Of all places to strike, Brighton might actually be the obvious target precisely because it's not the kind of neighbourhood used to gritty, bloody crime.

The posh Melbourne bayside suburb is a place where you pay $300,000 plus for a wooden box to store your bathers and towels on the Dendy foreshore.

Cafes on Church Street, Brighton. Credit:Michael Dodge

It's better known for its residents who sip coffee while wearing Lululemon leisure wear, own fluffy Cavoodles and drive BMW X3 four-wheel-drives.

So when the news came through that a terror-related hostage drama was under way on Bay Street, many were shocked. Not just by the violence of events but also, to a lesser extent, the location.