Insiders spill on the secret Portsea and Sorrento set: Forget Toorak's high society - these cashed-up socialites with their 'la dolce vita' summers are the REAL elites of Melbourne society
Insiders spill on the secret Portsea and Sorrento set: Forget Toorak's high society - these cashed-up socialites with their 'la dolce vita' summers are the REAL elites of Melbourne society
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Toorak, with its old money Victorian families and rows of palatial mansions, may well be the indisputable epicentre of Melbourne's high society. But Portsea and Sorrento, two sun-kissed seaside suburbs at the tip of the Mornington Peninsula, are fast eclipsing it as an enclave for the ritzy 'in' crowd.
![[Comedian Andy Lee and his model fiancée Rebecca Harding (pictured) are also big names]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/26/14/94418499-14315327-Comedian_Andy_Lee_and_his_model_fianc_e_Rebecca_Harding_pictured-a-9_1737900543426.jpg)
They are refreshingly free from chaos and congestion while still within a luxury SUV ride from the city, and have long been Melbourne's answer to the Hamptons. The annual Portsea Polo event on Point Nepean is an unmissable fixture on the social calendar, with Melbourne's wealthiest families raising eye-watering amounts for charity while mixing with the socialites, celebrities and titans of industry.
![[Glamorous couple Nick and Rozalia Russian (pictured), who own late night venue Bar Bambi, also made the list and are regulars at the exclusive Portsea Polo]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/26/14/94418639-14315327-Glamorous_couple_Nick_and_Rozalia_Russian_pictured_who_own_late_-a-13_1737900543724.jpg)
And with views to die for from sprawling, secluded blocks, the area's homes are a summer refuge for Australia's most affluent, privacy-obsessed and well-connected families, and, increasingly, the playground of choice for the young, hot and rich. So we spoke to our society spies to find out who's who in the so-called 'Portsea and Sorrento set'. Some of the names will be familiar, but others may come as a surprise...
![[Australian cricketing great Ricky Ponting and his wife Rianna (pictured) bought a luxurious $3.5million home in the beachside suburb of Portsea in 2019]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/24/01/72576967-14315327-Australian_cricketing_great_Ricky_Ponting_and_his_wife_Rianna_pi-m-11_1737682261867.jpg)
It's not surprising that some of Melbourne's most elite socialites live in the seaside suburbs of Portsea and Sorrento. (Pictured: Chris and Rebecca Judd). Comedian Andy Lee and his model fiancée Rebecca Harding (pictured) are also big names. Leading the pack are Rebecca and Chris Judd who are often seen attending A-list events at the prestigious Portsea Polo.
![[Melbourne society couple Nick and Camilla Speer (pictured) recently sold their Portsea clifftop mansion, Rovina, for about $25million]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/26/14/94418761-14315327-Melbourne_society_couple_Nick_and_Camilla_Speer_pictured_recentl-a-8_1737900543324.jpg)
