Located in the community of Black Rock, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Half Moon Bay Beach - also known as Half Moon Beach - is a 500-meter-long, crescent-shaped, golden sand beach. This beach is positioned about 20 kilometers southeast of the Melbourne city center along Port Phillip Bay and has a beautiful backdrop of red bluff cliffs, coastal vegetation, and several popular oceanfront buildings, including Black Rock Yacht Club, the Half Moon Bay Lifesaving Club, and the Cerberus Beach House Restaurant and Beach Kiosk, which together offer incredible views of the Melbourne skyline. The beach is part of the Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary, encouraging sustainable tourism practices to preserve the natural beauty, flora, and fauna of the region.
The beach is home to the famous HMVS Cerberus shipwreck, a historic ironclad warship visible from the shore that served in the Victorian Navy during the late 19th century. HMVS Cerberus was the first iron-hulled British warship to be designed without masts and to be powered purely by steam. In 1926, it was deliberately scuttled to serve as a breakwater. Today, HMVS Cerberus is a designated historical site that holds significance for its role in protecting Melbourne’s coast.