[2] Prior to white settlement, the Whadjuk Aboriginal people, who called the area Mooro, gathered abalone and other shellfish in large numbers off the nearby reefs.

There are still some remains of the old whaling station at the present-day Surf Lifesaving Club site, and a monument to Marmion can be found in Geneff Park in Padbury Circle.

[3] In preparation for Australia's defence of the 1987 America's Cup at Fremantle, the State Government commissioned the building of Hillarys Boat Harbour, the first major marina in the north metropolitan area.

The retail complex on the site, called Sorrento Quay, commenced trading in December 1987 and was officially opened in January 1988.

Also, in May 1987, the Government declared Marmion Marine Park over a region from Burns Beach to Trigg, to which the new marina complex provided a gateway.

[8] Sorrento Beach also has a Surf Life Saving Club, providing patrols, education training and sporting facilities.

The beachside part of Sorrento, together with Hillarys to its north, is the strongest base in the northern suburban region for the Liberal Party at both federal and state elections.