Mornington Peninsula Shire is located just over an hour's drive away from the city, on 'Melbourne's 'doorstep', and is often described as 'Melbourne's playground'. It is the most popular informal recreational area in Victoria. The Shire is a boot-shaped promontory separating two contrasting bays: Port Phillip and Western Port Bays. The Mornington Peninsula contains a diversity of scenic landscapes and is almost surrounded by the sea, with coastal boundaries of over 190 kilometres. It is a mixture of urban areas, resort towns, tourist development and rural land.

The Mornington Peninsula is approximately 723 square kilometres in size and the Department of Infrastructure indicates that at 1996 it had a population of approximately 118,000 people, with a population density of 176.8 people per square kilometre. The majority of the population is clustered along the coastline of Port Phillip Bay between Mt Eliza and Dromana. Most of the traditional beach holiday resorts are based along the Port Phillip coastline and visited by many Melburnians.

The population of the Shire also swells dramatically in holiday periods, with the peak summer period attracting in excess of 60,000 people to the Peninsula. Most of this increase is experienced in the southern bay side townships, where numbers double and in some cases quadruple over that time. This places a greater demand on existing community and public facilities and services.

There are many major built and natural attractions on the Peninsula. The local history is prevalent by the number of historical buildings and towns: Sorrento, site of the first and later disbanded settlement in Victoria; Mornington with its heritage post office, court house and hotels; the Briars, an old homestead amidst beautiful surroundings; and the township of Tyabb, a famous antique precinct. The beaches and natural features along the coastline, mudflats, wetlands, and the interior woodlands provide for a range of leisure, recreation and relaxation opportunities.

The Peninsula offers many choices from quiet fishing villages to the rich undulating volcanic hills growing vines and berries around Main Ridge and Red Hill. The extent of the natural bush on the Mornington Peninsula means that some areas are susceptible to dry conditions and bush fires and therefore Council has developed a fire prevention strategy. The Cape Schanck National Park, Mornington Peninsula National Park and the Point Nepean Park offer some of the most beautiful and unique scenery in the country. Points along Port Phillip Bay give rise to views to the city and to Point Lonsdale, where there is a regular ferry service to Queenscliff. Western Port Bay offers views to French Island, with ferries operating to and from Stony Point. The Mornington Peninsula also has the southern most mangroves in the world, along Western Port Bay.

Arthurs Seat, the highest point on the Peninsula, provides spectacular views on clear days across Port Phillip Bay. There are many other natural features including London Bridge, the famous surf beaches of Pt Leo, Gunamatta and Portsea, plus the rock pools at the Sorrento Back Beach, providing a safe swimming haven for children and families at low tide.
 

Further information available at
Mornington Peninsula Shire Website