Sorrento News

07/12/2025

Do it for the Kids. Give the Gift of Camp

Right on our doorstep for nearly 80 years the Portsea Camp has been a sanctuary of hope for more than 80,000 children experiencing disadvantage, family instability, trauma, and social isolation across Victoria, including the Mornington Peninsula. The Portsea Camp is a place where friendships are made, challenges are conquered, hope is reclaimed and memories that last a lifetime are created.

You can give a child in need a moment of pure joy and summer adventure by giving the gift of camp this Christmas. Your tax-deductible donation today, builds a brighter more resilient future for a child tomorrow.
The Portsea Camp Sorrento Village

https://www.theportseacamp.com.au/cause/brighter-futures-for-every-child/

06/12/2025

Here’s one for the blokes at Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club for members and non-members.

06/12/2025

Going by those who were present at this lunch it was one attendees will remember for a long time, as they heard about the homeless epidemic on our Mornington Peninsula and the impactful work of the team at Southern Peninsula Community Support .
Support here - http://icareforthesouthernpeninsula.raiselysite.com

03/12/2025

Real Estate Agent Ben Everist Takes the Reins as the President of the Sorrento Chamber of Commerce.
Bringing a unique blend of local business insight and a dedication to year-round vitality, Ben is setting his sights on energising our coastal town during the traditionally quieter months.
Ben, who works with Buxton Mornington Peninsula, is invested in the region's prosperity. His life on the Peninsula, split between the bustling local real estate market and his farm in Main Ridge.
“I’m lucky enough to work right here in Sorrento. I’m passionate about community, supporting local businesses, and making this an even better place to live, work, and play,” says Ben. At home he has a menagerie that includes 8 horses, 6 sheep, 2 lambs, 2 cats, 2 dogs, and a donkey!
While Sorrento thrives during the peak summer season, Ben’s main motivation for taking on the presidential role is to bolster the business community when the crowds thin out.
Ben believes the Chamber's main purpose is to be a united voice, advocating on local issues and supporting the essential mix of independent retailers and the larger, established brands that call Sorrento home. His key focus? Aligned marketing and initiatives that encourage people to spend, stay, and enjoy the town throughout the year.
He sees a clear opportunity to engage the town’s many holiday-home owners, encouraging them to spend more time and crucially, to shop local outside of the peak seasons. This consistent visitation, he says, is essential for business stability and a stronger, more vibrant community.
Everist spends every day connecting with traders, which he calls the most rewarding part of the job. "Talking and understanding the needs of traders. Seeing what we can achieve together is incredibly rewarding."
For newcomers to Sorrento, Everist wants them to understand the town's unique character. While the mix of businesses is diverse, from local independents to national brands, they are all united by the Sorrento spirit.
"Sorrento is built on some great history and family traditions of spending time together with family and friends," he reminds us. He encourages everyone to recognise that the businesses are the backbone of the great beachside town and deserve local support.

01/12/2025

With the start of December and the rush towards Christmas Aurora Spa & Bathhouse reminds us to stop even if just for a moment to breathe and reconnect. Even better if that moment can be a little longer. The art of balance.

01/12/2025

New State Liberal Leader Jess Wilson MP announces her Shadow Cabinet with Deputy and our own Member for Nepean Sam Groth MP leaving public transport, ports and freight, and aviation portfolios to return to shadow minister for tourism, sport and major events; plus shadow minister for trade and investment.

01/12/2025

Campaign 1,000
First day of Summer and the kick off of the official Sorrento SLSC (VIC) social membership campaign.
Support the Club and its rebuild today. Join now for special discounts.

30/11/2025

Grave shortage:

Like Australia’s long-running housing crisis, high demand and land scarcity have led to another ,albeit subterranean, accommodation crunch: we’re running out of grave sites to bury our dead.

The shortage is acute here on the Mornington Peninsula.

A call today to the Sorrento Cemetry and there are no graves left to purchase but they have plenty of cremation memorials still available.

Down the road in Rye, “We’ve only got 80 spots left,” says Rye Cemetery Trust chairman Ian McBeath. “We’ll run out of space in five years. I’ve written to everyone in state government I can think of, but no one has responded.”

About 180,000 Australians die every year. About 70 per cent are cremated.

There are some short-term solutions. Most graves in Australia are now double- or even triple-depth, allowing for family members to be stacked one atop the other. But it’s hard to scale up this practice, since most families are reluctant to allow a stranger to be buried on top of grandpa. In many other sectors, private industry would step in, but most cemeteries are owned and operated by the government.

Like Australia’s housing crisis, high demand and land scarcity have led to another accommodation crunch: we’re running out of grave sites to bury our dead.

28/11/2025

The loss of a local cinema and now Sorrento is on the brink of losing its bookstore.
Antipodes has set up a go-fund me page as a last ditch effort to keep its doors open.

“When Antipodes changed hands in 2013, bookshops were widely assumed to be on the brink of extinction.
For over twenty-five years, it has been shaped by the people who walk through its doors every day—readers who feel a sense of shared ownership and pride.

However, Sorrento’s landscape is changing quickly. Each year, more small independent businesses disappear, replaced by larger national chains that can weather rising costs and shifting retail trends.

For locally owned shops, the pressure is immense: higher rents, increased competition and the loss of the intimate, community-led atmosphere that once defined the town. Without support, these unique spaces—places that give Sorrento its heart—risk fading from the landscape altogether.

With heartfelt thanks,
Jane and the Antipodes team

Donations page

I’m writing to you as valued supporters of Antipodes Bookshop… Jane McAuliffe needs your support for Help keep Antipodes Bookshop's independent literary voice

27/11/2025

The Blairgowrie Caravan Park has changed owners for the first time in 65 years.
And the good news is the new owners plan to keep the holiday destination as a Caravan Park and are already onsite investing in upgrades. Moonah Tree Capital (MTC) will officially take over the Park from Monday and will be open for the summer season. Anthony, Felicity and Scott Thomas are looking forward to welcoming holidaymakers. Link to landing page for more details https://www.blairgowrieholidaypark.com.au/?rc=test-site
Link to AFR article
https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/caravan-park-boom-pits-private-investors-against-major-corporates-20251117-p5ng1l

26/11/2025

Reposting Zoe’s speech in Parliament

25/11/2025

Nearly there to make a huge impact for the kids!

The Sorrento Bay Riders are calling on the community to help them reach their Stride or Ride fundraising target in support of their Charity Partner, The Portsea Camp.

Just shy of $7000 is all they need to reach the finish line. Please donate now and go the distance for kids in need. Giving days closed on Nov 28th , make an impact today!


https://the-portsea-camp.grassrootz.com/stride-or-ride-2025/donate