| Address: | 1 The Esplanade |
|---|---|
| Suburb: | Sorrento |
Built as the Mornington Hotel in 1876, the Koonya has had a mixed history. The original building survives today as the corner piece of a large accommodation (apartments and motel style) and entertainment precinct. It began as a humble, solid limestone building on the foreshore to accommodate visitors. The Mornington Hotel (later the Koonya Hotel) was constructed for John Boswell Clarke in 1876 and remained in the family until 1952 with the Clark family having ran the hotel and lived next door. It gained a verandah and balcony in 1913. The site was redeveloped through the decades.
In the 1990s the then Flinders Shire sold the steeply sloping land behind the hotel and developers applied to build on the land. In 1994-95 it was proposed to build 2-storey buildings at the top end of the site, opposite Stringers Store, which effectively blocked any views from the town to Port Philip Bay. The unanimous community view was that this proposal should be rejected. In 1997 the developer agreed to sell half the land and contribute $70k towards the establishment of the public park. The community set up a public appeal. By September 1998 the triangular piece of land was transferred to the Mornington Peninsula Shire, protected by covenants requiring the Shire to preserve the park as a public facility for all time. In the meantime the development had grown to include 35 detached or semi-detached houses plus 14 motel units, with the original Hotel on the corner retained. At this time the Koonya was in an almost ruinous state. The Koonya development was approved in 1999. The park was named ‘The Park at Stringer’s Corner’. Construction of the $20m development began in February 2001. The first residents moved into their luxury apartments in 2003. The park took a little longer to establish, but it is now a well vegetated, much used public place with magnificent views over the Bay and splendid views of the Continental Hotel.
Clark Cottage, built ca. 1850: ca. date unknown ----- Built for George Baker and later owned by the Clark family of the Mornington Hotel (visible on left) for many years. Dual role as the first post office in Sorrento. Demolished 1953 to make way for the Koonya Hotel Dining Room. Image courtesy of the Nepean Historical Society Inc. (NHS).
The Mornington Hotel, built 1876: ca.1913 ----- Image courtesy of the Nepean Historical Society Inc. (NHS).
The Mornington Hotel: 1913 ----- Verandah and balcony, built 1913, by Harry Watts,. Image courtesy of the Nepean Historical Society Inc. (NHS).
The Koonya Hotel (Formerly the Mornington Hotel): ca.1920-1954 ----- Image courtesy of Rose Stereograph Co and The State Library of Victoria.
The Koonya Hotel: ca. 2000 ----- The extent of demolition works to the Koonya. Image courtesy of the Nepean Historical Society Inc. (NHS).
The Koonya Hotel, from Point Nepean Road: ca. 2000 ----- Context and setting during restoration. Image courtesy of the Nepean Historical Society Inc. (NHS).
The Koonya Hotel, from ‘Stringers Corner’: 2013 ----- The low profile of recent medium density housing retains foreshore outlook.
The Koonya Hotel, untenanted: 2013.
