The township of Mornington is located between the exclusive beachside suburbs of Mount Eliza and Mount Martha on the Port Phillip coast. It is a cosmopolitan seaside village that offers more than a kilometre of shopping with more than 370 retail outlets, including many excellent boutiques, homeware and designer stores, sidewalk cafes and restaurants.
There always seems to be something happening in this town with its galleries, cafes and restaurants, popular racecourse, markets and food and wine events. The Main Street Wednesday market is Victoria’s longest-running midweek regional market. Schnapper Point is at the end of Main Street and is where the pier and marina are located. A Post Office opened in 1856 at Schnapper Point, but the fledging village was renamed Mornington in 1864. The history of Mornington can be explored on a heritage walk through the town and you can travel on the historic Mornington Railway steam train on most Sundays.
Mornington has a number of beaches, with many colourful bathing boxes. Sailing is popular and there’s a marina where you can dine overlooking the water or fish off the pier. On the eastern side of Schnapper Point is the sheltered Mothers Beach and Scout Beach, while Shire Hall Beach and Mills Beach with its very popular bathing boxes are located further east along the coast; all perfect for swimming. Around a kilometre south of Schnapper Point is Fisherman’s Beach which ends at the scenic rocky outcrop of Linley Point where there are boat ramps and scenic viewing spots along the coast. There are viewing of another kind at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery and historic properties and golf courses with coastal views to Mornington harbour in one direction and north to Mount Eliza in the other.
Mornington is approximately a 1 hour drive (75 kilometres) south of Melbourne.