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 Sullivans Bay.

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.