Shoreham is in the southern Mornington Peninsula region on the Western Port, located on its shores around the mouth of Stoney Creek. It is a coastal recreation resort rich in artistic history, notable for its pine-covered cliffs, foreshore reserve, and Honeysuckle Beach.
History
Shoreham began as a port for timber exports from the surrounding area. Early reports of the area suggested the region was "thick with honeysuckle and sheoak" and early settlers in the Balnarring and Hastings region were involved in wattle bark stripping and cutting piles and sleepers for shipping to Melbourne via the town.[2]
Shoreham Post Office opened on 1 October 1881.[3]
Artists
Shoreham has a rich artistic history in Australian art, as a place where artists have resided and painted, most notably Clifton Pugh, Colin Colahan, John Perceval and Charles Blackman. Several homes and paintings bear testimony to their work. There is also iron work by Matcham Skipper and frescos by Clifton Pugh.
Today
Shoreham today is a small coastal town containing a post office, tennis courts, community hall and CFA, picnic and barbecue facilities, and a boat launch access over Honeysuckle beach. Whilst predominantly the refuge of private homes and farms, there are various accommodation options such as B&Bs, a caravan park and camping sites.[4]
^Graeme Butler & Associates. "Volume 2, Environmental History"(PDF). Hastings District Heritage Study Stage Two. Archived from the original(PDF) on 28 August 2006. Retrieved 27 November 2006.