Whitehall and Oceanic



Address: 231-237 Ocean Beach Road
Suburb: Sorrento

The Back Beach Palace was built for George Coppin in 1890.  It was considered a comfortable commodious home for visitors. Whitehall was built opposite in 1903. While the balconied verandahs of the Back Beach Palace harked back to the Victorian style of building, Whitehall with is redbrick detailing was more so progressive and took its style from the local Sorrento federation “style” (discussed above). These two magnificent buildings are representative of the grander guesthouses constructed during Sorrento’s halcyon days. The Oceanic operated until the 1960s, when it was demolished. A motel and apartment style accommodation complex has been built on its site. In contrast, Whitehall’s website states that it “stands proud as the largest and the longest operating guesthouse of this fabulous era”.