OBJECT TITLE / NAME

Schnapper Point, Mornington

DATE1930 to 1935

MEDIAImage

COLLECTIONMornington and District Historical Society

REG NO.1247.6

HISTORY

Charles Hammond was a photographer and artist in the 1930’s. The schnapper is said to have given its name to the Point. whilst schnapper were plentiful off Mornington, most fish passing through the township before the railway probably came on the “fish track” from Hastings for consignment to Melbourne. There are some people who think the name came from the gunboat Snapper, which visited Port Phillip in the early 1800’s. These two theories probably account for both spellings of the name appearing on old documents. After 1864 the name was dropped and that of Mornington was adopted officially. Mornington was the name of the County which extended far beyond the peninsula and the present Shire: it is believed that the origin of the name was the seat of the Earl of Mornington, who was the father of the Duke of Wellington, at Mornington, County Meath, Ireland. Sea bathing in specially erected structures built over the water enjoyed a heyday of popularity in the latter part of the 19th century, and the early 1900’s. The Baths which were built at the base of a cliff between Shire Hall Beach and the Pier at Mornington offered facilities of dressing rooms and diving boards. They continued to be used by large numbers of people up to and beyond the time of World War 2. In the 1890’s the proprietor was William Irvine, who advertised the bathing hours at his Royal Baths with different times for gentlemen and ladies, so they didn’t bath together.

DESCRIPTION

This is a photocopy of a water colour looking down on to the Mornington Baths. To the left are several small row boats on the beach.

SUBJECTS

Baths, public, Beaches

KEYWORDS

Baths, public, Beaches, Mornington, Mornington Baths, Mornington Pier, Schnapper Point, Shire Hall Beach