Self-catering properties
-
1860 Luxury Lodge
- Style
- Refined rusticity
- Setting
- Historic gold-rush town
Beechworth Overview
Australia
- Countryscape
- Golden heritage
- Country life
- Foodies meet fossickers
You won't need a sieve or pan to unearth the riches of this perfectly preserved gold-mining town: glorious architecture, a burgeoning food and wine scene, and rolling countryside.
The streets are paved with gold in Beechworth. Not literally – well, not any more. Within easy reach of Melbourne, this was once one of the largest and wealthiest towns in Victoria, and the legacy of the gold rush years remains with the grand honey-coloured buildings transformed into stylish shops, restaurants and cafés, or preserved as museums. Now the wide streets offer the best of both worlds: a taste of times past (spiced up by outlaw Ned Kelly) combined with the best of the modern world. In recent years, Beechworth – with its pretty farm land and bountiful produce – has also become a pilgrimage for gourmands wanting to eat and drink well while enjoying a break from hectic city life.
Beautifully Beechworth
No other event in Australian history had as big an impact on lives and landscape as the discovery of gold. During the early 1850s, at the height of the gold rush, the population of the area surrounding Beechworth soared to about 30,000, and it’s thought that in the first two years of gold being discovered here about 100,000 ounces were taken from the diggings (today, that amount of precious metal is worth AU$125 million). The impressive infrastructure erected during that time remains, and the town now has more than 30 buildings listed with the National Trust.
Local knowledge
- Taxis
- Beechworth Taxis (+61 (0)3 5728 1485) is your best bet for short journeys around town. If you’re exploring further afield, a rental car is a much better option.
- Tipping culture
- It’s far from expected practice, especially away from the major cities, but for good service a 10 per cent tip will be much appreciated. Round up taxi fares to the nearest dollar.
- Siesta and fiesta
- Most stores are open daily 9am–5.30pm. Restaurants often close Mondays and/or Tuesdays, and sometimes other weekdays during the quieter winter months.
- Packing tips
- Layers – even during summer, nights can turn chilly. A bicycle (although you can hire one at Beechworth Cycles & Saws on Camp Street). Wellies if you want to try panning for your fortune.
- Recommended reads
- Considered the definitive biography of the national legend, Ian Jones’ Ned Kelly: A Short Life weaves a fascinating story about the bushranger who spent his days in this area. Margaret Gee’s A Long Way from Silver Creek: A Memoir tells the tale of three generations of her family who hailed from around Beechworth. For a colourful history of the gold-mining era, read Beechworth: An Australian Country Town and its Past by Tom Griffiths.
- Cuisine
- There is an abundance of appetising produce from this fertile region including fruits – cherries, apricots, apples, berries – vegetables, highly regarded cheeses, chestnuts, walnuts and honey. Look on the menus at restaurants and cafés around town and locally grown ingredients are likely to bag a starring role. There’s also a boutique wine industry producing, among other grapes, chardonnay, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc and shiraz.
- Currency
- Australian dollar (AU$).
- Time zone
- GMT +10.
- Dialling codes
- Country code: +61; Victoria: (0)3 (drop the zero if dialling from outside Australia).
- Do go/don't go
- It can be incredibly hot in January – it’s also the middle of Australian school holidays – so be prepared for heat and crowds if you intend visiting Opera in the Alps (see Diary). Spring (September to November) is glorious with a riot of blossoms and bulbs animating the lush green alpine scenery; in autumn (March to May) the European trees change colour and drop their leaves. Avoid visiting on Monday and Tuesday if you intend eating your fill at the town’s beguiling restaurants, as most close early in the week.
Don't go home without...
...trying the macadamia and honey ice-cream dished up at the Beechworth Honey Experience (www.beechworthhoney.com.au) and grabbing a pot of locally produced honey to enjoy on your toast the next morning.
