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The house was built in 1850 to resemble a Scottish crofter's cottage. It was at one time a postal depot, when a bag was fixed behind a slot in one of the front doors. It was also known as Clark Cottage. It has since been demolished.

Sepia image of the first stone building in Sorrento, with description and signature of George Coppin.

Sorrento The first building (signed) Geo. Coppin

houses

These are among the first polarised sunglasses. They were developed specifically for fisherman and were used extensively by Sam Stirling off Portsea in the 1950s and 1960s.

Local and cultrural

fishing

Albert's Grasshopper Ointment green tin & packet, with information pamphlet

Albert's Grasshopper Ointment

ointment, medical

This object features a key with a labelled tag attached to it. It was once the key to the well-known Nepean Hotel. Also known locally as 'The Castle', likely due to its grand size and turret-like tower, the Nepean Hotel was officially established in 1872 by James Sandle Ford (https://poi-australia.com.au/points-of-interest/australia/victoria/portsea/approximate-site-ford-family-nepean-hotel-c-1870-pt-nepean-rd-near-fitzjohns-crt-portsea-mornington-peninsula-vic/). Born in 1811, Ford was only nineteen years old when he was sentenced to seven years transportation for 'Machine Breaking' in 1830. (https://nepeanhistoricalsociety.asn.au/james-sandle-ford/). He arrived in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in 1831 and served five years of his sentence, before being pardoned in 1836. Ford met and married Irish immigrant Hannah Sullivan in 1841 in Sydney. The following year, the couple settled in Point Nepean. Ford is often accredited with the naming of the town of Portsea - after Portsea in Hampshire, UK - and spent a lifetime establishing himself throughout the area. This included: lime burning, dairying, horse judging and breeding, and the cultivation of land and livestock. Ford died in 1890, however his hotel continued to operate for many decades, run by his descendants - including Julia Cain during the first half of the twentieth century (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65817831) (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3734533). The hotel was demolished in 1971.

This object is significant as it is important in relation to the development and prosperity of the area of Point Nepean.

A door key with a rusted surface. One end of the key features a single set of teeth with three notches. Attached to the other end is a rounded handle with a hole through the middle. Looped through the hole is a piece of thin, rusted wire. The wire is looped through both the key and a hole in a white square-shaped tag. Printed on the tag are the words: 'CAIN'S HOTEL PORTSEA'.

CAIN'S HOTEL, PORTSEA

nepean hotel, cain family, james ford, james sandle ford, portsea hotel

John Watson moved his fishing camp to this site after he was paid by the Department of Defence to leave Point Franklin in 1880.

Watson's fishing camp situated where the present club houses of the Sorrento sailing Club now stand. Donated by V. Keating

john watson, fishing, sscbc, sorrento sailing club