Sorrento is a northern coastal suburb of

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, the capital city of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

in the

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...

of the

City of Joondalup The City of Joondalup is a Local government areas of Western Australia, local government area in Perth, Western Australia. Its central business district is located in the suburb Joondalup, and it includes the town centres of Hillarys, Western A ...

. At its northwestern corner is the

Hillarys Boat Harbour Hillarys Boat Harbour is a marina and tourist precinct located in Hillarys, north of Perth, Western Australia, and on the Indian Ocean. The marina also contains two retail precincts, Sorrento Quay and Hillarys Boardwalk. History Hillarys Boa ...

, built in the late 1980s.

History

A private subdivision of freehold land known as "Sorrento" was surveyed here in 1929. It is assumed that the name was taken from the Italian seaside town of

Sorrento Sorrento ( , ; ; ) is a City status in Italy, city and overlooking the Gulf of Naples, Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the southern terminus of a main branch o ...

which is located south of Naples opposite the Isle of

Capri Capri ( , ; ) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. A popular resort destination since the time of the Roman Republic, its natural beauty ...

. Prior to white settlement, the

Whadjuk Whadjuk or Wadjak, alternatively Witjari, are Noongar (Aboriginal Australian) people of the Western Australian region of the Perth bioregion of the Swan Coastal Plain. Name The ethnonym appears to derive from , the Whadjuk word for "no". Count ...

Aboriginal people, who called the area Mooro, gathered abalone and other shellfish in large numbers off the nearby reefs. The first European to settle in the area was Patrick Marmion, master whaler, who operated a whaling station in the area in 1849. There are still some remains of the old whaling station at the present-day Surf Lifesaving Club site, and a monument to Marmion can be found in Geneff Park in Padbury Circle. The area was popular with fishermen in the 1930s, and numerous boatsheds and shacks were built there. Residential settlement commenced in the early 1950s and until 1981, it was part of the suburb of Marmion. Sorrento urban development

In 1958, the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions bought land in Sorrento at what was then the end of the West Coast Highway, and in 1967, the Sisters and boarding students moved from

Highgate Highgate is a suburban area of N postcode area, north London in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden, London Borough of Islington, Islington and London Borough of Haringey, Haringey. The area is at the north-eastern corner ...

to the new site, Sacred Heart College Sorrento. The college became

coeducation Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

al in 1977, and in 1989, the Catholic Education Commission took over management of the school. In preparation for Australia's defence of the 1987

America's Cup The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy (known ...

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...

, the State Government commissioned the building of

, the first major marina in the north metropolitan area. The retail complex on the site, called Sorrento Quay, commenced trading in December 1987 and was officially opened in January 1988. Also, in May 1987, the Government declared

Marmion Marine Park The Marmion Marine Park is a protected area along and off the coast of northern Perth, Western Australia. In 1987, this park was declared the first marine park in Western Australia. The park covers an area of 10,500 ha, from Trigg Island in the ...

over a region from Burns Beach to Trigg, to which the new marina complex provided a gateway.

Geography

Sorrento is bounded by Hepburn Avenue to the north,

Marmion Avenue Marmion Avenue is a arterial road in the northern coastal suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, linking Trigg, Western Australia, Trigg in the south with Yanchep in the north. It forms part of List of road routes in Perth, Western Australia#71, ...

to the east, Marine Terrace to the south and West Coast Drive and the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

to the west. At the

2001 Australian census The Census in Australia, officially the Census of Population and Housing, is the national census in Australia that occurs every five years. The census collects key demographic, social and economic data from all people in Australia on census nig ...

, Sorrento had a population of 7,321 people living in 2,796 dwellings. Sorrento's oceanside location and to Hillarys Boat Harbour has seen the suburb become affluent since the 1980s, and the ABS identified many managers and professionals living within the suburb. However, many tradespeople and service employees also live in the area.

Facilities

Sorrento is a residential suburb, relying on the Seacrest Village shopping centre for liquor, take-away food, the Seacrest pharmacy for medical goods, and Whitford City and Centro Warwick for other services. Several parks of various sizes are situated in the suburb. The Sorrento Quay retail development within the Hillarys Boat Harbour sits on the northwestern boundary of the suburb. Off the coast is the

, which provides a home for many species of marine animals. Sorrento Beach has a shark siren alert system meaning if a shark is in near by waters a siren goes off. Sorrento Beach also has a Surf Life Saving Club, providing patrols, education training and sporting facilities. There are many parks situated in Sorrento. Seacrest Park is the largest park in Sorrento with two AFL size ovals used in winter for the Sorrento Duncraig Football Club and in summer the Sorrento Cricket Club, half a soccer pitch, a basketball ring, cricket nets, large children play area, change rooms/community hall and public toilets. Other parks in Sorrento include Robin Reserve (oval), Albacore Park, Lacepede Park and pond, Harman Park (bushland), Geneff Park, Tom Walker Park and Porteous Park (bushland). Although being in Duncraig on the suburb border of Sorrento,

Percy Doyle Reserve Percy Doyle Reserve is a sporting and recreational facility in Duncraig, Western Australia. Spanning a substantial area, the reserve serves as a central hub for community activities and various sports. Facilities The reserve has diverse facil ...

is home to many Sorrento sport clubs.

Education

Sorrento contains a Catholic private school, Sacred Heart College, and a state primary school Sorrento Primary School (founded 1970). The suburb falls within

Duncraig Senior High School Duncraig Senior High School is an independent public co-educational high day school, located in the suburb of Duncraig, north of Perth, Western Australia. The current principal is Myles Draper. History The school opened in 1979 with 850 st ...

's catchment area.

Transport

Sorrento is served by the 441 and 442 buses from Warwick Train Station and Whitfords Train Station,Bus Timetable 62
Transperth, effective 31 January 2016
Bus Timetable 63
Transperth, effective 31 January 2016. Accessed 12 January 2016. as well as the 423 bus from Warwick Train Station and Stirling Train Station operated by

Swan Transit Swan Transit is an Australian bus company operating Buses in Perth, Transperth bus services under contract to the Public Transport Authority (Western Australia), Public Transport Authority. It is a subsidiary of Transit Systems. History On 21 ...

Bus

* 441 to Warwick Station * 441 to Whitford Station * 442 to Whitford Station* * 443 to Warwick Station * 443 to Stirling Station * 444 to Whitford Station* * 783 to Warwick Station* *school special, departing Sacred Heart College

Sport

Sorrento has a rich sporting culture, with 8 local sport clubs calling the suburb home. Below is a table summarising these sport clubs: * Sorrento Tennis Club's Men's State League team is joined with the Mt Lawley Tennis Club. They are known as the Mt Lawley/Sorrento Planets. They play half their home games at Sorrento Tennis Club and the other half at the Mt Lawley Tennis Centre. Men's State League is the highest semi-professional tennis league in Western Australia. The Planets were established before the 2023/24 season. The club itself does not go off the branded name 'Planets', only the state league team.

Politics

Sorrento is a reasonably affluent suburb with many " mortgage belt" families. The beachside part of Sorrento, together with Hillarys to its north, is the strongest base in the northern suburban region for the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

at both federal and state elections.

References

{{Authority control Suburbs of Perth, Western Australia Suburbs in the City of Joondalup