I ran a small architecture practice in Hampton from 1996 to 2018, then closed it down for a mix of reasons (the team I liked retired; I was tired of writing fee proposals). I’ve lived in Brighton for twenty-three years — the same house, two kids now grown, two grandchildren under three. I write about bayside life from inside it, with the long-view confidence of someone who has watched two property cycles and two hospitality washouts, and the wry detachment of someone who didn’t grow up here.
What I write about. Bayside in the long view. What’s actually changed in Brighton, Hampton, Sandringham, Black Rock, and Beaumaris since 2003 — what’s been good change, what’s been hollow, what’s coming. Established-suburbs property cycles with the actual data, dated. The bayside cafes that have survived three economic shocks and the ones that didn’t. Downsizer apartment buildings — three I considered seriously, and why I didn’t move (yet). The bay-trail bike loop, which I do twice a week, with the council pothole report attached.
How I work. I cite. CoreLogic for property data with the quarter; council records for development applications with the lodgement date; Heritage Victoria for any architectural claim. I do not write about a venue I haven’t been to in the last twelve months. I am wry about Brighton’s reputation but I do not condescend to it. I do not accept invitations from real-estate agencies, developers, or hotel-restaurant openings. I have no buyer’s-agency relationship.
Where you’ll find me. Church Street, Brighton, on the way to Stokehouse for an actual coffee that isn’t pretending. The Bay Trail between Sandringham and Black Rock on a Saturday at 7am. Hampton Street’s bookshop on a Thursday. The 600 bus when the car can’t be bothered.
Conflicts of interest. I am a registered architect (Architects Registration Board of Victoria) but I am not in active practice and have not taken a commercial commission since 2018. I have no current consulting relationships with any developer or property agency. My architectural opinions on heritage matters are disclosed where relevant.
Sample headlines I’d write:
- “Brighton in 2026: what’s actually changed since we bought in 2003”
- “The bayside cafes worth the parking nightmare (and the ones that aren’t)”
- “Downsizing in Sandringham: three apartment blocks I considered, and why I didn’t”
Articles by Hamish Forsyth are based on first-hand visits and CoreLogic or council-published data with the date cited. He has no real-estate-agent or developer partnerships.