The plan was for the tramway to carry passengers from the Sorrento Pier (or "front beach" (Port Phillip Bay)), through the township of Sorrento and on to the "back beack" (ocean beach) some total length of 1 mile and 12 chains.
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| The Sorrento Tram Company | ||||||||||||||||||
| The Sorrento Tram Company was the brainchild of the theatrical entrepreneur George Coppin. He had a grand plan to develop Sorrento along the lines of the resort towns of Europe - for the jaded townspeople to "get away from it all". In 1874 Coppin started the Sorrento-Queenscliff Steam Navigation Company, purchasing the steamer "The Golden Crown", followed by the "Ozone", the "Weerona" and the "Hygeia" The plan was for the tramway to carry passengers from the Sorrento Pier (or "front beach" (Port Phillip Bay)), through the township of Sorrento and on to the "back beack" (ocean beach) some total length of 1 mile and 12 chains. |
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| The horse-drawn trams operated during the quieter times, the mornings and evenings | ||||||||||||||||||
| The steam trams operated during the peak hours and were usually ready to greet the holiday makers on the steamers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Henry Watts was the manager of the line during the whole of it's existence from 1890 to 1920, and by 1903 was just about a "family concern". Henry, his brother Ned (Edward), Henry's sons Clem and George drove the steam trams whilst Cyril, Clive and Gil worked the horse tram or were condutors on the steam tram. Henry's son in law William (Billy) Williams also was a driver. | ||||||||||||||||||
| By 1903 falling revenue and rising costs saw Coppin sell to Mr Isaac Bensilium, who instigated a range of "economies", however continued losses of patronage to the road cars saw several unsuccessful attempts to sell. Voluntary wind-up began in 1921 and assets dispersed, the locomotives to Noojee to cart timber, the sleepers to the Geelong cement works for their rail line and the lines themselves to Warburton for the timber tramway. The passenger care were disposed of cheaply, most to local families. The overhead bridge from the pier was sold to the State Government and became a crossing on the Upper Yarra | ||||||||||||||||||
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