Beechworth, Victoria

Beechworth is a well-preserved historical town that thrived in the gold rush days back in the 1850’s. The region was originally known as Mayday Hills until regular findings of gold transformed the grazing land into a thriving gold rush town, officially being called Beechworth on the 1st of January 1854.
 
The boom times brought in a large variety of industries to the town, this included a tannery, jewellers, boot makers, a brewery, blacksmiths and livestock sale yards. It had schools, a convent, hotels, a prison with imposing stone walls, a hospital, a mental hospital, court house, police barracks, stage coach companies and a powder magazine.

Watching the sunrise at Lake Kerferd was magnificent, it was awesome to wake up early and jog a trail through the Victorian High Country albeit for the fact I feel over and succumb to a serious cry. The conditions were ideal and the serene atmosphere inspiring.   

Day One

Day Three

Day Seven

Day Eighteen

Echos of History Guided Walking Tour 

This is an Apple Box, But But Eucalyptus Tree measuring approx. 8m in diameter and standing at 23m high. It is said to be over 300 years old and the result of two trees merging together. In the gold-rush era the tree was used as a message board, with messages nailed to the tree. Evidence of which is still visible and is listed on the heritage national trust database.

Walking Tour Guide, Rob. A wealth of fascinating information.

The gold rush days brought people in from the United States, United Kingdom and China, all to try and get a slice of the golden cake. Mining Camps and leases popped up around the region, seeing a population of 3100 soar to 22000 people.
 
Two well known figures of Beechworth are bushranger Ned Kelly, who had many links to the town and Robert O’Hara Burke, the local police officer who embarked on the ill fated Burke and Wills expedition from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
 
The winding narrow challenging roads from Canberra brought us into Beechworth in the afternoon, which welcomed us with blooming autumn flora and streets filled with Victorian Colonial architecture. It was extremely pleasant and even the caravan park was nestled in behind the local Lake Sambell, giving us a beautiful place to stay.

Butchers would hang the carcass of a dead animal on a hook positioned on a verandah post and dissect the meat on the street with the blood running directly into gutter.

often mistaken for sandstone, this is actually granite, painstakingly hand chiseled to form blocks, which many of the buildings during the gold-rush were built in.

Ned Kelly Guided Walking Tour ​

The cell in the Beechworth Courthouse where Ned Kelly spent time prior to sentencing. It is still in the original condition, with the addition of electricity.

The our day kicked off with a run out to Lake Kerferd, which provided great views and a hard fall to the ground that left Gumby with a few nasty scars on the leg which are still with us to this day. The injury brought her much pain but she soldiered on refusing to let it stop any exploring. We got ourselves out to the town and enjoyed a walking tour by a knowledgeable local. The tour was hours of information on Beechworth’s eventful history. Every part of the town had a story to it, of course every building does, but things you would just walk past like an apple box butt butt eucalyptus tree that was used to pin messages on, or a hook on the wall of one of the shops, used to hang dead cattle so it could get pickled to avoid maggots and flies.
 
We got to know the notable locals a bit better. Robert O’Hara Burke was not just a famous explorer but one of the local policemen of the town. Although known for leading explorations, he wasn’t too good of a navigator when finding his way around Beechworth constantly getting lost out bush.
 
Another well-known figure in Beechworth was Ned Kelly; the notorious bushranger had many links to the town. He was a regular visitor of the courthouse and spent two years in the local HM prison, where four of his other gang members and his mother also spent time. Beneath the town hall is a cell where Ned Kelly’s mentor and Bushranger Harry Power spent time in 1863 and 1864. One of his most famous Beechworth events was a boxing match with Isaiah Wright to settle an argument over a horse. The bare-knuckle match endured for an astonishing 20 rounds seeing Kelly come out on top. He created a lot of history in the region with countless acts against the law, from as small as riding over a footpath drunk to being part of one of the most famous gangs in Australian history. His life of 25 years has more documented history than Queen Victoria and most of it lies within the region.
 
It was a big day on the history so we thought the best way to see in the night was a pizza from the local Bridge Road brewery. We also had our first ever beer together, which was the Bridge Road Robust Porter, unbelievably delicious! The only thing that we found disappointing about Beechworth is that we only spent one day there, we were in love with the town. It surprised us with beautiful architecture, scenery and endless chapters of history. The food is amazing and local beer so good that we even gave it a try.