Sorrento News

17/01/2026

The 40th annual Portsea Swim is being celebrated as one of the windiest but it didn’t stop the faithful from taking the plunge🏊‍♂️

14/01/2026

5 tips so as not to be branded a twit!!

This story continues - the Beach Cabana wars taking hold of our beaches!
Here’s an interesting article from the university of NSW on 5 tips on how not to be branded a twit!!

https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2025/01/cabana-drama-5-expert-tips-on-how-not-to-be-branded-a-twit-when-using-a-beach-tent #:~:text=1.,playing%20at%20the%20water's%20edge.

13/01/2026

Here at Sorrento News we’ve had messages asking where people can drop off clothes and supplies for those affected by the bushfires. Can we have some help in recommending the best ways people can help with supplies or cash. Thanks in advance .
The following is the government website

Make a donation to support people, organisations and communities affected by the January 2026 Victorian Bushfires.

13/01/2026

It doesn’t require much space for a car to “flip.” Sirens rang out in Sorrento this afternoon when a car flipped in the carpark near the IGA.
No update on the condition of the occupants

12/01/2026

Myer Family Feud Erupts Over Historic Sorrento Estate
A high-stakes legal battle has divided one of Australia’s most famous retail dynasties over the future of a landmark Sorrento property. The dispute centres on "The Sisters," a 1.2-hectare estate at Sullivans Bay, famously known as the site of Victoria’s first European settlement in 1803.
Richard Shelmerdine, a descendant of the Myer family, is pushing for the subdivision and development of modern beach houses on the property. While the estate was originally bought in 2008 for $18.4 million to serve as a private family compound, these new plans have sparked a rift within the family and the local community.
The debate highlights a clash between private property rights and heritage preservation:
Critics argue that large-scale modern buildings will ruin the natural beauty of the Eastern Sister headland and its historical significance.
Some family members view the development as a practical way to manage the massive landholding, while others believe it betrays the family’s legacy of protecting historic assets.
The site is one of the few private parcels that reaches the high-tide mark. While the plan includes a public walkway, locals remain concerned about how the new structures will tower over the foreshore.
The matter has already seen multiple rounds at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), as the community and the Myer-Shelmerdine family wait to see if the "birthplace of Victoria" will be permanently altered by modern luxury homes.
Full story in today's Age
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/myer-family-feuds-over-plan-for-neighbouring-sorrento-beach-houses-20251218-p5not7.html

11/01/2026

Hotel Sorrento
High praise from Concrete Playground Melbourne for The new, chic Lobby bar inspired by globally recognised venues such as The Bowery Hotel in New York.

11/01/2026

And just when you thought “sign-gate” was the domain of elections comes the news of a new turf war on signage.
Prime signage on the side of the recently painted Brumby’s bakery wall in George Street has been eyed off for weeks by businesses and local organisations given its prominence and this weekend the ownership of the wall is being tested!
And Gallery Australia & with its newly opened Independent space which is home to 20 local retailers advertised on the prime wall. And’s Julie Collins said she received permission from Brumby’s and Volcano to showcase the signs.
The signs went up yesterday and were pulled down overnight with a rather nasty message.
It’s a grey area on who gives permission. Sorrento News spoke to one of Victoria’s leading commercial property agents about the situation and he said if it’s in a prominent place and the tenant doesn’t lease the entire premises then the landlord has the final say for signage on the exterior.
Either way given the high rents in Ocean Beach Road forcing small independents to come up with creative options it’s rather nasty the vigilante who took it upon themselves to return the sign with the scrawled warning.
No doubt the CCTV footage that’s being viewed will solve who the angry citizen was who ripped down the sign and in the meantime the Independents will be checking in with the landlord first thing Monday.
Signgate 2

11/01/2026

Sorrento, the song of the season!

Released by MP local Tones And I back in August 2024 in honour of her Grandfather Dave, it’s one of those songs that once you hear it again it is on repeat!

Sharing again

Provided to YouTube by Sony Music EntertainmentSorrento · Tones And IBeautifully Ordinary℗ 2024 Bad Batch RecordsReleased on: 2024-08-02Composer, Lyricist, P...

10/01/2026

Sorrento featured in the national Fairfax mastheads - a great story from journalist Gemma Grant, and familiar faces in the photos.

More than just a playground for Melbourne’s wealthy during summer, the seaside community in Sorrento still maintains a sense of coastal soul.

10/01/2026

Bay Swim 2026 is happening!

The 2026 Sorrento Bay Swim is an open water swim for swimmers of all abilities offering the following 3 courses:

● 600m - Sorrento Beach to Sorrento Foreshore for junior and novice swimmers,

● 2,000m - Sullivans Bay to Sorrento Foreshore for experienced swimmers and

● 4,000m - Camerons Bight to Sorrento Foreshore for elite swimmers.

Registration check-in will occur on arrival at the Sorrento Foreshore in the Finish Line area (near The Baths Restaurant). Swim briefings will be given in front of the Race Director’s tower in the same area. Courtesy buses will be available to transport entrants to the 2,000m and 4,000m start lines. Please arrive early to make sure you get to the start line on time!

Thanks to our on the spot photographer Berrie Brown

10/01/2026

Smoke is covering the peninsula.

Sorrento Fire Brigade - CFA advises to
shut all windows and doors if you are sensitive to smoke.

10/01/2026

Information on the smoke and ash we’re experiencing.