Beechworth

Victoria (Eastern Region)

Beechworth

Thirty-five kilometres east of Wangaratta, off the Ovens Highway, is BEECHWORTH, once the centre of the rich Ovens gold-mining region. Sited picturesquely in the foothills of the Victorian Alps, the entire town has been acknowledged by the National Trust as being of historic significance, and the surrounding area has been designated a historic park by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The visitors information centre is located in the old shire office on Ford Street (daily 9am–5pm), and can provide you with pamphlets on noteworthy sights and places of interest, as well as give out information on the Gorge Scenic Drive.

To visit Beechworth is to step back into history. Once the centre of one of the biggest goldfields in Victoria, its solid granite and dignified brick buildings are beautifully preserved. This is the real attraction of Beechworth. It is a living and working town, proud of its history, its buildings and its stories.

There are magnificent buildings here. Some twenty- five of them are listed on the Victorian Historic Buildings Council Register. They reflect the fortunes that were made - and spent - during the gold rush days.

As is true in so many other towns in the northeast, Beechworth is rich in Ned Kelly history. The government buildings on Ford Street house the imposing HM Training Prison, where he and his mother were incarcerated before the 1880 trial, and the courthouse (daily 9am–5pm; $2) where the fatal trial was held. Opposite, underneath the town hall, is the grim cell where he was imprisoned as a teenager (daily 10am–4pm; 20¢)

The Burke Museum on Loch Street (daily 9am–4.30pm; $5) displays relics of the goldrush and tells the story of the Chinese miners who flocked here. The museum is dedicated to the explorer Robert O’Hara Burke, one-time Superintendent of Police in Beechworth, who perished with William John Wills on their historic journey from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Burke Museum was established in 1863. The building has been classified by the National Trust. It houses an extensive library relating to Beechworth's early history. Collections relate to gold mining, Kelly gang. Chinese community and Local geology. Open daily Loch Street.

On Last Street there’s the century-old Murray Brewery Cellars (daily 9am–5pm; free), which has displays of old bottles and brewery machinery.

The Rock Cavern on Camp Street (same hours; free), exhibits gemstones and minerals. On Railway Avenue, in the goods shed of the old train station, is the National Trust Carriage Museum (daily 10am–noon & 1–4pm; $2), whose twenty beautifully restored examples include a Cobb & Co stagecoach.

The five-kilometre, one-way route of the Gorge Scenic Drive begins at Sydney Road and ends at Bridge Street, along the western edge of the town. It includes the famous Spring and Reid creeks, which supported eight thousand diggers in 1852, as well as natural features such as Flat Rock, Telegraph Rock and Woolshed Falls. The route also passes the granite powder magazine (daily 10am–noon & 1–4pm; $2), formerly a storehouse for blasting powder and now a National Trust museum.

Beechworth Historic Courthouse is 1 step back in time. Restored in 1984 it features original furniture and fittings. It was the scene of the trials of Ned Kelly, the "Kelly Gang" and Harry Power. Stand in Ned Kelly's Dock and give us your verdict.
94 Ford Street

North East Victoria's original and most admired gallery. This gallery was established in 1974 in a former wine and spirit merchant's store - incorporating three levels of arts & crafts, artwork and giftware. Open seven days a week. Corner Myrtleford Road

Practicalities

There’s a very good choice of B&B accommodation in Beechworth: try Rose Cottage, 42 Camp St or the newly converted coachhouse behind the Bank Restaurant at 86 Ford St, which has two stylish suites. Another good-value place is The Priory, on Priory Lane (a continuation of Loch Street), almost at the corner of Church Street, a historic B&B with very reasonably priced singles. If you want peace and quiet, it’s best to come at the weekend, when the school groups have gone. The Hibernian Hotel, on the corner of Camp and Lochiel streets, and Tanswells Commercial Hotel, 30 Ford St, are historic pubs that also offer B&B accommodation.

The latter has been continuously licensed since 1853 and has pleasant bars and bistro food. The Beechworth Bakery, 27 Camp St (daily 6.30am–6pm), sells delicious pies, bread, cakes and pastries, and on sunny days you can have breakfast on the balcony. A good, though expensive, place for lunch or dinner is The Parlour & Pantry at 69 Ford St (lunch Wed–Mon, dinner Thurs–Sun during the holiday season; licensed and BYO), where only local produce is used in the imaginative dishes, which are complemented by an extensive wine list. If you really want to splurge, head for the Bank Restaurant, in the Bank of Australia building at 86 Ford St (licensed; tel 03/5728 2223). Depending on the day, dinners will either be formal and candlelit (Thurs–Sat) or a simpler, more rustic affair (Mon–Wed & Sun).

V/Line has a bus service from Wangaratta to Beechworth, and further on to Brught (2–3 daily Mon–Fri, 1 daily Sat & Sun; tel 13 6196), and Beechworth Buslines (tel 03/5722 1843) has a service twice daily (Mon–Fri) from Beechworth to Albury and Wodonga.