[5] A town was surveyed in mid-1841, defined by the crescent-shaped street layout which remains today, and subdivided allotments were offered for sale.

After the depression, sales of land resulted in Brighton becoming the third most populated town in the Port Phillip District (after Melbourne and Portland), by 1846.

Brighton attracted wealthy residents who wanted generous building sites and the prospect of sea bathing.

By the late 1840s stately homes were built in an area known as 'The Terrace', now called the Esplanade, overlooking Dendy Street Beach.

[9] 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.

[8] 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.

On 18 January 1859, the municipality of Brighton was proclaimed extending eastwards between Dendy's survey boundaries to Thomas Street and Nepean Highway.

[16] The building was originally built as the Caledonian Hall by David Munro in the late 19th century.

In October 1926 Robert McLeish Theatres of Swanston Street, Melbourne took over operations of the cinema, renaming it the Paramount.

[16] Bert Ward (born c.1907),[a] had been running and the Hoyts Southern in Hampton, having also learnt projectionist skills.

When the run-down Paramount was put on sale at a low price in 1928, he bought the theatre at the age of 21.

With assistance from his family he made improvements, including central heating and quality sound equipment.

[16] With the coming of television, Ward introduced a policy of showing arthouse films, probably the first such cinema to do so in Melbourne.

Under Robert, the Dendy cinema brand spread first into the city in Collins Street, then across the suburbs and interstate.

Dendy Street Beach, just south of Middle Brighton, features 82 colorful bathing boxes,[9] 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.

[28] 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.

[29] 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 A$1 million during the 2007–2008 financial crisis.

The North Road Pavilion is a café which has an outlook of Port Phillip Bay, while the beachfront features views of the Melbourne city skyline.

The next most common countries of birth were England 5.4%, China 2.8%, New Zealand 1.7%, United States of America 1.2% and South Africa 1.1%.

Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 3.2%, Greek 1.9%, Italian 1.5%, Russian 1.4% and French 0.8%.

[40] Brighton is also home to the following sports clubs: Some notable residents, past and present, include:[41] ^ = territory divided with another LGA