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Brighton, Victoria

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Brighton
Melbourne, Victoria
Brighton Beach
Population20,651 (2006)[1]
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Established1840
Postcode(s)3186
Area8.2 km2 (3.2 sq mi)
Location12 km (7 mi) from Melbourne
LGA(s)City of Bayside
State electorate(s)Brighton
Federal division(s)Goldstein
Suburbs around Brighton:
Port Phillip Elwood Elsternwick
Port Phillip Brighton Brighton East
Port Phillip Hampton Hampton

Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651. Due to the type of person that generally inhabit the suburb of Brighton it has become known as "Bruuyyyton".

History

Brighton was subdivided in 1841 by Henry Dendy in the area bounded by the coastline, North Road, East Boundary Road and South Road. In 1841 the first land sales were in "Waterville", but this soon became "Brighton", named after Brighton in England.[3] Sales were slow at first and the Brighton Post Office was not opened until 19 April 1853.[4]

The noted bathing boxes in Brighton are known to have existed as far back as 1862, although the earliest ones were at the water's edge at the end of Bay St[5] rather than their present location on Dendy Street Beach just south of Middle Brighton.[6] In 1906, the completion of a tram line from St Kilda to Brighton led to an increase in applications for bathing box permits and significant construction between 1908 and 1911; final numbers are uncertain, but between 100 and 200 bathing box sites may have been allocated prior to the Great Depression.[5] As part of capital works programs during the Depression to help relieve unemployment, the City of Brighton, backed by State Government funding, relocated all bathing boxes to the high water mark on Dendy Street Beach, or removed them completely. The boxes were relocated again in 1934 to their present position at the rear of this beach.[7]

Church Street Middle Brighton in 1907
Postcard of Brigton Beach in 1910

Today

Brighton houses some of the wealthiest citizens in Melbourne with grand homes, and the development of large residential blocks of land. On the beach, Beach Road is a popular cycling route, with the Bay Trail off-road walking/cycling tracks also following the coastline.

Dendy Street Beach, just south of Middle Brighton, features 82 colourful bathing boxes,[6] which are one of the tourist icons of Melbourne. The boxes share a uniformity of size and build, and a regular arrangement along the beach, and are the only surviving such structures close to the Melbourne CBD.[8] A Planning Scheme Heritage Overlay on the boxes by the Bayside City Council restricts alterations, and all retain their Victorian era architecture, such as timber frames, weatherboard sidings, and corrugated iron roofs, without amenities such electricity or running water.[8] The bathing boxes may only be purchased by residents paying local council rates, and as of 2008 were selling for prices in the range of AU$200,000,[9] with annual council rates of around AU$500, despite their lack of amenities.[10] In 2009 plans were announced to build at least six new bathing boxes in an effort by the council to raise funds in excess of AU$1 million in light of the global financial crisis.[10]

The bathing boxes on Dendy Street Beach with Middle Brighton pier and breakwater and the city skyline in the background

Between Middle Brighton Beach and Sandown St Beach are the historic moderne Middle Brighton Municipal Baths, Royal Brighton Yacht Club, and the Middle Brighton Pier and breakwater.[6] North Road in Brighton features many old churches and residences. The North Road Pavilion is a popular cafe which has an outlook of Port Phillip Bay, while the beachfront features stunning views toward the Melbourne city skyline.

There are two cinemas in Brighton, The Dendy Brighton and The Brighton Bay.

Transport

Brighton is serviced by the Gardenvale, North Brighton, Middle Brighton, and Brighton Beach railway stations on the Sandringham line.

Trams also service the eastern extremities of the suburb, while there are also a range of bus services, including 216 and which run to the Melbourne CBD. Several major arterial roads run near or through Brighton. The Bay Trail off-road bicycle path passes through the Brighton foreshore.

Secondary schools

Secondary schools within Brighton includes Brighton Grammar School, Brighton Secondary College, Firbank Girls' Grammar School, Haileybury's Castlefield campus, St Leonard's College, Xavier College's Kostka Hall junior campus, and Star of the Sea College.

Sport

Golfers play at the Brighton Public Golf Course on Dendy Street.[11]

Notable residents

Heritage Kamesburgh Gardens in North Road, Brighton

See also

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Brighton (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  2. ^ RealEstate.com.au, accessed December 2009.
  3. ^ Monash University Gazetteer. "Australian Places – Brighton". Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  4. ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  5. ^ a b "History – Pre and Post European settlement to 1930". Brighton Bathing Box Association Inc. 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
  6. ^ a b c Greater Melbourne Street Directory 2007 (34 ed.). Mount Waverley: Melway Publishing Pty Ltd. 2006. pp. Maps 67, 76. ISBN 0-909439-24-9.
  7. ^ "History – Realignment and loss 1931–1960". Brighton Bathing Box Association Inc. 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  8. ^ a b "The Brighton Bathing Boxes Melbourne, Australia". Brighton Bathing Box Association Inc. 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
  9. ^ James, Caroline (2008-12-29). "Sale ticks the boxes". heraldsun.com.au. Herald and Weekly Times. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
  10. ^ a b Greenblat, Eli (2009-02-26). "Brighton shacks to help bolster council funds". theage.com.au. Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
  11. ^ Golf Select. "Brighton". Retrieved 2009-05-11.

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