscliff. As is the
case with many seaside resorts, the main street
has a casual playful feel and it boasts a number
of shops designed to attract the leisure time
(and money) of holidaymakers - pubs, bistros,
coffee shops, restaurants, pancake parlours,
ice-creameries, sidewalk cafes, boutiques and
galleries.
Middens on the cliff tops indicate that
Aborigines used the area on a seasonal basis for
hundreds if not thousands of years before the
arrival of Europeans.
The newly-created Union Jack was raised for
the first time in Australia at Point King, 2 km
west of present-day Sorrento, in 1802, to claim
the land for the British. This occurred during a
25-day exploration of Port Phillip Bay by
Lieutenant Murray and party in the Lady Nelson.
They were quickly followed by Matthew Flinders
who mistook Port Phillip Bay for Western Port
and only discovered his mistake after climbing
Arthurs Seat (see entry on Dromana).
Two French ships were also exploring the
southern waters at this time and Governor King
dispatched Charles Grimes and Charles Robbins to
Port Phillip Bay to investigate the possibility
of setting up a settlement to forestall French
claims to any part of the continent. Other
motives were to establish a base for the fishing
industry and to provide timber and flax to the
Royal Navy which had been depleted by the
Napoleonic Wars.
Three months after Grimes and Robbins entered
Port Phillip, Lieutenant-Governor David Collins
left England in April 1803 as the head of a
party which consisted of two ships, 308
convicts, 51 marines, 17 free settlers, 12 civil
officers, a missionary and his wife and a set of
supplies. They arrived in October to set up the
first European settlement in what is now
Victoria. The convicts were aged between 9 and
57 years. They were chiefly English and most had
been convicted of larceny. The 11-year-old son
of one of the convicts was John Pascoe Fawkner
who became a founder of Melbourne in 1835.
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| Children
playing on the pier at Sorrento
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Collins chose Sullivan Bay because it was
strategically located near the entrance to the
bay. Land was cleared and crops were planted but
problems arose. The European discovery of the
Yarra River had occurred before Collins left
England but word of the find did not arrive
until after his departure. Consequently it
proved difficult to secure fresh water (brackish
water was obtained by sinking perforated barrels
into the sands of Sullivan Bay and Camerons
Bight, above high-water mark). Scouting parties
had limited success at obtaining timber for the
navy, the dangerous entrance to Port Phillip Bay
rendered the site unsuitable as a whaling base
and some of the marines were recalled to England
to fight a new war with France, leaving the
settlement vulnerable to the possibilities of
French or Aboriginal attack. Collins heard
reports of fine timbered and well-watered
country in Van Diemans Land and so, in January
1804, he moved most of the convicts and settlers
and half the remaining marines across Bass
Strait and established Hobart. The last men were
removed from the Mornington Peninsula in May.
The seven months at Sullivan Bay had
witnessed the first white birth, christening,
funeral, marriage service, school lesson,
stonemasonry, postal service, public hospital,
magistrate's court, water supply and government
printing press in what is now Victoria. During
that period three convicts, including one
William Buckley, escaped. They made their way to
the other side of Port Phillip Bay but
starvation loomed and they tried unsuccessfully
to signal the settlement. Buckley's companions
then attempted a return but were never heard
from again. Buckley himself continued on to the
western side of the bay where he was discovered
by the Wathawurung people who thought he was a
reincarnation of a dead tribal chief. He learned
their language and customs, married, had a
daughter and lived on the Bellarine Peninsula
until 1835 when he allegedly overheard the
Aborigines plotting to attack a party of whites
at Indented Head (see entry on
Portarlington). He gave himself up to the
party of John Wedge who had followed in the wake
of John Batman. It was some time before he
regained enough English to communicate his
experiences. He received a pardon and acted as
an intermediary and interpreter between the
whites and Aborigines but he was divided in his
loyalties and felt he lacked the trust of both
sides. Disillusioned he went to Tasmania,
obtained employment, married and later received
a government pension.
The first grazier in the area established a
pastoral run between Boneo and Point Nepean in
1837. Others soon followed and, in the late
1830s, the development of Melbourne caused a
great demand for limestone which was used by
builders to cement stone blocks together.
Limestone was plentiful on the peninsula and
seven kilns were set up, chiefly at Point King.
The natural vegetation was cleared and burnt in
these kilns and today's tea-tree emerged in its
stead.
In 1872, George Coppin, a theatrical
entrepreneur and member of the Victorian
Legislative Council who saw the potential of the
area as a summer retreat for Melburnians. He
established the Sorrento Ocean Amphitheatre
Company which sold off allotments of land and
'developed' the scenic beauty of the area. He
built seaside villas, the Continental Hotel
(1875), the mechanics' institute (1876-77), a
pier, sea baths (1875) and he was responsible
for naming the settlement after the Italian
resort town. In the late 1880s Coppin
established a paddlesteamer company to
facilitate access to Sorrento and he set up a
tramway from Sorrento to the ocean beach which
was pulled by steam locomotive in the day and,
in the morning and evening, by horse. On the
ocean beach he built a rotunda lined with murals
and a walking track along the cliff line with
seats and viewing areas.
Given its location it is not surprising that
in the subsequent century Sorrento has continued
along the holiday-making path laid down for it
by Coppin. The Sorrento Craft Market is held on
the fourth Saturday of the month from September
to April. The Sorrento Art Festival is held in
January and the Sorrento Street Festival in
March.
Things to see:
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Tourist Information and Charters
The Sorrento Information Centre is located at 2
St Aubins Way tel: (03) 5984 5678. It is open
from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily.
Portsea Yacht Charters
The best way to experience the beauty of Port
Phillip Bay and the exciting waters of the
Victorian coastline is to take a cruise with
Portsea Yacht Charters who run a variety of one
day, overnight and extended cruises starting
from the Portsea-Sorrento area. This is an
outstanding way to experience the harbour. As
Portsea Yacht Charters put it "Have you ever
wanted to sail the Sorrento - Portsea coast on a
luxury forty foot yacht? Or to moor off a quiet
Portsea cove for a gourmet lunch and a bottle of
chilled sav blanc whilst dolphins play around
the yacht? Or visit the historic South Channel
Fort, or glide silently by Point Nepean National
Park whilst you enjoy a cold glass of Domain
Chandon? If so, we would love to have you
aboard."
Other Charters
A number of operators offer fishing trips,
sightseeing cruises, trips to South Channel
Fort, dolphin and seal-watching excursions and
dolphin-swim cruises on the bay. All depart from
Sorrento Pier. The dolphin season is from
October to May with sightseeing tours continuing
through winter. Polperro Dolphin Swims also
offer sightseeing cruises and historical tours.
They depart from Sorrento Pier at 8.30 a.m. and
1.30 p.m. or at other times by arrangement.
Bookings are essential, tel: (03) 5988 8437.
Another outfit offering dolphin swims is
Moonraker Charters, which also offer private
charters, sightseeing and fishing tours and
diving experiences with quality gear and a fully
qualified divemaster and lifesaver, tel: (03)
5984 4211. All dolphin operators take in the
seal colonies of the area. Rip Charters ( tel:
03 5984 3664) and Proline (tel: 0429 846 279)
also offer fishing charters while Sorrento
Charters conduct a boat-charter service, tel:
(0418) 354 250.
The Foreshore Reserve and Bay Beach
The Foreshore Reserve, adjacent the Nepean
Highway, is an attractive site overlooking Port
Phillip Bay. There is a pier, a cycling track, a
kiosk, picnic-barbecue facilities, a playground
and other amenities. A boat ramp is located
nearby in St Aubins Way. The bay beach has calm
waters and is popular with families.
Nepean Historical Museum
The Nepean Historical Museum, at the corner of
Melbourne and Ocean Beach Rds, is located in the
old Classical Revival mechanics' institute,
built of limestone with a stuccoed porch in
1876-77. The collection includes a water cask
from the original 1803 Collins' Settlement,
19th-century domestic and vintage sartorial
items, photographs, documents, Aboriginal
artefacts, shipwreck relics and other
memorabilia. A Victorian-style sunken garden has
been established around the museum. Watts
Cottage (1869) is an example of the early homes
of the European settlers. They are open every
weekend, public and school holidays from 1.30
p.m. to 4.30 p.m. for a small fee. Guided tours
are conducted by prior arrangement for an
additional charge, tel: (03) 5984 0255. Visit
their website:
www.nepeanhistoricalsociety.asn.au
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| St John's
Anglican Church |
Historic Limestone Buildings
The town has some other historic limestone
buildings, notably its hotels - the Sorrento
(1871) at 5 Hotham Rd, the Continental (1875) on
Ocean Beach Rd, and the Koonya (1878) at 1 The
Esplanade.
Hindson House, at 3440 Nepean Highway, is a
two-storey limestone Classical Revival house
built as a holiday home for a magistrate in the
1870s. The delicate verandah is a highlight. The
projecting bay and castellated tower are later
additions.
St John's Church of England, also on the
Nepean Highway, was built to a Gothic design in
stages between 1874 and 1911.
Sorrento Marine Oceanarium
The Marine Aquarium, at 2 St Aubins Way, is open
daily from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Aside from
panelled glass displays it offers a live seal
show with a feeding every day, at midday, except
Tuesday, tel: (03) 5984 4478. It has been closed
for renovations so make sure you check whether
it has reopened. If it has, please let us know
so this warning can be removed from Walkabout.
Galleries and Antique Shops
There are a number of commercial art galleries
on Ocean Beach Rd. The Sand Castle Gallery is at
no.69 (tel: 5984 4967), the Antipodes Gallery at
no.138 (tel: 03 5984 4217), the First Settlement
Gallery at no.141 (tel: 03 5984 2380) and the
House of Kraftwerkz at no.152 (tel: 03 5984
1287). Marlene Miller Antiques is at 120 Ocean
Beach Rd, tel: (03) 5984 1762.
Sorrento Mini-Golf and Video Games
Family holiday entertainment is provided by
Sorrento Mini-Golf and Video Games at 155 Ocean
Beach Rd. They are open from 9.00 a.m.
throughout the school holidays, tel: (03) 5984
0377.
Sorrento Hardware Museum
Also in Ocean Beach Rd is Sorrento Timber and
Hardware which has a museum section with antique
tools, tel: (03) 5984 2247.
Collins Settlement Historic Site
The Collins Settlement Historic Site (see
introduction for details) commemorates the first
European settlement in Victoria which was
established here in October 1803 under
Lieutenant-Governor David Collins. It consisted
of 308 convicts, 51 marines, 17 free settlers,
12 civil officers, a missionary and his wife.
They had been sent from England principally out
of fear that the French, who had been exploring
the area, might establish their own settlement
and thereby challenge British 'rights' to the
continent.
The huts and tents of Collins, the chaplain,
mineralogist and surveyor were located on the
eastern headland of the bay with some free
settlers' huts just inland. The commissary,
convicts, marines' quarters and parade ground
were on the flat behind Sullivan Bay and the
surgeons camped adjacent the hospital at the
foot of the western headland.
Collins chose Sullivan Bay because it was
strategically located near the entrance to the
bay. However, problems, including a scarcity of
fresh water, arose and the site proved
incompatible with the goals of the settlement (a
base for whaling and timbergetting). Thus, by
May 1804, the settlement had moved to Van
Diemans Land.
The seven months at Sullivan Bay had
witnessed the first white birth, christening,
funeral, marriage service, school lesson,
stonemasonry, postal service, public hospital,
magistrate's court, water supply and government
printing press in what is now Victoria.
The landscaped and wooded grove on the
eastern headland contains four grave sites which
are thought to contain the bodies of the 30
people who died during the settlement's
existence.
A path connects the garden to an information
centre which has displays relating to the
settlement, including the staves of the
perforated water barrels which the settlers sank
into the sand to obtain brackish drinking water.
The opening hours are from 1.00 p.m. to 4.30
p.m. In the school holidays and on public
holidays this pertains on a daily basis. From
November to March it is also open weekends and,
from April to October, it is open Thursdays and
Sundays, tel: (03) 5984 1080. Nearby is a
commemorative monument.
The site is located just east of Sorrento on
the eastern headland of Sullivan Bay. Just
follow Point Nepean Road east from Sorrento
(back towards Melbourne) and you will very soon
come to a turnoff on the left into Leggett Way
which leads to the information centre.
Back towards Sorrento an 'Historic Site' sign
heads off Point Nepean Road towards Sullivan
Bay. It leads to a picnic area which was
originally the settlement's parade ground.
Koonya Beach
Koonya Beach faces out to the ocean just to the
east of Sorrento Ocean Beach. It can be reached
by turning off Point Nepean Road into Hughes Rd
(just east of Sorrento) and following it to its
end.
Back Beach Foreshore Track
Koonya Beach is the starting point for the Back
Beach Foreshore Walk (3 km return) which was
constructed in the 1890s as a lifesaving track
after two bad shipwrecks. It heads west past the
rock formation known as Dogs Head to St Paul's
Lookout which offers views over the Bay of
Islands. A side track leads down to St Paul's
Beach. The main track continues on past Diamond
Bay to join up with the Coppin Track at Jubilee
Point (see next entry).
Sorrento Ocean Beach and Coppins Track
Sorrento Ocean Beach is a surfing beach with
rock pools which lies at the end of Ocean Beach
Rd. Surf and rock fishing are popular in the
area. George Coppin, who put much energy (and
money) into developing Sorrento and promoting it
as a holiday destination, established a
steamship service connecting Sorrento and
Queenscliff and he set up a tramway (drawn by
horse and locomotive) from Sorrento to the ocean
beach where he built a rotunda and the walking
track.
Coppins Track (3 km return) starts at
Sorrento Ocean Beach carpark and meanders
eastwards through a section of the Mornington
Peninsula National Park, along the rugged
coastal cliff line, past offshore rock stacks,
an ancient Aboriginal midden, sand dunes,
coastal vegetation, St Paul's Beach and Jubilee
Point which offers views east to Cape Schanck
and west to the Otways.
A pamphlet is available from Parks Victoria
which has explanatory notes relating to numbered
pegs along the walk, tel: 131 963.
The Coastal Walk
It is also possible to continue west from
Sorrento Ocean Beach to Portsea Back Beach and
on to London Bridge via the Farnsworth Track
(see entry on Portsea). The entire section from
London Bridge to Koonya Beach is part of the
Coastal Walk (28 km) which connects London
Bridge and Cape Schanck. The route is denoted by
orange markers with blue signs to indicate
departure points for circuit tracks to
interesting sites. However, east of Rye Beach
the landscape tends to be more rugged and the
walks are not so well marked. Passage along the
walking trail may be blocked at high tide so it
is advisable to check tidal patterns before
starting.
In all the walk would take most people at
least two days to complete but, as there are
about 30 access points to the coastal strip
(largely from back roads which radiate out from
Point Nepean Rd), it is possible to explore any
given sub-section.
The journey takes in jagged cliffs,
interesting rock formations, tidal rock pools,
sand dunes, spectacular views, dense coastal
scrub and some well-known, beautiful and rugged
beaches such as Blairgowrie, Rye, St Andrews and
Gunnamatta. Note, however, that these beaches
can be very dangerous. Consequently, swimming
and surfing are not encouraged, except at the
surf life-saving clubs which operate at Portsea
and Gunnamatta in summer. Ocean fishing can be
pursued along the coast. If you bring a pair of
binoculars you may see, out in Bass Strait,
short-tailed shearwaters from September to May
and, in winter, giant petrels and albatrosses.
A comprehensive colour brochure with maps and
interesting information, called 'Discovering the
Peninsula', is on sale from Parks Victoria (tel:
131 963) or the Parks Visitor Centre at Point
Nepean, tel: (03) 5984 4276.
Queenscliff-Sorrento Ferries
Peninsula Searoad Transport offers a
car-and-passenger ferry service to Queenscliff
on the Bellarine Peninsula. It carries up to 80
vehicles and 700 passengers per trip, which
lasts 40 minutes. It departs from both Sorrento
pier and from Queenscliff every hour, on the
hour, from 7.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m., tel: (03)
5258 3244. The trip takes 40 minutes and the
cost, for vehicles is $36 one-way, with an extra
charge of $3 per adult and $2 per child within
said vehicle. For foot passengers, traveling one
way, the cost is $7 for adults and $5 for
children. Return fairs are ouble the one-way
cost. The website is www.searoad.com.au
The Sorrento Ferry Co. carries passengers to
and from Sorrento and Queenscliff with a stop
in-between at Portsea. It also takes time out
for some dolphin-watching. The two-hour trip
operates daily from 26 December to 23 April and
also in the September school holidays. From the
beginning of November to Christmas Day it
operates on weekends only. The rest of the year
it is inoperative. It departs from Sorrento pier
and stops at Portsea at 9.00 a.m., 11.00 a.m.,
1.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m. In February only there
is a 5.00 p.m. service. For a one-way trip to
Queenscliff, the cost is $8 for adults, $7 for
pensioners and $6 for children. The return fair
is$14 for adults, $12 for pensioners and $11 for
children. Return family tickets (two adults and
two children) are $45. Tickets are purchased on
board the ferry. For daily service information,
call (03) 5984 1602 after 8.00 a.m. or call the
ferry direct on (0408) 545 714. Special
dolphin-watching cruises operate hourly on
Easter Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The website
is www.sorrentoferryco.com.au
Blairgowrie
Blairgowrie is another seaside holiday area on
the northern edge of the peninsula, 4 km
south-east of Sorrento. It has a small shopping
centre with quality shops, a large yacht club
which offers training in sailing (tel: 03 5988
8453), a range of accommodation and a shallow
family beach which is ideal for sailboarding.
Once known as Sorrento East, it has become an
independent entity since development proceeded
in the 1950s. The Blairgowrie Street Festival is
held in July.
Visitors may like to try the
Blairgowrie-Bridgewater Walk (2 km return),
which starts from the St John's Wood Rd car
park. It overlooks a rugged bay and returns via
a coastal track. The Blairgowrie-Rye
Recreational Track is well-made and
well-maintained. It follows the bay foreshore
through an understorey of coastal tea-tree,
banksia and other native vegetation and can be
extended through Rosebud and Dromana. Incomplete
sections mean you occasionally have to go via
the beach or road.
The Aspects Gallery at Blairgowrie sells
Australian crafts, arts and gifts and it is open
daily from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. between
November and April and in the school and public
holidays. From May to October it is open from
Thursday to Monday, from 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
The gallery is located at 2843 Pt Nepean Rd, tel:
(03) 5988 8876.
The Bayplay Adventure Centre is located at 46
Canterbury Jetty Rd, tel: (03) 5988 0188.
Anglers at Blairgowrie may be interested in
Jillian Fishing Trips, tel: (03) 5988 9638.
South Channel Fort
The South Channel Fort is a small artificial
island 5.7 km offshore. Work began on the
construction of the island in 1879 when about 14
000 tons of bluestone rocks (mostly weighing
over two tons each) were laid in a ring. The
foundations for a similar construction, known as
the Pope's Eye, were laid to the west. Both were
intended to illuminate (with searchlights) and
stand guard over the main route through the
shoals to Melbourne and to electrically detonate
a series of sub-aquatic mines. Work on both
projects was halted at the outset of the 1880s
and the Pope's Eye never got any further. It is
now home to a seal colony.
Fears of a Russian invasion led, in 1885, to
the construction of numerous coastal defence
works around Australia. As part of that
enterprise, work recommenced on the South
Channel Fort. Two eight-inch muzzle-loading guns
were mounted with a range of 9 km. Innovative
gun mountings were installed (one has been
restored and is on display at Fort Queenscliff).
When fully manned 100 people were garrisoned at
the fort.
In the early 20th century the installation of
new and more powerful guns at Port Phillip Heads
lessened the need for the minefield and South
Channel Fort and, by 1918, only a few men were
garrisoned there. It was decommissioned after
World War II and used as a magazine and then a
weather station.
Many of the original fortifications, gun
emplacements, magazines and subterranean
passages remain intact though access is limited.
The island offers fine views and it is also a
declared sanctuary and breeding site for the
white-faced storm petrel. Owing to the fragility
of their nesting burrows visitors are restricted
to a defined network of paths. Access is via
seven companies who operate out of Sorrento and
Queenscliff. These include Moonraker Charters (tel:
03 5984 4211), the Sorrento Ferry Company (tel:
03 5984 1602), Polperro (tel: 03 5988 8437) and
Saltwater Adventures, tel: (03) 5258 4888.
