Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BUCKLEY'S CHANCE
In October 1803 William Buckley (1780-1856), a strapping 6ft 7in bricklayer, was transported to Victoria's first
settlement (now Sorrento) as a convict for receiving stolen goods.
Buckley and three others escaped in December, though one was shot dead during the escape. The remaining
three set off around the bay, thinking they were heading to Sydney, but two turned back and died from lack of
food and water.
Buckley wandered for weeks, surviving on shellfish and berries. He was on his last legs when two Wathaurong
women found him, and Buckley spent the next 32 years living with the nomadic clan on the Bellarine Peninsula,
learning their customs and language.
In 1835 Buckley surrendered to a party from a survey ship. He was almost unable to speak English, and the
startled settlers dubbed him the 'Wild White Man'. Buckley was subsequently pardoned and acted as an interpret-
er and mediator between white settlers and the Wathaurong people. John Morgan's 1852 book
The Life & Adven-
tures of William Buckley
provides an insight into Aboriginal life before white settlement.
The Australian colloquialism 'Buckley's chance' (a very slim or no chance) is said to be based on William
Buckley's story, but there's dispute about this. Some claim the expression gained currency in the late 1800s and
derived from the name of the Melbourne department store Buckley's & Nunn ('You've got two chances -
Buckley's and none').
Sights & Activities
The calm bay beach is good for families and you can hire
paddle boards
on the foreshore. At
low tide, the
rock pool
at the back beach is a safe spot for adults and children to swim and
snorkel, and the surf beach is patrolled in summer. The 10-minute climb up to
Coppins
Lookout
offers good views.
Historic Buildings
The grand 19th-century buildings constructed from locally quarried limestone, including
the Hotel Sorrento (1871),
Continental Hotel
(1875) and
Koonya Hotel
(1878), look fabulous in
the late-afternoon sun.
NOTABLE BUILDINGS
Collins Settlement
HISTORIC SITE
Historic Site
(Leggett Way; 1.30-4pm Sat & Sun)
Apart from four graves that are believed to hold the re-
mains of 30 original settlers, there's little evidence of Sorrento's original abandoned set-
tlement. The Collins Settlement Historic Site, midway between Sorrento and Blairgowrie,
marks the 1803 settlement site at Sullivan Bay, and a display centre tells its story.
Sorrento Museum
MUSEUM
