The Land

Sorrento Town Allotment 5 was alienated from the Crown on the 14th of January 1870 by Cornelius Job Ham for £11 7s 6d.

Cornelius Job Ham (1837–1909) A ‘Land and Estate Agent’ of Swanston Street. He was elected to Melbourne City Council in 1870 and was a Member of the Legislative Council from 1882–1904. ¹

May 1872 the land was transferred to Charles Gavan Duffy. Interestingly, Duffy paid £11 7s 6d which was the price Ham originally paid for the land. Despite Alienating numerous Parish of Nepean Crown Allotments between 1863 and 1875, Charles Gavan Duffy never directly bought a Sorrento Town Allotment. Was Ham acting surreptitiously for him?

October 1874 and Charles Gavan Duffy sold the land to the George Coppin founded, The Ocean Amphitheatre Company Limited. This was just one of numerous land purchases made in Sorrento by the company in 1874.

The Continental Hotel was Constructed and the first licence granted on 4 September 1875 to a Mr. John Crawford.

September 1875, The Ocean Amphitheatre Company sells a large parcel to The Sorrento Continental Hotel Company Limited, also founded by George Coppin, for £2000. This includes the Continental Hotel.

20th of June 1876 all unsold holdings (over 170 acres) of The Ocean Amphitheatre Company are transferred to the Mortgage Holder, The Australasian Alliance Assurance Company. ²

In May 1877 The Sorrento Continental Hotel Company Limited was wound up with George Coppin appointed liquidator. At the same meeting a new company with the same name was formed with increased capital of 4,800 shares of £2 10s each. ³

July 1877 the Hotel and land are transferred for “valuable consideration” ⁴ from the old to the new company.

January 1882 and the former Ocean Amphitheatre Company holdings are advertised for sale by J.H. Knipe, along with the Continental Hotel, its fittings and fixtures.

Despite promoted as being ‘Sacrificed to the Highest Bidder” The Continental Hotel and lands in Town Allotment 5 went unsold.

Despite this, in July 1887 the Continental Hotel (including land of 3 acres and 8.8 perches) was sold to George Coppin for £3,475. ⁵ As shown below.

Coppin sold the Hotel to Isaac Bensilum in November 1890. The rest of this holding was subdivided and created several of the frontages on Ocean Beach Road that remain today.

Footnotes