Ned Kelly Weekend to highlight police role in ‘Kelly sideshow’ Friday 7 – Sunday 9 August

The role of the police in the saga of Australia’s most famous bushranger will take centre stage at this year’s Beechworth Ned Kelly Weekend, returning Friday 7 to Sunday 9 August.


As a participant in the Talks by the Experts and Behind the Armour events of this year’s program the noted author, historian and retired Superintendent of the Victoria Police, Dr Robert Haldane, will bring a fascinating insider’s view to some of the lesser-known characters of what he terms ‘the Kelly sideshow’ notably, police officers Michael Kennedy, Michael Scanlan and Thomas Lonigan.


A Victoria Police Museum exhibition, The Police View of the Kelly Gang and Policing the North East will be held at the Sub Treasury Building of the Beechworth Historic & Cultural Precinct, a former gold office and for many years the Beechworth police station.

In addition, authentically re-created events featuring precisely detailed police uniforms of the day from Ned Kelly Weekend organisers, the Beechworth Historical Re-enactment Group (BHRG), will give new prominence to the ‘men in blue’ of the Kelly era.

Australia’s premier Ned Kelly event will also offer a lively program of free and ticketed events, including Western Australia’s Peter Nettleton in the Victorian premiere of his theatrical narrative, Harry Power & the Boy Bushranger, at the historic Courthouse. A host of other Kelly-related events will complete the weekend, including a poetry BBQ, great music, Ned Kelly tours, a heritage market, competitions and conversations with experts on the subject of the life and times of Australia’s most notorious bushranger.


Now in its sixth year and widely regarded as this country’s most important annual celebration of the Kelly legend, the weekend event commemorates the anniversary of the outlaw’s committal hearing held in the Beechworth Courthouse from 6 to 11 August 1880.

This year, Ned’s arrival at the Beechworth Railway Station, his transport to the Courthouse, the committal hearing based on actual court transcripts and his ultimate departure from the Court under police guard for transfer to the Old Melbourne Gaol to meet his ultimate fate will all be brought to life by the BHRG.

Established last year and with a membership of 30 and growing fast, the BRG is a committed living history group which recreates the Beechworth of the period 1852 to 1885, with a special focus on the events surrounding Ned Kelly’s links to the town. Wearing the authentic dress of the day, the BHRG is often seen on the streets of Beechworth and other regional centres taking part in street parades, displays and other commemorative activities including the recent re-enactment of the Kelly Gang robbery of the bank in Euroa in December 1878.

Book online www.beechworthonline.com.au

‘BACKYARD TO FARM GATE’ PRODUCTIVE GARDENS TOUR Tickets Now On Sale

Dates : Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 May 2009
Location: Beechworth and District
Transport: Self drive tour
Directions: Map and information is supplied with a ticket
Hours: Gardens open 10 am – 4 pm both days

Discover some of the productive gardens of Beechworth and district ranging from backyard size to 60 hectares

A small diverse and intensive artisan cottage garden

A family operated extensive garden that is an orchard with a range of tree ripened fruits

A picturesque productive olive grove where the olives are now being harvested
Beechworth Neighbourhood Centre Communal Garden with its great granite rock work and fabulous winter vegetable crop.

A large country garden with a potager, shared vegetable garden and home orchard
This is your chance to taste their produce, get to know the people who grow the food you eat and take some home

Meet passionate gardeners who nurture and cherish their plants and are dedicated to producing fruit and vegetables for their own satisfaction and personal use and the larger scale growers and makers of produce for local and regional markets and their own farm gate sales.

A great way to discover and explore how you can grow your own food in your garden and to savour the harvests delights of gardens on a bigger scale.

In these uncertain times in terms of climate and economic conditions, this is a chance to explore producing fresh food in your own backyard.

Gardens will be open in all weather conditions
Wear comfortable shoes for walking
Bring wet weather gear in case of rain
Visitors are requested to respect the gardens they visit and their plants

Book Tickets Online
Beechworth Visitor Information Centre
Phone: 1300 366 321
Web: www.beechworthonline.com.au

Drive Back in Time on this weekend in Beechworth

This Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 May sees the return of one of Beechworth’s best loved events, Drive Back in Time featuring a fantastic lineup of dozens of cars from days gone by.



Please contact 03 5728 2286 or 0427 282 285 for more information. The Beechworth Old Cranks Motor Club are the event organisers. Their website is at http://www.beechwortholdcranksclub.com


This is a true feast for car enthusiasts and will offer excellent photo opportunities throughout this weekend.

Regional temptations showcased at 2009 Beechworth Harvest Celebration

Beechworth’s sensational Harvest Celebration returns on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 May bigger than ever with a packed program showcasing sublime regional food, wine and beer from more than 50 producers.

Now in its sixteenth year, organisers have for the f irst time partnered with North East Valleys Food & Wine resulting in outstanding representation from across this beautiful part of the world, including the renowned Beechworth, Rutherglen, Milawa and King Valley regions as well as the emerging areas of the Ovens Valley, Kiewa Valley and Glenrowan.

Visitors to Beechworth can enjoy a weekend of meeting local growers and sampling their wares under the big marquee in Ford Street outside the famous Historic & Cultural Precinct.

A host of producers including Beechworth Honey guru Jodie Goldswothy, Beechworth Brewer Ben Kraus, Rutherglen Estate winemaker John Gehrig and Beechworth Bakery’s Tom O’Toole, w ill take centre stage on Saturday and Sunday for an entertaining and educational program of cooking demonstrations, expert advice, tips, tall tales and true.

In addition, some of Beechworth’s top restaurants will weave their magic across the Harvest
Celebration at:
- The Gala Harvest Dinner @ La Trobe with MC Richard Cornish, the author and creative director for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. The three course food and wine/beer-matched dinner on Friday 15 May will mark the official opening of the 2009 event.
- Wardens Chrismont La Zona Harvest Lunch. In true North East Victorian Italian style, the renowned Wardens Food & Wine of Beechworth w ill team with Chrismont Wines of The King Valley to host a memorable lunch experience featuring a four course menu created by Wardens head chef Douglas Elder matched with superb wines from Chrismont.
- Brewers, Beer & Breakfast @ Bridge Road Brewers. A fantastic way to learn the arts of brewing and baking with the crew at Bridge Road Brewers.
- Gigi ’s of Beechworth’s Wild Harvest Lunch, A four course lunch teamed with f ive iconic Beechworth wines presented by the makers, showcasing regional wild ingredients picked, pickled, pressed, pinched and trapped by Allan and the Gigi's crew from local forests and farms.