Beechworth

Beechworth
Victoria

Panorama of Beechworth town centre
Beechworth
Coordinates 36°21′34″S 146°41′13″E / 36.35944°S 146.68694°E / -36.35944; 146.68694Coordinates: 36°21′34″S 146°41′13″E / 36.35944°S 146.68694°E / -36.35944; 146.68694
Population 2,789 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s) 3747
Elevation 560 m (1,837 ft)
Location
LGA(s) Shire of Indigo
State electorate(s) Benambra
Federal Division(s) Indi
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
18.4 °C
65 °F		 7.8 °C
46 °F		 947.8 mm
37.3 in
Localities around Beechworth:
Rutherglen wine region
Glenrowan Beechworth Alpine Valleys
Woolshed Creek
Beechworth historic precinct in Ford Street

Beechworth is a well-preserved historical town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s. At the 2011 census, Beechworth had a population of 2,789.

Beechworth's many historical buildings are well preserved and the town has re-invented itself and evolved into a popular tourist destination and growing wine-producing centre.

Beechworth was the winner of 2009/2010 Australian Tidy Towns Awards. As well as winning the overall Australian title, Beechworth won the Dame Phyllis Frost Litter Prevention award sponsored by Hungry Jack's "Bag it & Bin it" program, the Energy Innovation award and received commendation in the Heritage & Culture category award.[2]

History

Originally used for grazing by the settler David Reid, the area was known as Mayday Hills until 1853, when it was renamed Beechworth. The Post Office opened on 1 May 1853 as Spring Creek and was renamed Beechworth on 1 January 1854.[3]

Gold

In its golden heyday from 1852–1857, this was a fabulous gold region and centre of government; but its power, wealth and influence were short lived. At its wildest moments of gold discoveries, Woods related how an early party of prospectors retrieved a pan of gold weighing 14 pounds (6.4 kg) 14 lb (about 7 kg).(p. 10.) Another lucky party, said Woods, cleared some 50 pounds (23 kg)50 lb (approx. 25 kg) of gold in a week.(p. 16.) And so began a rush into this remote region. During the first election campaign in 1855, one candidate, Daniel Cameron, rode a horse shod with solid gold horseshoes. The extravagance of this event is still commemorated as the logo for Beechworth is a golden horseshoe.

At the time, Beechworth was far removed from the centre of colonial administration in Melbourne both in distance and time taken to travel. The local debates around the potential railway into Beechworth encompassed a broad gauge (5 ft 3 in/​1,600 mm) option or a narrow gauge (2 ft 6 in/​762 mm) system, between Wangaratta and Beechworth and these debates and options appeared in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser newspaper. Ironically, in the 1890s a narrow gauge system did eventuate nearby, running from Wangaratta to Whitfield. Finally,a railway, the broad gauge, arrived at Beechworth in September 1876,[4] but by that stage the town and its gold production was waning. Unfortunately the rail line was closed in 1977 and dismantled, after 101 years of service.

During its boom times, Beechworth town boasted a range of industries including, a tannery, jewellers, boot makers, a brewery, blacksmiths, 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.

Beechworth State Bank of Victoria

In its golden days, men and women arrived from, the USA, United Kingdom and China. At its peak, Beechworth town had over 3,100 residents.[5] Surrounding areas and mining camps sprang up as thousands of miners rushed into areas such as Spring Creek, Reedy Creek, Silver Creek, the Nine Mile Creek and the Woolshed increasing the population on the Ovens to around 22,000.[6] The Chinese were not allowed to live in Beechworth town and resided on the outskirts. Numerous controls and enforced regulations and licence checks existed against the Chinese miners.(see: Woods; also McWaters; also O'Brien; and Cronin). Beechworth Cemetery has a large preserved section of early Chinese miners/pioneers. The presence of the Chinese goldminers around Beechworth and throughout Victoria's north-eastern region created social unrest and these are recorded in O'Brien's; Woods'; and Cronin's works below.

Notable figures

Like many Australian country towns associated with the early goldfields, Beechworth had its share of colourful characters and villains. Among the infamous during the 1870s was the one-time Livery Stable owner, later the 'Dog Officer', at some other time the 'Pound Officer' and another time shire revenue officer, John Phelan.[7] Phelan was a continual litigant, correspondent to the newspapers and advertiser. His official and officious escapades were mockingly reported in the local paper.[8]

Robert O'Hara Burke

Robert O'Hara Burke, leader of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition was stationed in Beechworth as Senior Inspector of Police from 1854 to 1857.[9] Policeman John Sadleir, one of the Kelly Gang pursuers, was also stationed in Beechworth during its early days.(Harvey)

The Burke Museum is located in Loch Street and holds a rich source of primary materials on Beechworth and the surrounding districts golden past. Source materials include newspapers, photos, artefacts, clothings, paintings, exhibitions, published local histories and unpublished theses on the district and displays dating back to the gold discoveries, early Chinese miners and workings of the 1850s. For family and academic researchers this museum is a gold mine.

Ned Kelly

The outlaw Ned Kelly had many links to Beechworth – he spent time in HM Prison Beechworth and fought a famous boxing bout with Isaiah "Wild" Wright in the back of a local hotel.[10] Aaron Sherritt and Joe Byrne of the Kelly Gang came from the Woolshed goldmining camp, outside of Beechworth town. It was in Beechworth gaol that twenty-one men, suspected Kelly Gang supporters, relatives and other sympathisers were held without trial or evidence for over three months, by the Chief Commissioner of Police Captain Standish, under the Outlawry Act.[11]

George B. Kerferd

George B. Kerferd (1836–1889) a longtime resident of Beechworth became a Premier of Victoria and was a major participant in ensuring Beechworth had a railway connection to Melbourne.

John Buckley Castieau

Castieau (1831–1885) was the Prison Governor at Beechworth from 1856 to 1869. The prison, famous for its huge granite walls was known as Castieau's castle. As the Governor of the Melbourne gaol in 1880 he was an official witness to the hanging of Ned Kelly. His diaries were later published (2004) as The Difficulties of My Position. In this book a drawing from the Australian Sketcher, 14 August 1880 shows Castieau sitting with Ned Kelly during his remand (p. 278) and also a photo of his signature as one of the witnesses to the Kelly hanging (p. viii).

Sir Albert Edward (Bert) Chadwick

Born in 1897 died in 1983. Sportsman, businessman and sports administrator.[12]

Alfred William, Foster

Born in 1886 died in 1962. Judge.[13]

Newspapers

In its golden heyday Beechworth boasted two influential newspapers: The Ovens and Murray Advertiser and The Constitution and Mining Intelligencer. These papers engaged in fierce competition and for a while were daily issues. The papers circulated far and wide throughout the district and the colony of Victoria.(O'Brien) Both papers represented the views of their respective readerships sometimes to the exclusion of all others.(O'Brien) Even today, these old papers are an important historical research tool, as most editions from the early 1850 survive and are micro-filmed and are available at the Burke Museum, and most state and National libraries throughout Australia. These two local papers provide rich primary sources for many historians of Beechworth and its surrounds, plus the Kelly Gang historians.(See: Woods (1985); McMahon (2000); Lane (1978); McQuilton (1979); Jones (1995); McWaters (2002); O'Brien (2005); and Wild & McMahon (2006))

The Ovens and Murray Advertiser still survives as a local paper.

Tourism

Beechworth Gallery.

Beechworth is a popular tourist destination. Attractions include Ned Kelly themed displays at the old court house and Ned Kelly Weekend on Friday 6 to Sunday 8 August 2010, which is Australia’s most significant annual celebration of the Kelly legend it commemorates the anniversary of the outlaw’s committal hearing held in the historic Beechworth Courthouse from 6 to 11 August 1880. Other popular draws to the area are its many annual festivals, including the famous Golden Horseshoes Festival Easter Parade through centre of town, The Burke Museum, waterfalls, Gun Powder Magazine, Newtown Bridge (Stone Bridge), Tail Race (Mining Race), Spring Creek Water Falls, Spring Creek Gorge, Beechworth Lunatic Asylum ghost tours, lakes, historic buildings, goldfields, walks, the Beechworth Bakery, Award-winning Bridge road brewery, the Beechworth lolly shop and night tours, the award-winning restaurants and wineries. The town is one end point of the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail.

Sport

The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Tallangatta & District Football League.[14]

Golfers play at the Beechworth Golf Club[15] on Balaclava Road.[16] A dedicated cross country and downhill mountain biking track, the Beechworth Mountain Bike Park, is maintained by the Beechworth Chain Gang Mountain Bike Club.[17]

Books on Beechworth

Beechworth Old Priory

Considering the present nature of the town, a surprising range and variety of books exist on Beechworth town, its adjoining goldfield camps, its surrounds and its heady goldfield days. These include numerous histories, a treasure of local histories, theses, material on bushrangers, police, Chinese, riots, the coming and going of the railway and novels set in the district.

Histories

Local Histories

Unpublished theses

Biography

Novels set in part around Beechworth

1. 'Bye-Bye Dolly Gray' Author: O'Brien, Antony / Website: http://www.webquestdirect.com.au/dollygray/ Artillery Publishing, Hartwell, 2006.] Local lads go to the Boer War and get into more strife than Ned Kelly.

2. 'Four Fires' Author: Courtenay, Bryce / Website: http://www.brycecourtenay.com/ In a small town, like any other small towns around Australia, live the Maloneys. They are a fifth-generation Australian family of Irish Catholic descent who are struggling to reach the first rung of the social ladder. The Maloneys are a family you won't forget: a strong mother, a father broken by war, three boys and two girls, one of whom has an illegitimate daughter. Each of their lives is changed forever by the four fires – passion, religion, warfare and fire itself. It is set in fictitious town of Yankalillee which is actually Beechworth, Yackandandah region, Victoria, Aus.

Food

Rail

Chinese goldminers in the region

References

  1. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Beechworth (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  2. ↑ "Keep Australia Beautiful". Kab.org.au. 2012-05-28. Retrieved 2013-03-01.
  3. ↑ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, retrieved 2008-04-11
  4. ↑ The Ovens Valley Goldfields Railways Eardley, Gifford Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin December, 1968 pp281-294; January, 1969 1-18
  5. ↑ O'Brien, Shenanignas, pp. 17 - 18.
  6. ↑ Woods, p. 92
  7. ↑ O'Brien, 'Awaiting Ned Kelly' & Jones, The Friendship, p. 29.
  8. ↑ O'Brien
  9. ↑ http://www.beechworth.com.au/robertoharaburke.htm
  10. ↑ http://www.beechworth.com.au/nedkelly.htm
  11. ↑ Jones, pp. 177–178
  12. ↑ "Australian Dictionary of Biography".
  13. ↑ "Australian Dictionary of Biography".
  14. ↑ Full Points Footy, Beechworth, archived from the original on 16 May 2008, retrieved 2008-07-25
  15. ↑ beechworthgolfclub.com
  16. ↑ Golf Select, Beechworth, retrieved 2009-05-11
  17. ↑ beechworthchaingang.com

External links

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