The Mechanics' Institute, Sorrento is a building classified by the

National Trust of Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...

and located at 827 Melbourne Road,

Sorrento Sorrento (, ; nap, Surriento ; la, Surrentum) is a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the south-eastern terminus of the Circumvesuviana rail ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. In July 1876, the Mechanics' Institutes Trust received the land, believed to be a donation from local landowner, parliamentarian and 8th

Premier of Victoria The premier of Victoria is the head of government in the Australian state of Victoria. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria, and is the leader of the political party able to secure a majority in the Victorian Legislative Assembly ...

, Sir

Charles Gavan Duffy Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, KCMG, PC (12 April 1816 – 9 February 1903), was an Irish poet and journalist (editor of ''The Nation''), Young Irelander and tenant-rights activist. After emigrating to Australia in 1856 he entered the politics of ...

. The Trust built the first hall using local limestone and the building was opened on 3 February 1877. Performers at the opening ceremony concert included local landowner, comedian and parliamentarian, the Honourable

George Coppin George Selth Coppin (8 April 1819 – 14 March 1906) was a comic actor, a theatrical entrepreneur, a politician and a philanthropist, active in Australia.Sally O'Neill,Coppin, George Selth (1819–1906), '' Australian Dictionary of Biography'', ...

and his daughter, Blanche. By 1910, the institute's library contained 2015 books and various magazines. The hall was used for concerts, dances, lectures, church socials, political meetings and other functions. It also housed the Court of Petty Sessions. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the hall was used by the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

for making items and packing parcels for Australian troops. On 24 January 1885, a special concert was held at the Institute featuring Dame

Nellie Melba Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic dramatic coloratura soprano (three octaves). She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early 20th century, ...

Sorrento Museum

In 1965 the Flinders Shire Council, an early predecessor to the

Shire of Mornington Peninsula The Shire of Mornington Peninsula is a local government area in southeastern Metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located to the south of the Melbourne City Centre. It has an area of 724 square kilometres and in June 2018 it had a ...

, made the Mechanics' Institute available to the Nepean Historical Society. On 15 October 1967, the Historical Society opened the Sorrento Museum in the building. In March 1994, a gallery extension was built using grants from the Commonwealth Government and the local Shire. The Nepean Historical Society is a non-profit organisation accredited under the Museum Australia Accreditation Program. Sorrento Museum features several rooms of display tracing the history of the area, including original items from the Collins Settlement in 1803, which was the first European settlement in Victoria, as well as shipwreck artefacts, Boon Wurrung stone tools, and memorabilia from early tourism in the area. An original settlers cottage is also onsite.{{Cite web, url=https://victorianmuseums.com.au/sorrento-museum-nepean-historical-societ, title=Sorrento Museum - Nepean Historical Society - Victoria's Accredited Museums, website=victorianmuseums.com.au, language=en-US, access-date=2018-05-18

References

* Alexander, John, ''Mechanics' Institute, Sorrento'', Nepean Historical Society, 1995

External links

Nepean Historical Society

Mechanics' Institutes of Victoria
1877 establishments in Australia Organisations based in Melbourne Museums in Victoria (state) Local museums in Australia Sorrento, Victoria Buildings and structures in the Shire of Mornington Peninsula