Which city has wooden beach huts as one of its biggest tourist attractions? Yes, Melbourne!

At Brighton Beach, tourists admire 82 identically sized wooden bathing boxes, but their owners have embellished them with colourful paintings.

This makes the row of wooden cabins very photogenic and varied, despite their uniformity in size.

The 10 best hotels in Melbourne

From changing rooms to investment property

Brighton Bathing Boxes, on the beach outside the city, began to be built around 1860. Their function at the time was purely utilitarian. They served as a place to change into swimming trunks.

Later, wealthier families bought the wooden huts to store their beach equipment and today they serve their owners as a picnic hut ideal for picnics on the beach.

Because beach huts are a major tourist attraction, their price has skyrocketed since the 1990s and today they serve more as investment properties.

In 2025, for example, one cottage sold for 450 000 aud.

Brighton Beach Boxes

The colourful facades of the cottages

The owners take due pride in their properties, so you won't come across any ramshackle beach huts here. On the contrary, each cottage stands out for its well-kept paintings and each cottage is unique in this respect.

The most photogenic is, of course, the second hut from the north end, which features the Australian flag.

Brighton Beach Boxes

Swimming at Brighton Beach

Brighton Beach is also a popular spot for swimming in the sea. The northern end is very wide and spacious and the beach is covered with fine light sand.

The entrance in the southern part is a bit rocky, but the northern part has a very gradual and comfortable entrance to the water.

In the middle of the beach there is a large restaurant building with free toilets and showers.