Beechworth Today

Ned Kelly Weekend 2011 Program is Here!!

2011-07-03T11:59:00.005+10:00

2011 PROGRAM

Please be advised this program is subject to changes

Children are classed as 16 and Under

The Program for the Ned Kelly Weekend 2011 is now available for perusals and bookings.

NOTE: * Ned Kelly Walking Tours, have yet to give official times but we hope to have them up for bookings ASAP.
* For Booking assistance contact 1300 366 321

Indigo Gold Trail Launched

2011-07-03T11:43:00.003+10:00

The Indigo Gold Trail is this months leading article for Pieces of Victoria, which is exciting news as it is then distributed travel media and Tourism operators nationally and internationally. Grats to all those involved in making this project possible
Link to Article

Also watch the new add for the Indigo Gold Trail starring one of our local guides Daniel Goonan

A Ghouly Night on the Town

2011-04-14T14:30:00.003+10:00

Walk in the footsteps of Beechworth's most notorious murderers as you're guided through the heart of old Beechworth

Rugged up, and with umbrella's on hand the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre Staff and Volunteers met up with Miss Fanny Fox at the Beechworth Post Office to be led through the streets and buildings of Beechworth by only lantern light and listen to her ghouly stories of times gone by.

Everyone had a fantastic night and Miss Fanny Fox (Laura) telling of the stories was excellent had everyone hanging on for the next story.

Some Comments from our Staff and Volunteers

I have a new reason to not want to go to the doctors...
- Ellen

Great Historical accounts, fantastic presentation, Interesting places of access
- Rod

Glad we didn't need an umbrella
-Penny

Thanks Beechworth Ghost Tours for the wonderful night =)

Beechworth, Chiltern, Rutherglen & Yackandandah.m2v

2010-11-16T13:05:00.000+11:00

Beechworth gets set for annual Celtic knees-up Celtic Festival returns Friday 5 to Sunday 7 November

2010-10-01T14:40:00.003+10:00

One of Beechworth’s biggest annual celebrations returns soon with a packed weekend program of free and ticketed events including traditional and contemporary Celtic music, dance, workshops and fun for all ages.
In its sixteenth year in 2010 the Celtic Festival looks set to repeat the success of 2009 when thousands of visitors enjoyed a sensational line-up of entertainment from around Australia. This year’s program – from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 November - will again showcase a host of bands and artists in a series of concerts and workshops at indoor and outdoor venues around Beechworth.

They include: the acclaimed Australian Welsh Choir, Sibin, Red Cat, Damien Howard & the Ploughboys, Claymore, Full Circle and Humbug bringing edginess to the ever-popular Bantree and the traditional Scottish pipes. The Colonials, Cassidy's Ceili, Ricketty Bridge, Shirley Power and many more show the depth of the program available for serious Celtic music aficionados across the weekend.
The festival kicks off in true Celtic style on Friday evening with a gala dinner dance featuring a fantastic evening of live entertainment and the highlight, a traditional Haggis Ceremony. Bookings are a must for this event, via the festival website or the Beechworth Information Centre.

On Sunday 7 November Beechworth’s Burke Museum is also getting into the spirit of this year’s occasion with a Wake for its namesake, Irishman, Robert O’Hara Burke, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Burke & Wills expedition and the ill-fated explorer’s connections with Beechworth. The Museum will also unveil a next exhibition dedicated to Burke.

Other highlights from this year’s event include:
• The free Ford Street stage showcasing choirs dancers and a host of entertainers throughout the weekend
• On Saturday, the huge Celtic market in the Historic & Cultural Precinct, Ford Street and the Rotary Market in Queen Victoria Park
• Workshops with leading artists
• The ever-popular lunchtime Parade from 1:30pm Saturday and the spine-tingling balcony pipers at 7.30pm heralding the Massed Bands and Parade at 7:45pm

New committee saddles up for 2011 Golden Horseshoes Festival

2010-10-01T14:38:00.000+10:00

Beechworth’s huge annual Easter celebration, the Golden Horseshoes Festival, will return bigger than ever in 2011 with a new organising committee led by the Beechworth Football and Netball Club (BFNC) driving the three-day program.

President, Adam Fendyk, said the Club’s new role places the festival, Beechworth’s biggest annual event which annually draws crowds of up to 20,000, on a secure footing for the future.

He confirmed the program would again include elements of both historical and cultural significance to the town as well as some new events to suit all tastes and ages.

“We see this as a great opportunity to not only to celebrate the Golden Horseshoes Festival but to use it as a platform from which we can promote Beechworth and more broadly, the whole of Indigo Shire which offers such a fantastic diversity of festivals and events,” Adam Fendyk said today. “This is a way for the BFNC to give back to the town. The businesses and community of Beechworth have been passionate supporters of the Club over many years and we see this as an event that brings benefits to everyone.”

The 2011 program will include the festival favourites including the Carnival in the Police Paddocks, the huge Grand Parade on Easter Saturday, markets, Fun Run and the Easter Egg Hunt with the Easter Bunny on Sunday. The Committee also has an in-principle agreement from the Chain Gang Bike Club for a new family bike ride event on Easter Sunday. Bands and colourful street performers and more street stalls in the popular Camp Street food court will also be a highlight of the Gold Horseshoes celebrations.

Mr Fendyk said the committee was also investigating hosting Saturday evening family events including a fireworks spectacular in Baarmutha Park on Easter Saturday evening.

“The BFNC are genuinely excited about this event and can’t wait to get the show going. With the increased manpower from the football club, we have been lucky to have some of the past GHF committee come on board to share their skills and experience with us to ensure the smooth running of the celebrations”, he said.

LOCALS HAVE A CHANCE TO BE STARS OF THE SILVER SCREEN!

2010-08-30T13:37:00.000+10:00

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is heading to the Indigo Shire from 30 August to 3 September to capture the unique spirit and stories of regional communities in a series of documentary films for the ACMI in the Regions program.

The three communities in Indigo Shire chosen to participate in ACMI in the Regions are Beechworth, Yackandandah and Rutherglen.

Supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria's Major Touring Initiative, ACMI in the Regions, produces short documentaries which are shot on location to celebrate and document the people, character and heritage of regional Victorian townships such as those in the Indigo Shire.

In partnership with the Indigo Shire, ACMI works with community groups developing the concepts for the films. These ideas are distilled into three stories for each town that capture the essence of regional Victoria and the people and places that make up part of the fabric of the modern Australian identity.

ACMI staff are about to travel to Indigo Shire to film the 9 stories on location with the locals. These include one story about the iconic ‘wine bottle’ structure in Rutherglen and its significance to the community, another film about the wealth of craft practitioners in Yackandandah and we will get a chance to see the rarely seen underground tunnels of Beechworth with local expert Dan Goonan.

ACMI will later return for premiere screenings in each town from Indigo Shire. The films also become part of the ACMI Collection, as a state resource, and will be available for all to see through the ACMI website and the Australian Mediatheque. These films are not only an important legacy for the towns, they contribute to our social heritage. Everyone who participates in the films will receive a copy on DVD to keep and share.

ACMI Content Development Manager Kim Montgomery says that ACMI values its engagement with regional Victoria.

“ACMI is proud to be making these films in the regions. The uniqueness of our approach is that it involves the local residents and community groups in regional towns, helping them to document their histories and capture their own stories about why people live, work and play in their towns. The resulting mini-documentaries are moving and fascinating records for the region, all Australians and the world,” she said.

Collectors to find treasure at new Indigo Antique Week

2010-08-21T11:48:00.001+10:00

Lovers of antiques and collectables are set to flock to the historic towns of Chiltern, Beechworth, Rutherglen and Yackandandah next week as part of the new Indigo Antique Week in Indigo Shire.

Visiting the many antique and secondhand stores dotted around Shire, the tours depart from Wodonga next Tuesday 24 August and from Wangaratta on 26 August, ahead of the opening of one of Australia’s leading regional antique fairs in Chiltern from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 August.

In its twelfth year in 2010, the Chiltern Antique Fair is organised by Chiltern Tourism Association’s Erika Hansen, and annually attracts dozens of dealers from across Victoria, NSW and South Australia.

A must for serious collectors, bargain hunters and anyone in search of the rare and the unusual, the Chiltern Antique Fair includes specialist stalls featuring furniture, fine china, lace, antique jewellery, glass and much more.

Media are invited to the launch of Indigo Antique Week and the Chiltern Antique Fair at antique store, Chiltiques on Conness St, Chiltern on Friday 20 August at 11am by the Federal Member for Indi, Sophie Mirabella (herself a keen collector) and Indigo Shire Mayor, Cr Bernard Gaffney.

Indigo Antique Week tours are being run by Wodonga-based Chelbec Tour, phone 0423 745 930.

Alice Springs Beanie Festival 2010 People’s Choice Award Winner

2010-08-16T15:14:00.000+10:00

This year’s winner was a creation by one of our region’s enthusiastic and talented felters Julie Pfeiffer from Granya. She is a member of North East Yarns which is a group of local spinners, weavers, knitters and felters promoting the use of natural fibres. Her work is entitled “Butterflies in My Garden” and the name becomes self evident when the piece is actually seen.

The winning entry will be on special display at the Old Schoolhouse Gallery at 17 Loch Street Beechworth (Opposite the Burke Museum) from Friday 27th August to Friday 10th September.

Kelly Gang together again - ABC Goulburn Murray - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

2010-08-10T10:52:00.000+10:00

Kelly Gang together again - ABC Goulburn Murray - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

2010-08-03T17:14:00.002+10:00

Couple of items for those visiting the Indigo shire. Friday August 27 sees the start of our Chiltern antique fair. Always bigs crowds drawn by the treasures and objects of curiosity on display.
Also, those that love all things natural are desperately needed to volunteer their services at Kangaloola wildlife rescue. People to feed and spend time with the animals are in high demand.
For more information, please visit www.beechworthonline.com.au or www.uniqueyackandandah.com.au .

2010-07-23T16:45:00.001+10:00

Beechworth’s famous Ned Kelly Weekend returns from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 August 2010 with a lively program of re-enactments, theatre, music, displays, competitions and talks by leading authorities on the subject of the life and times of Australia’s most notorious bushranger. For only the fourth time all four suits of Kelly gang armour will come togethor on display.

2010-07-20T16:51:00.001+10:00

Oh boy...went to Murray Breweries in Beechworth to try their turn of the century cordial recipes, most outstanding. Some of the best were...
Chilli Punch, Lemon Ginger, Cloves Lemon, Lime & Bitters, Spiced Apple, Brewed Ginger, Peppermint, Sarsaparilla, Mint Julep, Lime Juice, Raspberry, Vinegar, Portello, St Clements.

Beechworth set for Ned Kelly Weekend 2010

2010-07-20T12:08:00.001+10:00

Beechworth’s famous annual Ned Kelly Weekend returns in just over two weeks, from 6 to 8 August with a lively program of events for the whole family including the return on Saturday 7 August of the acclaimed production, The Jerilderie Letter.

“In Lloyd Jones’ production, Kelly's shaved, white, severed head -- a death mask on a plinth -- does the talking. Peter Finlay is the actor. And what a mighty, controlled, hypnotic recitation he gives!”
Chris Boyd, Herald Sun Theatre Reviewer

Actor, Peter Finlay’s masterful performance of the bushranger’s explosive ‘manifesto’ has mesmerised audiences and critics alike since its debut at Melbourne’s La Mama theatre in 2007. The theatrically staged production sees the actor as Ned Kelly’s death mask, reciting all 8000 words of the iconic Jerilderie Letter with stunning visual images and music accompanying the performance. The production first appeared at the Ned Kelly Weekend in front of a rapt Historic Courthouse audience in 2008.

Beginning with a low, rhythmic murmur slowly bringing the words of the letter to life, Peter Finlay’s performance builds to a crescendo as he summons all the anger, outrage, violence and grief of the bushranger who was very much on borrowed time when he penned the famous document in Jerilderie.

The production is one of many special events of the 2010 Ned Kelly Weekend which this year commemorates the 130th anniversary of the committal hearing of the bushranger at the Beechworth Courthouse in August 1880. Other highlights include:
• The chance to meet the original cast of the classic TV miniseries, The Last Outlaw - including John Jarrett and Sigrid Thornton - at a gala cocktail party at La Trobe at Beechworth on Saturday 7 August from 7:30pm
• An exhibition on loan from the State Library of Victoria and the Victoria Police Museum of all four original suits of armour worn by Ned Kelly and the Gang
• On Sunday 8 August, a packed program of readings, re-enactments, talks, performances as well as a Geoffrey Robertson-style Hypothetical, The Tribulations of Eduardo & his Friends featuring an all-star panel of experts and commentators

2010-07-16T17:29:00.001+10:00

Big weekend in Yackandandah. Sunday sees the Lions Market, starting at 9am. Massive crowds expected with treasures galore.
But wait, there's more. After spending the week taking in all the Yackandandah action, you can round it off by visiting our Yackandandah Cinema, Friday 23/7 @ 7pm, to view the new release... 'Marmaduke'.

Melbourne Playground Playground - Lake Sambell, McConville Ave, Beechworth

2010-07-11T11:26:00.000+10:00

Melbourne Playground Playground - Lake Sambell, McConville Ave, Beechworth

2010-07-06T15:52:00.000+10:00

Another four weeks to what is shaping up to be a big weekend at Beechworth (August 6-8). Which is of course the Ned Kelly 130th Anniversary, including re-enactments, an exhibition of the genuine Kelly Gang Armour and more.
August 27 also sees the start of the three day annual Chiltern antique fair. One of the biggest and most popular antique fairs in Australia.
For more information, visit www.beechworthonline.com.au .

2010-07-02T17:37:00.001+10:00

While the rest of the state has been draped in drizzle, Indigo shire has enjoyed a spectacular viewing of multiple rainbows. Don't miss your chance, follow the rainbow to our pot of gold.

2010-06-29T16:44:00.000+10:00

The Beechworth big Ned Kelly weekend, August 6 - 8 is drawing closer. Don't miss the chance to see the authentic Kelly Gangs armour come togethor in one place. Also marvel at the re-enactments, exhibitions, food and fashion.

Regent Honeyeater

2010-06-22T16:26:00.002+10:00

For all our birdlovers. There have been some recent releases of Regent Honeyeaters into the Chiltern National Park, in an effort to boost numbers. These are a threatened woodland species, with less than 1000 left in Australia, 100 being in Victoria.

Ned Kelly Weekend reunites Last Outlaw stars Sigrid Thornton & John Jarratt

2010-06-16T16:58:00.000+10:00

The original all-star cast of the classic 1980 Australian miniseries, The Last Outlaw, will reunite in Beechworth for the first time as a highlight of this year’s sensational Ned Kelly Weekend program from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 August.

Sigrid Thornton, John Jarratt, Steve Bisley, Gerard Kennedy and Lewis Fitzgerald are among the 12 members of the original line-up of this acclaimed TV production reuniting in Beechworth for the weekend celebrations. The Last Outlaw was written and co-produced by Beechworth local and Ned Kelly expert, Ian Jones.

Visitors to the annual Ned Kelly Weekend – this year commemorating the 130th anniversary of the committal hearing of the bushranger at the Beechworth courthouse – will have a chance to mingle with the cast at a gala cocktail party at La Trobe at Beechworth on Saturday 7 August from 7:30pm.

Some of the actors including John Jarratt who played Ned Kelly will also take part in the Friday evening opening event at the Nicholas Hotel at 7:30pm - Fiddles, Fisticuffs, Food and Fashions.

And to celebrate The Last Outlaw reunion in Beechworth, an exhibition of memorabilia from the production will be displayed at the Burke Museum in Loch Street, including the armour worn by John Jarratt, scripts, posters, costumes and much more. Visitors will be able to browse the museum’s other Kelly exhibits which are part of its permanent collection. The exhibition will be launched at a special opening event at the Burke on Friday 6 August at 5pm.

The events are part of a packed three day program of re-enactments, talks by expert historians, theatre, a Hypothetical and the exhibition of all four suits of original Kelly Gang armour, on loan from the State Library of Victoria and the Victoria Police Museum.

The Ned Kelly Weekend, organised by the Beechworth Historical Re-enactment Group (BHRG), is in its seventh year in 2010. Tickets for many events are selling fast so Ned Kelly Weekend enthusiasts are urged to book quickly to avoid missing out.
Full program details and bookings at www.beechworthonline.com.au

Indigo towns set for bumper Queen’s Birthday weekend

2010-06-09T10:54:00.002+10:00

Visitors to Indigo Shire’s suite of perfectly preserved historic
towns will be spoiled for choice this Queen’s Birthday Weekend with the return of some of the region’s most popular annual events.

Over 200 works by local and interstate artists will be on show and for sale at Chiltern’s annual Visual Art Exhibition at the Memorial Hall, officially opening this Friday 11 June at 7pm and continuing until Tuesday 15 June.

This year $2000 in prize money will be awarded to winners judged the best in categories including photographic, two dimensional and three dimensional works as well as the $500 Indigo Award for Emerging Artists under 25. A special preview will be held for elderly and disabled visitors this Friday, for school groups on Tuesday 9 June.
Full details: Chiltern Visitor Information Centre, phone 03 5726 1611 or go to www.chilternvc.com

In Rutherglen this long weekend, Australia’s original wine festival, the Winery Walkabout, returns with a packed program of gourmet dinners and beautiful breakfasts, great live music from artists including Daryl Braithwaite and Diesel and dancing. Wine lovers can take their official Rutherglen Winery Walkabout Tasting Glass, Holder & Passport to all participating Rutherglen wineries, where they can taste and compare the latest new release vintages from this famous winegrowing region.
Full details: Winemakers of Rutherglen, phone 1300 787 929 or www.rutherglenvic.com

Rutherglen’s Main Street will also be transformed into one of the biggest outdoor fairs in the country this Sunday when the Rotary Club presents its huge annual fundraiser. Stretching the entire length of Main Street, the Rutherglen Country Fair boasts more than 350 stalls as well as a great program of entertainment for the whole family including barrel rolling competitions, grape treading and live music. Full details: phone (02) 6032 7054 or www.rutherglenrotary.org

Beechworth - Loads Of Clothes Market - Buy & Sell. Racks packed with quality clothing! Beechworth Memorial Hall, Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th June, 2 Days Only! 9am to 3pm. Quality Pre-Loved adult, kids shoes, clothes, hats, coats, scarves, accessories, jewellery, boots, belts, bags and & much more!!!

THE TRIBULATIONS OF EDUARDO: A HYPOTHETICAL

2010-06-08T10:42:00.000+10:00

A Geoffrey Robertson-style Hypothetical presenting the Ned Kelly saga within a 21st Century context promises to be a highlight of this year’s famous Ned Kelly Weekend, returning to Beechworth from 6 to 8 August.

Taking place at 11:15am on Sunday 8 August at Beechworth’s Memorial Hall, The Tribulations of Eduardo: A Hypothetical, will feature a high profile panel of commentators and experts including Inspector David Ryan of the Victoria Police, recently retired Supreme Court Judge Phillip Cummins, the Member for Indi, Sophie Mirabella MP, ABC Goulburn Murray radio presenter Gaye Pattison, the Anglican Bishop of Wangaratta, Bishop John Parkes and other leading community and political figures.

Following the pattern of the well-known hypotheticals conducted by Geoffrey Robertson QC, the moderator, ABC Statewide Drive Presenter, Kathy Bedford will set the scene then let the panel loose on a whodunit tale of theft, murder, protected witnesses, sentencing, refugees, murder and the media.

“The purpose of the Hypothetical is to show things as they are by showing what they may become,” says event organiser, Bill Wilson. “By bringing Ned Kelly’s story into the present, we will be exploring a range of important questions relating to today’s societal problems.”

“Hopefully it will spark plenty of lively debate and follow thought-provoking journeys into some of the more pressing socio-economic issues confronting Australians in 2010,” Bill Wilson said.

This year is the seventh Ned Kelly Weekend, marking the 130th anniversary of the committal hearing of Australia’s most notorious bushranger in the Beechworth Courthouse in August 1880. Tickets for many events are selling fast so Ned Kelly Weekend enthusiasts are urged to book quickly to avoid missing out.
Full program details and bookings at www.beechworthonline.com.au

Rare Kelly artefacts to go on show in Beechworth

2010-06-02T09:39:00.000+10:00

A hand-drawn map of the site of the Stringybark Creek ambush by the sole surviving police officer and Ned Kelly’s bloodstained cartridge bag recovered in the aftermath of the Glenrowan siege are two of the precious Victoria Police Museum objects to be displayed in Beechworth during this year’s Ned Kelly Weekend from 6 to 8 August.

The artefacts, several of which have been on public display for the first time, are part of the Museum’s fascinating Ambushed exhibition which has enjoyed a successful run in Melbourne since January.

The Beechworth exhibition, which will be mounted in the Sub Treasury Building of the Historic & Cultural Precinct, is a coup for this year’s Ned Kelly Weekend, with the first display of the Ambushed objects outside Melbourne.

Event organisers, the Beechworth Historical Re-enactment Group (BHRG) are pleased to have secured the exhibition as it offers another perspective on the Kelly saga: “We are very mindful of providing a balanced program of events that tell the Kelly story from all sides,” says BHRG president, Adam Wynne-Jenkins.

One hundred and thirty years after his trial and hanging in Melbourne, Australia’s most notorious bushranger still provokes passionate debate. Acknowledging this wide spectrum of opinion in the Australian community, the BHRG have this year made a concerted effort to examine events from a range of different perspectives.

“The 2010 program also features an exhibition of all four suits of armour worn by the Kelly Gang, as well as talks about Ned’s life and family and a theatrical staging of The Jerilderie Letter,” Adam Wynne-Jenkins said. “The Ambushed exhibition offers a police perspective on events of the time, a re-reading of the first Kerferd Oration provides a community perspective and a talk focusing on judge Sir Redmond Barry who sentenced Ned Kelly to hang, completes the story from all sides.”

This year is the seventh Ned Kelly Weekend, marking the 130th anniversary of the committal hearing of Ned Kelly in the Beechworth Courthouse in August 1880.

Tickets for many events are selling fast so Ned Kelly Weekend enthusiasts are urged to book quickly to avoid missing out. Full program details and bookings at www.beechworthonline.com.au

Christine Nixon to deliver this year’s Kerferd Oration

2010-05-25T12:55:00.001+10:00

Christine Nixon, the head of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction & Recovery Authority, will deliver the Kerferd Oration this year in Beechworth.

Ms Nixon’s oration, entitled “Revealing the hidden strengths and talents of communities”, will be delivered at the Kerferd Conference Centre at La Trobe Beechworth on Sunday July 25.

Indigo Mayor Cr Bernard Gaffney said Ms Nixon was the perfect choice for this year’s Orator.

“As Chair of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority she would have many insights into the hidden strengths and talents of the communities she has visited that have been devastated by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfire,” Cr Gaffney said.

“This is not her first visit to our shire – she came to Stanley last November to talk to people who had been affected by the February 7 bushfire and get their feedback on the recovery process.

“We are delighted she has agreed to be this year’s Orator and we look forward to her insights on the strengths of communities.”

Under Ms Nixon’s leadership, the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction & Recovery Authority is working with communities, businesses, charities, local councils and other government departments to help people rebuild after the Black Saturday bushfire that claimed the lives of 173 people and destroyed communities. Her focus is on helping communities recover and rebuild in a way that is safe, timely, efficient, cost effective and respectful of each community’s different needs.

Before joining the authority, Ms Nixon was the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police leading 14,000 staff across more than 500 sites.

As in the past, this year’s Kerferd Oration is a free community event supported by WAW Credit Union, La Trobe Beechworth and Indigo Shire Council. It starts at 11am in the Kerferd Conference Centre at La Trobe Beechworth on Sunday 25 July. Tickets are not required.

Last year more than 500 people came to hear World Vision Australia CEO Rev Tim Costello AO talk about Community Values for a World in Need. Other past Orators include Professor Tim Flannery, then Deputy Premier John Thwaites, Cathy McGowan AO, Prof Henry Brodaty AO, Barbara Holborow OAM and the late John Harber Phillips AC.

The annual Kerferd Oration is named after one of the founding fathers of Beechworth, George Briscoe Kerferd, whose illustrious career in public office culminated in his elevation to the office of Victorian Premier in 1874.

$1000s in prizes on offer as 2010 Easter Golden Horseshoes Festival gathers steam

2010-02-25T10:10:00.000+11:00

With just weeks to go, preparations are in full swing for Beechworth’s biggest annual event, the Golden Horseshoes Festival, taking place across the Easter long weekend from Good Friday 2 to Easter Sunday 4 April.

This year’s major festival fundraiser is a Monster Raffle, offering more than $7000 in prizes donated by local businesses including, again this year, a fabulous $2000 golden egg from Beechworth Gold.

Golden Horseshoes Festival committee members are currently out in force armed with raffle tickets for sale at the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre and a variety of local businesses including the newsagency and hardware store as well as at Centro Albury on Tuesday 23 February and Friday and Saturday, 19 & 20 March and at Centro Lavington on Thursday 4 and Friday 5 March.

The raffle will be drawn at 2pm on Sunday 4 April in the Chinese Gardens at Lake Sambell. Proceeds will go towards this year’s Festival program, which returns, bigger and better than ever with traditional favourites including the spectacular Grand Parade which annually commemorates and re-enacts the historic ride through the streets of Beechworth in November 1855 by newly elected Victorian MP, Daniel Cameron on a horse shod with real gold shoes.

Returning this year are Rotary’s huge Easter Craft Market in the Queen Victoria Gardens and the Beechworth Neighborhood Centre’s Paddy’s Market crammed with dozens of stalls of second-hand furniture, collectables and bric-a-brac.

Other program highlights include spectacular roving entertainment from the Festive Factory, buskers, a huge Easter Egg Hunt with the Easter Bunny, live music from acclaimed artists, Nick Barker and Lee Rosser on the Camp St stage, a food court and the sensational Itchy Feet Pep Band from Melbourne.

Family fun also includes the Museum of Victoria’s Discovery Program with its fascinating display of artifacts from the Museum’s collection, as well as a special Kites for Kids event on Easter Sunday.

Run for the third consecutive year by a local community committee, the Golden Horseshoes Festival annually attracts thousands of visitors to the town. Committee President Kathryn Osmond urged local groups and individuals to get into the spirit of the festival and dress up, enter a float, buy a raffle ticket or just pull up a chair in the food court and soak up the unique ambience of Easter in Beechworth.

Opera In The Alps is a sell out

2010-01-10T09:52:00.003+11:00

Tickets have sold out to the Bev Marks Australia - Opera In The Alps Saturday 16 January 2010

Mayday Hills Oval
La Trobe at Beechworth

Marina Prior Soprano
David Hobson Tenor
Benjamin Northey Conductor
Opera in the Alps Choir and Orchestra

Australian Music Events is pleased to announce the return, by popular demand, of two of Australia's most popular performers, MARINA PRIOR and DAVID HOBSON. They will be joined by 100-voices and 50-piece orchestra led by one of Australia's most exciting conductors, BENJAMIN NORTHEY

Enjoy a relaxing evening of fine food, wine and classical favourites under the stars, in the picturesque grounds of LaTrobe at Beechworth.

Kelly Antique Photographics in Beechworth - January 2010

2010-01-10T09:48:00.002+11:00

For a unique souvenir of your journey back in time, step inside Kelly Antique Photo graphics studio, located behind the Beechworth Memorial Hall and the Burke Museum. Let us put you in the picture, just as it was done 100 years ago.

Open: 10.30am -3.30pm
Weekends, Public Holidays and the Victorian School Holidays

What are you doing for New Years? See you at The Stanley

2009-12-26T13:06:00.002+11:00

The Stanley
New Years Eve
Thursday, 31 December 2009
DINNER & LIVE MUSIC
Four Course Set Menu
$75.00 per person

Live Music Featuring
Mel Tompkins & Rebecca Humphreys
Mel originally from Canada, renowned as a talented vocalist & multi-instrumentalist. Mel enjoys the versatility of many instruments & styles. A fingerstyle guitar virtuoso… Also plays Banjo, Fiddle, Mandolin & Tin Whistle.
Bec, a talented fiddler and vocalist is part of an all female acoustic trio “Bhan Tre”, and plays a repertoire of traditional Irish tunes and songs and a selection of original songs with a Celtic flavour
Bec also used to be part of the infamous “shortcut to mushrooms”

Two of North East Victoria’s finest musicians entertain with a variety of songs, humour and versatility of instrumentation. If you enjoy a taste of something traditional and contemporary in the modern folk scene then don’t miss these talented artists.

Live from 9.00pm-12.30am
ALL WELCOME – BUS SERVICE AVAILABLE

ABN 70363781199
1 Wallace Street, Stanley VIC 3747
Ph: 03 5728 6502 Fax: 03 5728 6602
email: info@thestanley.com.au web: www.thestanley.com.au

Sunny days, star-studded nights, packed events calendar offer perfect Summer holiday mix for Indigo visitors

2009-12-16T14:45:00.000+11:00

Visitors to the picturesque and historic towns and villages of Indigo Shire are spoiled for choice during January with a smorgasbord of sensational free and ticketed events to suit all ages, tastes and pockets.

The Henry Handel Richardson Birthday Weekend in Chiltern on 2 & 3 January kicks off Indigo Shire’s 2010 calendar. The event, which continues a tradition begun 40 years ago on the centenary of her birth, celebrates the historic town’s links with one of Australia’s greatest authors. The program includes a special birthday dinner, eminent guest speakers, the premiere of a new documentary about her life and work and an evening picnic in the grounds of her one-time childhood home, the National Trust-owned Lake View House.
Tickets are selling fast for one of the region’s most popular annual drawcards, Opera in the Alps on Saturday 16 January. Staged under the stars and among the stately Shining Gums of LaTrobe at Beechworth, this year’s concert promises to be another memorable event showcasing the combined talents of soprano Marina Pryor and tenor David Hobson (pictured above).

The wineries of Rutherglen and Wahgunyah are also offering a host of fantastic activities and events throughout the month including Cinema in the Vines at Cofield Wines and MuziKwz at Valhalla Wines on 2 January, St. Leonards Vineyard’s delightful Summer of Live Music on 2 and 9 January and Australia Day fun at Pfeiffer Wines on 26 January with a Great Aussie BBQ. Also at Wahgunyah on the Murray River on 9 &10 January hundreds of competitors are expected to take part in the Murray Rowing Association’s 150th Anniversary of Rutherglen Rowing Regatta.

Sunday 10 January sees the return of Rutherglen’s fabulous Farmers Markets while in beautiful Yackandandah, the Lions Club Community Markets return on Sunday 17 January, featuring fresh local produce, preserves and hand crafted goodies.

The long lazy days of summer in Indigo Shire are also perfect for a leisurely stroll under the shady old verandahs of the gold era towns, sampling delicious local wines at one of the of scores of beautiful vineyards across the region, taking a dip or catching a fish in Beechworth’s Lake Sambell or cycling along the renowned Murray to Mountains Rail Trail.

History of Beechworth still a hit with visitors

2009-12-16T10:00:00.000+11:00

Beechworth historian and author, Ian Hyndman, this week celebrates the third reprint of his popular History of Beechworth.

Fifteen years since its first publication and thousands of copies later, the booklet remains one of the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre’s most popular souvenirs.

The History of Beechworth offers a concise and very readable account of the founding and early development of one of Australia’s best-preserved Gold Era towns.

This informative little book has been presented and arranged into a fascinating trail visitors can follow around the beautiful streetscapes and key historic sites of Beechworth.

The History of Beechworth is Mr Hyndman’s sixth book on various aspects of the town’s history including three volumes devoted to his own local pioneering family, the Ladsons. Others include Out of the Goldfields – A history of Ovens and Murray Hospital for the Aged and Beechworth Cemetery – A stroll through history.

A hospital administrator for more than 50 years, Mr Hyndman was CEO in several Victorian hospitals including Latrobe Regional Hospital in Gippsland. He was also the Regional Director of Health in the Goulburn/North Eastern and the Gippsland regions.

New member of the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre

2009-12-12T15:29:00.003+11:00

The Team at the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre would like to welcome High Country Forge - Richard Walker - Blacksmith Artist & Metal sculptor

Richard Patterson’s book, ‘Nobblers and Lushingtons - A History of the Hotels of Beechworth and the Ovens District’, will be launched Friday 4th Dec

2009-11-27T12:11:00.007+11:00

Endymion (Australia) Pty Ltd is pleased to announce that the Press Launch of
Richard Patterson’s book, ‘Nobblers and Lushingtons -
A History of the Hotels of Beechworth and the Ovens District’,

Nobblers and Lushingtons contains 400 pages, 35 contemporary photographs
and information on over 230 hotels in Beechworth and the neighbouring district,
as well as the names of over 800 licensees.

Among the many issues it explores are:
- The murder of Robert Murdock, manager of a Beechworth hotel, and the possibility
that he was the victim of a serial killer.
- The death of James Coyne Riley, following his accidental stabbing during the performance of a play at the Star Hotel, Beechworth.
- The dark secrets about their pasts that many of Beechworth’s earliest hotel-keepers
tried to keep hidden.
- The role of women on the goldfields and the extent of prostitution in Beechworth.
- How the first man to be hanged at Beechworth Gaol had murdered a local hotelkeeper
and the links between this killing and two other appalling murders.

Richard Patterson has lived in Beechworth for 3 years and previously worked in
human resource management for 35 years. Nobblers and Lushingtons is his first book.

Note: A ‘nobbler’ was nineteenth century slang for a shot of spirits, while a ‘lushington’
was someone who habitually imbibed too many of them.

Last minute PROMOTIONAL DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE AT Planetrees Lodge, Stanley VIC

2009-11-25T10:32:00.000+11:00

A last minute cancellation has freed up accommodation for this weekend and the next.

I am offering a promotional discount to the first people who contact me. Payment in full is required to secure the booking.

Weekend 27th November to 29th November
from $260 per night (up to 4 people/2 bedrooms), $350 p/n up to 6, $450 p/n up to 8 people.
2 night minimum stay.

Usual rates: from $300 for 4 (2 bedrooms), $420 up to 6 people, $520 up to 8 people.

Weekend 4th December - 6th December
from $280 per night (up to 4 people/2 bedrooms), $380 p/n up to 6 people/3 bedrooms, $480 p/n up to 8 people (4 bedrooms).

Midweek bookings are available at the same rate for this period.

Email: planetrees@me.com or telephone 03 5728 6589.
Visit the website: www. planetrees.com.au

Precinct Wildlife Experience

2009-11-17T10:28:00.002+11:00

Photos are of a Blue Tongue Lizard trying to get into the Telegraph Station to send a Telegram to all his mates about the Precinct.

News just in from the Beechworth Historic Courthouse

2009-11-17T10:18:00.004+11:00

An Echidna with no fixed address and no visible means of support, was brought before the bench of the Beechworth Historic Court-House recently.
The Court heard that the Echidna in question was found to be wandering the busy streets of Beechworth, crossing roads with no regard to its own safety. The Echidna's only defence was to roll up into a sharp ball of spines. The Magistrate deemed that the said Echidna should be turned over into the care of Piers & Robin Foa of Foa's Ark for relocation to a more suitable environment.

Court Reporter
Michael Beattie

Original Kelly Gang armour set for Beechworth Ned Kelly Weekend 2010 Friday 6 – Sunday 8 August 2010

2009-11-13T13:36:00.000+11:00

The original suits of armour worn by all four members of the Kelly Gang at the siege of Glenrowan will feature as a major highlight of the 2010 Beechworth Ned Kelly Weekend from 6 – 8 August, the Beechworth Historical Re-enactment Group (BHRG) announced today.

The exhibition is a coup for Beechworth and marks only the fourth time since 1880 that the complete set of Kelly Gang armour has been shown, and the first time outside a capital city.

Now in its eighth year and widely regarded as this country’s most important annual celebration of the Kelly legend, the 2010 Ned Kelly Weekend will commemorate the 130th anniversary of the outlaw’s committal hearing held in the historic Beechworth Courthouse from 6 to 11 August 1880, and his execution on 11 November 1880.

Event organizers, the Beechworth Historical Re-enactment Group, will unveil the full 2010 program at an official launch early next year.

BHRG President, Adam Wynne-Jenkins, expects the exhibition will be one of regional Victoria’s key tourism drawcards in 2010.“Visitors to Beechworth next August will be amazed at the quality and workmanship of the armour of Australia’s most recognised artifacts,” he said.

All schools in the Indigo Shire will be invited to a free preview of the armour on Friday 6 August.

Established 2008 the BHRG is a committed living history group which recreates the Beechworth of the period 1852 to 1885. 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 re-enactment of the Kelly Gang robbery of the bank in Euroa in December 1878, and the Siege of Glenrowan in July 1880.
This exhibition would not have been possible without the support of the State Library of Victoria, Victoria Police Museum, Museum Victoria and Rupert Hammond in conjunction with the Indigo Shire Council for Insurance coverage and the Beechworth Bakery (The Home of Ned Kelly Pies) as the major sponsor of the event.

Jan Preston at Amulet Vineyard

2009-10-17T16:46:00.000+11:00

Jan Preston at Amulet Vineyard Australia’s “Queen of the boogie woogie piano”

Let’s set the scene....

With a glass of wine in one hand you will be seated amongst future wines from Amulet Vineyard in their beautiful surroundings as Jan Preston entertains you with her humour, stories and most importantly, her wonderful music.

Public demand sees Jan Preston return to Beechworth again this year. Charming, entertaining, honest, skilful and unique, Jan has it all.

Called “the Queen of Boogie Piano”, Jan’s rolling left hand piano boogie gets audiences moving, takes them away from their daily stresses, and from Europe to NZ to Australia leaves them uplifted. Did we mention Jan is a great singer as well?! Don’t miss her show.

Monday November 2nd
A cocktail party with Jan Preston
From 4.30pm to 7.00pm
Amulet Vineyard
1036 Wangaratta Road Beechworth

Enjoy picturesque views, great music & cocktail food with Jan during intermission Full bar available
Bookings essential for catering 03 57270420
$22 per person
(early bird payment by Tuesday 28th October $19 per person)

New tour to celebrate Beechworth’s botanical treasures

2009-10-17T12:41:00.001+11:00

For those who like a dash of history mixed with their horticulture a new tour launching this weekend will offer a perfect introduction to the botanical treasures of one of Australia’s best preserved heritage towns.

The new Beechworth Town and Country Walks and Tours will take in some of Beechworth’s most significant public and private gardens and reserves, offering visitors fascinating insights into the people who created them, original designs and plantings – including some 14 trees of significance listed on the National Tree Register - and the gardens’ continuing evolution to the present day.

The new tours will complement the Historic & Cultural Precinct’s Ned Kelly and Gold walking tours led by expert guides which have become a must for tourists to the area. Visitors can also take part in Historic Courthouse tours and talks, the wildly popular Ghost Tours of historic Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum and Historic Beechworth mini-bus tours led by historian, Pat Doyle.

Chris Dormer, a passionate gardener, artist and former Beechworth Burke Museum programs officer is the brains behind the new Town & Country Walks and Tours. Her own piece of paradise, in the hilltop village of Stanley a few kilometres from Beechworth, has featured in the Victorian Open Garden Scheme.

Each Saturday at 2pm, departing from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre, she will take visitors on an hour-long Public Gardens Walk, including the formal ‘pleasure gardens’ of the Town Hall, part of the Historic & Cultural Precinct, planned and planted in 1874 by Richard Hurlock Jenkyns.

Developed in the Gardenesque style, the gardens quickly became a fashionable place for locals and visitors to use the wide paths for promenading, a band rotunda for concerts, and the fountain to enjoy the sounds of the cool cascading water on hot summer nights. The gardens were planted with trees including the towering Sierra Redwoods (Sequoiadendron Giganteum) seen today which were grown by Baron Ferdinand Von Mueller, Director of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens.

The tour also takes in the cultivated wilderness of the Botanical Reserve, now Victoria Park, gazetted in 1856. A competition to design the park was won by a Hungarian Count, J A Rochlitz, whose romantic vision of groves of acacia, almond and walnut trees, an open belvedere, an archery ground, cricket and boxing grounds, a children’s playground and an ‘Invalid’s’ Corner’ was never implemented. The design does live on, however, in a beautiful watercolour painted by C. Martin, part of the permanent collection of the Burke Museum.

Lake Sambell Reserve, created as a result of Beechworth’s success in the Ideal Town competition in 1928, and now home to the new Chinese Gardens, is also on the itinerary. This exciting new garden remembers the thousands of Chinese people who flocked to the rich goldfields of early Beechworth.
A variety of tours will also be offered by Chris Dormer by arrangement including visits to a selection of magnificent privately owned gardens as well as a ‘Backyard to Farm Gate’ tour of Beechworth and district’s great productive gardens.

FULL DETAILS AND BOOKINGS FOR THIS AND OTHER GREAT
BEECHWORTH TOURS AT: www.beechworthonline.com.au
PHONE 1300 366 321

It’s all happening for the Beechworth Chinese Cultural Centre & Gardens Inc

2009-10-17T12:39:00.000+11:00

We are happy to say that yes the items are finally being shipped out this month

* Two Bridges for the Garden
* It's not a Chinese Garden without Buddah
* 5 Lanterns set to go in Bamboo walk in Chinese Gardens Beechworth by the Pavilion

This month the Museum has been opened for 5 yrs (and boy what a road)

With having put on six festivals with the first only one week after the 2003 bush fires with the help of the Lake Sambell Committee.

Awards that we have received awards for:

* Tidy Town 2001 .2002 .2003
* Sustainability award sub surface irrigation system
* Victorian awards for excellence in Multicultural affairs
* Victorian History award Commendation BCCC&G
* Personal award for 10 years service for volunteering in Multi Cultural affairs

The Gardens has seen many Chinese visitors to Beechworth we have also

* sponsored the Chinese Lion team to come to Beechworth for Easter for the past three years
* Sponsored the Beechworth Chinese cemetery book written and translated by Dr Kok
* The BCCC has seen many school groups over the past 5 years who have all enjoy the different aspect of Beechworth and enjoy finding out what animal sign they are.

Beechworth’s Chinese Museum is dedicated to the preservation & display of Chinese History in the Ovens and District Goldfields
The Centre also has items for sale that are that little bit different to help support both the Gardens and the Museum

Where are… the Barkers?

2009-09-20T09:36:00.000+10:00

Where are… the Barkers? DVD is now available at the Beechworth Visitor
Infomation Centre for $5.00

Donations to Wooragee Landcare will help the preservation of the Barkers habitat

Your support is greatly appreciated

Spring time in Beechworth

2009-09-15T10:00:00.004+10:00

Many thanks to Jim Didolis for his photo of the Red Rosellas in the trees at the front of Freeman On Ford B&B. Spring is certainly in the air. Kerry

Age Good Food Guide gong for Provenance

2009-09-01T13:48:00.000+10:00

Beechworth’s new kid on the gastronomic block, Provenance, has been named Best New Country Restaurant of the Year by The Age Good Food Guide 2010.

Michael Ryan, the mastermind behind The Age 2008 Country Restaurant of the Year, the two chef hat Range restaurant in Myrtleford, opened Provenance Restaurant & Luxury Suites early this year in one of Beechworth’s finest historic gold era buildings, the 1856 Bank of Australasia next to the Historic and Cultural Precinct. With six metre ceilings and towering arched windows, the bank’s original granite vault now houses the wine cellar. Accommodation at Provenance comprises four newly refurbished luxury suites in what was once the old stables and carriage house.

The prestigious Age Good Food Guide accolade, announced in Melbourne last night, further reinforces Beechworth’s reputation as a gourmet travel destination. The impressive line-up of local dining options also includes the renowned and much awarded Warden’s Food & Wine, Gigi’s, and The Stanley in the picturesque hilltop village of Stanley a few kilometres out of town.

Add to that list the award-winning boutique brewery, Bridge Road Brewers whose owners Ben and Maria Kraus offer a great range of hand-crafted ales as well as sensational home-made pretzels and gourmet pizzas.

Also new to Beechworth this year is the boutique fromagerie, Larder, whose new owners, Jade Miles and Gina Bladon have added a chocalaterie showcasing superb locally made Renaissance Chocolates from Rutherglen as well as Kennedy & Wilson from the Yarra Valley. The pair is passionate about bringing the best of local, regional and international cheese and chocolate to the area and offer a gourmet hamper selection for visitors heading for the great outdoors.

North East gets set to party as Spring Migration celebrates change of season

2009-08-25T09:40:00.000+10:00

Victoria’s gorgeous North East is getting ready to frock up and hit the dance floor with the return this weekend of one of regional Australia’s favourite Gay & Lesbian events, Spring Migration.

Now in its fifth year, the 2009 festival has grown from a weekend event in Yackandandah to a week-long celebration taking place around the region.

Spring Migration 2009 kicks off this Friday 28 August with three days of fun at Falls Creek including a masquerade ball and snow carnival. From Tuesday 1 to Thursday 3 September, the party continues at Lake Hume Resort with a packed program of activities, tours and parties.

Then on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 September Indigo Shire welcomes Spring Migration to Beechworth. The Saturday night La Luna full moon dance party at La Trobe promises to be a highlight of this year’s event with glamorous Sydney entertainer, Vanessa Wagner, as special guest emcee. DJs, drag shows, special guest performers and dancers, food and full bar will also feature at this sensational closing night festival party.

The annual Who’s Yer Daddy Father’s Day Market in Yackandandah on Sunday 6 September will bring Spring Migration 2009 to a close.

Now one of regional Australia’s most popular Gay & Lesbian events, Spring Migration prides itself on its inclusiveness, offering everyone, regardless of their sexuality, a varied and fun program that also showcases this area’s regional delights.

BEECHWORTH OKTOBERFEST 2009

2009-08-23T09:07:00.000+10:00

Beechworth craft-brewery Bridge Road Brewers is hosting its fifth annual Oktoberfest. Located in the heart of town, this small brewery has a swag of awards to its name, and is ready for this years celebration of beer and music to be a craker. The event is loosley based around the original Oktoberfest held in Munich in late September each year.

Brewery founders, Ben Kraus and his partner Maria Frischmann, have strong links to the Oktoberfest. Maria hails from the heart of the Tyrol region in Austria and has worked as a beir-maid at the Munich Oktoberfest. Ben gained his brewing knowledge in the same region and has been brewing the Bridge Road beers for a little over four years. The brewery has come a long way from its origins in the family garage where the business spent its first year. Its relocation to an old coach house in Beechworth’s centre has proven a success. The brewery has been able to expand its range of beers, currently nine, and increase its production capacity by 30% each year.

A special one off batch of Marzen beer has been brewed for this year’s event. Aptly named Oktoberfest Marzen, this deep orange coloured lager is the same style traditionally served at Munich’s Oktoberfest.

The Brewery has recently acquired an adjoining building that is the ideal venue for this years event. Beechworth’s 2009 Oktoberfest will be held on Sat 10th and Sun 11th of October, from 11am till 6pm. October is also the breweries official beer month, with other events being planned for October including a beer degustation evening and special brewing events.

Visitors are encouraged to get out the Lederhosen or Dirndl (traditional Bavarian dress) and enjoy the festivities. This family weekend will include children’s activities, plenty of beer, German cuisine and fun for all with a traditional ohm-pah band belting out some great drinking tunes.

Oktoberfest Entertainment will be provided by Alpine Cocktail, specialists in German ohm-pah music, with vocalist Rene hailing from Vienna, Austria.

The Beechworth Oktoberfest will be held at Bridge Road Brewers, off Ford St, behind Tanswells Hotel, rear access from High st. It will be held between 11am and 6pm on Sat 11th and Sun 12th of October.

For further inquiries please contact Ben or Maria, or drop in to Bridge Road Brewers.

Bridge Road Brewers
The Old Coach House,
Ford St. Beechworth Victoria 3747.
p. 03 57282703 m. 0422929235 e. info@bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

Large crowd expected for Rev Tim Costellos’ Kerferd Oration

2009-07-28T10:47:00.001+10:00

Organisers are expecting a large crowd for this Sunday’s Kerferd Oration in Beechworth by the CEO of World Vision, Rev Tim Costello AO.

Tim Costello has been a leading voice in debates on poverty, gambling, homelessness, reconciliation and drug abuse. And since 2004, when he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of World Vision Australia, he has ensured that global poverty has been placed on the national agenda, particularly through the Make Poverty History campaign.

His Kerferd Oration, “Community Values for a World in Need”, is timely. The global financial crisis, terrorism, conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan and parts of Africa, climate change and extreme poverty, demand our attention.

“Many of Victoria’s community values have been forged in the intensity of fire and concentrated through drought,” Tim says. “Facing terrible hardship can be devastating. Knowing that other people – people around you that you may not even know – are on your side brings relief and an immense sense of common spirit and purpose. It creates resilience and hope.”

Tim speaks of the values of compassion: of good humour, friendship, tolerance and human dignity. “It is about the practice of going beyond immediate needs and desire for comfort, to the richness of seeing others prosper and grow, and celebrating their worth,” he says.

“And these qualities and gifts of generosity not only build up those around you, but can be part of the solution for the most intractable problems facing the global community, including poverty, and climate change.”

Sunday’s Kerferd Oration is a free community event at the Kerferd Conference Centre at La Trobe Beechworth. It begins at 11am, doors open at 10.15am. A light lunch will be provided after the Oration.

Historic documents to shed new light on police side of Kelly story

2009-07-20T15:10:00.000+10:00

Little-known original documents including telegraphs, letters and reports from police involved in the hunt for the Kelly Gang and the recovery of the bodies of their three murdered colleagues have been found at the Victoria Police Museum.

Collections Manager, Liz Marsden, said a box containing the documents had been discovered during the course of an exhaustive registration project of every object, book and piece of paper in the collection as part of a Museums Australia museum accreditation program.

She said the Museum was excited to find the box of ‘extremely fragile documents’ relating directly to events surrounding Australia’s most notorious bushranger. At present this collection is not available for research as it is being painstakingly digitalised with the aim of making it available to the public sometime in the future via the museum’s website.

Meanwhile, they will form the basis of a fascinating talk – The Kelly Hunters: a Police Perspective - by the respected author, historian and retired Superintendent of the Victoria Police, Dr Robert Haldane, at the Historic Courthouse, as part of the 2009 Beechworth Ned Kelly Weekend on Saturday 8 August at 10am. Dr Haldane was granted access to the documents as part of his research for the Ned Kelly Weekend.

“These Police Museum documents are actual primary sources from the police and volunteers on the ground at the time,” Dr Haldane said. “They offer a real insight into the thinking and behavior of the police working on the Kelly case. These are ‘bottom up’ working documents from police and civilians in the field and they give a very different perspective to the police side of the story which has largely been overshadowed by the mythology surrounding the Kelly saga.”

One of the documents, a report from a policeman sent to recover the body of Sgt Kennedy, shot dead by the Kelly Gang, gives a graphic description of the sergeant’s face as so badly mutilated the body should not be viewed by the widow. Dr Haldane said this ran “counter to the dominant view of the Kellys behaving humanely toward their victims. The truth is they brutally murdered three policemen – an unprecedented act then and now in Australia - and then robbed their corpses.”

Another of the letters, written in the aftermath of the Stringybark Creek killings, is from a policeman to a superior begging permission to join the hunt for the Gang and pledging he would ask nothing from the State in the way of support for his family in the event of his untimely death.

Dr Haldane said other archival material also revealed some surprising facts about the make-up of the police force at the time. Contrary to popular belief, more than 80 percent of the force was Irish, as was the Chief Commissioner and the Chief Justice. This challenged the widely-held notion that the bushranger (Australian-born) was a victim of English establishment racism toward the Irish. “Ned Kelly committed crimes against Irishmen, was hunted by Irishmen and ultimately, convicted by an Irishman,” Dr Haldane has concluded.

His talk is one of a number of events in the packed Ned Kelly Weekend program, being directed for the first time by the Beechworth Historical Re-enactment Group and with a special focus on the police role in the Kelly saga.

The program will also include a Victoria Police Museum exhibition, The Police View of the Kelly Gang and Policing the North East 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.

Dr Haldane will also appear at a Saturday evening Q & A at Beechworth’s Old Priory, Behind the Armour, which will see a panel debate both sides of the argument. Moderated by ABC Radio’s Gaye Pattison, the panel lineup will include Dr Haldane, the noted Kelly historian, Alex McDermott and author, Kelvyn Gill, whose biography Edward Kelly: The Times of his Life, 1820 – 1893 is currently due for release.

Passionate debates aside, the Ned Kelly Weekend program also offers some rollicking good music and fun including the sensational opening night event at the Nicholas Hotel, Food, Featre, Fashion & Fiddle-de-dee, featuring one of Australia’s best Celtic bands, Braemar.

Windows into a world in need

2009-07-16T11:53:00.002+10:00

An art exhibition that reflects the theme of this year’s Kerferd Oration in Beechworth is being unveiled this week in shop windows in the town.

More than 25 pieces of art are on display in Beechworth windows from now until the Oration on Sunday, August 2, which this year is being delivered by the Chief Executive Officer of World Vision Rev Tim Costello AO. The title of his Oration, “Community Values for a World in Need”.

The curator of the exhibition, Pam Magennis, said last year’s inaugural exhibition, which reflected Professor Tim Flannery’s Oration on climate change, was such a resounding success that she wanted to continue the momentum.

“The idea developed last year taking art to the streets and using the window spaces. It makes art more accessible,” Pam said. “I’ve had such great support from both artists and the local traders. The traders were keen to be involved again, providing venues to exhibit the works and promoting the Kerferd Oration.”

Pam said viewing the art work on a self-guided tour, with details of pieces in a catalogue and also in the windows, was a “rich experience” using the streets of Beechworth in a different way. “Historically, Beechworth streets have seen many performances – parades, decorations, and festivals and now this art exhibition,” she said. “And it opens up a lot of conversations about the theme of the Kerferd Oration. Artists have looked at ‘the world in need’ in their pieces and we are asked to look at what our community values are in the light of this.”

The artists participating in the exhibition looked at their personal experiences, their thoughts about local and world events, about social justice issues, about family and also about the environment, which they see as intertwined with the need for social justice.

The art works are on display in shop windows in Camp and Ford Streets. Artists participating include Border photographer Rob Lacey whose work looks at identity and culture, and developing a sense of belonging and caring. Other artists include Jo Voigt, Ali Rowe, Lily Cunningham, Bronwyn Cossor, Mary Rosengren, Mary Ross, Kathy Whelan and Kerry Weymouth, Inga Hanover, Judy Hawking-Burnett and Vicki Luke.

Catalogues can be obtained from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre in Ford Street. The Kerferd Oration is on Sunday, August 2, at 11am, at the Kerferd Conference Centre at La Trobe Beechworth. Doors open at 10.15am.

Caption: Photographer Rob Lacey finishes installing his series of photos, “Identity and Culture”, in the window of Beechworth Pharmacy.

Lively debate, rollicking good fun on the menu at Ned Kelly Weekend 2009

2009-07-02T10:59:00.001+10:00

fashioned knees-up when the famous Ned Kelly Weekend returns from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 August.

In its sixth year, this major event for regional Victoria, and Australia’s most significant annual celebration of the Kelly legend, looks set to spark plenty of debate with this year’s program taking a close look at the role of the police in the Kelly drama.

One hundred and twenty nine years may have passed since Australia’s most notorious bushranger was committed for trial in Beechworth’s Courthouse and hanged at the Old Melbourne Gaol, but the line remains clearly drawn between those whose sympathies lie with the Kelly clan, and those who believe the police version of events has been hijacked by those on the opposite side of the fence.

A Courthouse talk by the respected author, historian and retired Superintendent of the Victoria Police, Dr Robert Haldane, is sure to be controversial. Dr Haldane is expected to reveal previously unknown material from the Victoria Police Museum which will shed new light on the role of the police in the hunt for the Kelly Gang (More on that soon!).

Dr Haldane’s exhaustive research has also unearthed little known details about the make-up of both the police force and policing methods of the times in which the fates of Ned Kelly and some of the lesser-known characters of the story, in particular, police officers Michael Kennedy, Michael Scanlan and Thomas Lonigan were so tragically sealed.

A Saturday evening Q & A at Beechworth’s Old Priory, Behind the Armour, will offer a great opportunity to hear both sides of the argument. Moderated by ABC Radio’s Gaye Pattison, the panel lineup will include Dr Haldane, the noted Kelly historian, Alex McDermott and author, Kelvyn Gill, whose biography Edward Kelly: The Times of his Life, 1820 – 1893 is currently due for release.

Passionate debates aside, the Ned Kelly Weekend program also offers some rollicking good music and fun including the sensational opening night event at the Nicholas Hotel featuring one of Australia’s best Celtic bands, Braemar.

Full program details or bookings via Beechworth Visitor Information Centre - www.beechworthonline.com.au or phone 1300 366 321

CHANGE OF DATE FOR KERFERD ORATION IN BEECHWORTH

2009-06-30T10:03:00.000+10:00

The date for this year’s Kerferd Oration in Beechworth with Rev Tim Costello AO has been changed.

The Oration was to have been held at La Trobe Beechworth on Sunday July 19, but it has been moved back two weeks to Sunday, August 2.

The Oration is held in the Kerferd Conference Centre starting at 11am and doors will be open at 10.15am. Organisers are expecting a large crowd similar to last year when more than 750 people turned out to listen to Prof Tim Flannery.

Rev Tim Costello is a leading voice on social justice issues, having spearheaded public debates on gambling, poverty, homelessness, reconciliation and substance abuse.

As CEO of World Vision Tim’s leadership inspired unprecedented generosity in Australia with $100 million raised for World Vision for tsunami relief in 2004.

His passion for justice reaches across political and social divides.

His Oration is on “Community values for a World in Need”.

Friends Of The Robert O’Hara Burke Memorial Museum

2009-06-13T10:39:00.001+10:00

Friends Of The Robert O’Hara Burke Memorial Museum Present two local guest speakers, who will give their personal recollections of working at the Beechworth Gaol & May Day Hills

Date Sunday 14th June 2009
Time: 4pm -6pm
Venue: Burke Museum
RSVP: 03 5728 8067
Free Event
Bring a friend to join up

Stanley Bears Special Limited Edition for 2009

2009-06-08T11:50:00.002+10:00

George Francis,
Pioneer Vigneron Founder of Morris Wines Rutherglen, Victoria
Celebrating 150 years of Winemaking at Rutherglen Victoria

Rutherglen is the oldest continuous wine producing area in Australia, with the Morris family celebrating their 150th Anniversary this year.
When we approached David Morris he was honoured to have his great-grandfather’s name attached to the bear. David is the fifth generation vigneron in the Morris dynasty. Since 1993 he has won more awards than any other Australian winemaker.

In releasing George Francis we are also honouring all the winemakers of Rutherglen who produce some outstanding vintages every year. The area is well known for its fortifieds as well as wide range of other wines. As wine expert James Halliday has said, it is ‘one of the truly great wine tourism destinations.’

Lay-by is available over four months, and we would like all bears to be collected by November 30, 2009. Last’ year’s Special Edition sold out in just nine weeks and we expect a similar response this year.

Profile

Height: 37cm (14 ½ inches)
Material: Schulte German medium/sparse blonde mohair
Features: Hand-made wooden wine cask by J Anstis, wood-turner of Maryborough,Qld

This is a Special Limited Edition for 2009

Full price AU $260.00 plus p&h and Registered mail (as required)

Another exclusive Stanley Bear from
Eunice A Eiseman
28 Rosengren Lane, Stanley VIC 3747
Telephone (03) 5728 6623
Email: enuice@stanleybears.com.au

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

2009-05-11T10:17:00.003+10:00

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

2009-05-03T11:15:00.004+10:00

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

2009-05-03T11:13:00.000+10:00

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

2009-05-02T09:24:00.000+10:00

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.

Congratulations to 1860 Luxury Accommodation

2009-04-13T14:09:00.001+10:00

1860 Luxury Accommodation has been included in the "100 Best Holiday Discoveries" by Travel & Leisure Magazine. The list includes the 100 best destinations, discoveries and moments as voted by the Travel & Leisure worldwide team. Of the 26 accommodation houses in the list, 10 are from Australia, with 1860 the only inclusion from NE Victoria.

Beechworth Golden Horseshoes Festival Program Easter 2009

2009-04-05T13:26:00.002+10:00

FESTIVAL PROGRAM

GOOD FRIDAY 10TH APRIL 2009

10am -4pm Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal
Family Fun Day in the Police Paddocks (opposite the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre) Highlights include an auction at the rear of the Empire Hotel, carnival and children’s activities.

11am Walk of Witness
Christ Anglican Church, Corner Ford and Camp streets. Come and join this group as they walk through the town, stopping at several points along the way, to read the Easter story. At the conclusion of the walk a cross will be planted in the grounds of St Andrews Uniting Church.

12.30pm Hit off Golden Putter Golf Comp
Beechworth Golf Club – Baarmutha Park – Balaclava Road. Mixed stableford event. Visitors welcome. Proceeds go to the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal.

EASTER SATURDAY 11th APRIL 2009
The Golden Horseshoes Festival commemorates a colourful even of Beechworth’s past – the episode of the golden horseshoes. In 1855 Daniel Cameron was elected Member of the Victorian Legislative Council representing the Ovens District. During the wild celebrations that followed, he was said to have ridden a horse shod with golden horse shoes through the streets of Beechworth.
“the story has be repeated many times, handed from generation to generation, and like many such stories, it has changed or been embellished as time goes by. In 1954 the people of Beechworth erected a monument on the outskirts of the town to commemorate this event” From Rosalyn Shennan’s The 1855 Ovens Election and the Golden Horseshoe.

All Day Police Paddock
Car display: The Old Cranks Club
Amusements – fun rides for all the family
Air brush tattoos.

9am -4pm Beechworth Rotary Country Market at Queen Victoria Park

9am -4pm Paddy’s Market
Topend of Ford Street, Beechworth Neighbourhood Centre’s big annual fundraiser. Stalls featuring brick-a-brac, collectables and second-hand household items.

9am Beechworth Gold Annual Fun Run/Walk
Starting and finishing from Balaclava Road behind Beechworth Secondary College. Following an undulating scenic course using predominately sealed roads with great views of picturesque Beechworth including Lake Sambell and the Gorge. Walk or run 10km or 3km. Over $1500 in cash and prizes.

10.30am Shoeing of the horse with Golden Horseshoes
Historic & Cultural Precinct
“The supporters of Mr. Cameron testified their respect for him by providing the horse he rode during the election, with a set of golden shoes…’ Don’t miss this annual Festival highlight. See the horse that will lead the Grand Parade being shod with real golden horseshoes.

10am -12noon Beechworth Health Display Post Office corner
2009 is the Australian Red Cross Year of the Blood Donor. Drop by this stand for more information about what is available from our local hospital.

12noon The Beechworth Historical Re-enactment Group – Roving
Recreation of the opening of Beechworth’s Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum (1867- 1995) Until the early 1860s, people suffering from mental illness were accommodated in the jail system, housed in overcrowded cells alongside hardened criminals where they had little ope of adequate treatment. The Beechworth Lunatic asylum was opened in 1867 and operated as a mental health facility right up until 1995.

10am -4pm Museum Victoria Discovery Program – Camp Street
Be inspired by this fascinating museum Victoria collection of Dinosaurs and Fossils. Hold a real 150 million year old Tyrannosaurus Rex foot bone in your hand and see up close life-size replica bones of a five-and-a-half metre tall Tsintaoaurus (an Asioan relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex), a seven metre Stegosaurus and dinosaur foot prints.
Sponsored by WAW Credit Union

10am -4pm Camp street Food Court
Don’t miss our sensational Food court, right in the heart of town. Grab a bite to eat from our variety of vendors, it down, relax and enjoy a great day’s live entertainment.

10am -5pm FREE Live entertainment
Live music from the Beechworth Bakery and street entertainment including:
Australia Fair Grand Concert Street Organ: Belgium-built travelling concert organ. The organ has the equivalent sound of a20 piece band and operates on air pressure generated by a bellows and regulated by a reservoir. Musicians Sean Cartilage and daughter Olivia, Murray Brass, Albury Pipes & Drums.

10am -4pm Roaming performers and buskers
Festive Factory 3-D Entertainment combines the talents of Sue Blakey and Steve Scott who spectacular giant butterflies and roaming camels will bring colour and fun to this great family day out.
Melbourne Chinese Youth Society
The eve so popular lion and dragon team will weave their way through Camp Street and once again be part of the grand parade.

1pm The Grand Parade, Ford Street
Daniel Cameron’s famous ride through town will be re-enacted with the horse with the golden horseshoes leads the Grand Parade from Church Street. Featuring dozens of colourful, historical and funny floats and entries, all vying for the Beechworth Bakery Perpetual Trophy (last years winners: The Old Priory with “Sister Act”)

6pm Friends of the Burke Museum
Leaves from the Burke Museum Loch Street 6pm sharp: $5 per head

7pm Documentary screening of the Buckland Valley Goldfields From The Ashes.
Memorial Hall Ford Street 7pm. Entry $5 per head No Booking required.

EASTER SUNDAY 12th APRIL 2009
6.30am Easter Dawn Service
Sunrise service celebrating the resurrection of Christ, on the rock, overlooking the town of Beechworth. Enter at The Golden Horseshoes Monument o n Sydney Road. BYO rug/cushion and share and early coffee and bun.

11.30am Children’s Easter Egg Hunt FREE ENTRY Chinese Gardens Albert Road
Bring The children along and meet the Easter Bunny who will be stopping by to deliver Easter Eggs

10am -4pm Food Court & Band on the balcony of the Beechworth Bakery
Camp Street – Roaming entertainment

12.30pm Announcement of the winner of the Gold Fever Treasure Hunt
Relive the lust for gold and be in the running for your chance to win an amazing $2000 Gold Egg sponsored by Beechworth Gold.
To win, you must find a number of clues and be the first correct entry drawn. $2 per entry.
Collect and lodge your entry at either the Rotary Kiosk – corner Ford and Camp Streets (outside Beechworth Gold) or the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre – Ford Street. The winner will be announced at 12.30pm from the Balcony of the Beechworth Bakery.

ALL WEEKEND
Beechworth Ghost Tours
Guided tour of the former Mayday Hills Hospital, now the home to La Trobe University. Bookings essential. Phone: 0447 432 816

Beechworth Historic & Cultural Precinct
Explore one of Australia’s finest collections of nationally significant Gold Era Buildings. Stand in the dock where Ned Kelly stood trial, send a Telegram, explore Beechworth’s Chinese Cultural heritage at the Chinese Cultural Centre, drop into the fascinating Burke Museum or take one of our fantastic walking tours led by expert guides. Contact the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre opposite the historic Courthouse or phone 133 66 321 or book online at www.beechworthonline.com.au

Self Guided Tours
Beechworth Mayday Hills Hospital – now Lat Robe University
Follow the Pioneers brochure - $1
Cemetery Tour
See the friendly Beechworth Visitor Information staff for advice and brochures.

FESTIVAL SERVICES
Festival Head Quarters: (Sat only): Sub Treasury Building, historic & Cultural Precinct, Ford Street
St. John Ambulance: (Sat only) located in the Historic and Cultural Precinct
Combined Churches – Baby Care and & Feed Room: 10am -4pm (Sat only) located in the Salvation Army Hall top end of Ford Street

Local Beers Among Worlds Best

2009-03-21T15:43:00.000+11:00

Bridge Road Brewers, have once again backed up their claim as having “some of the best ales in country”, in fact they could well claim some of the best in the world, with big success at this years Melbourne International Beer Awards.

The small Beechworth based brewery picked up 10 medals this year with awards spread throughout their broad range of beers. This small regional on operation has had strong and consistent success over their short brewing history. Established in 2005, Bridge road Brewers have expanded considerably with national distribution and a big range of more than 10 beers. The tally includes 3 silver medals and 7 bronze.

Brewer and owner Ben Kraus is happy with the beers recognition at this years competition. “Our consistent success at the Beer Awards across such a broad range of our beers shows us that we are doing our job well”. “This event is becoming more and more competitive with both domestic and international brewers upping their quality every year”. “The USA, considered the world leader of craft brewing, was well represented at this years competition, but the Aussie contingent managed to standup and keep a lot of the awards at home”,

The highly recognized competition is the second largest in the world and attracts a huge of array of local and international breweries.

Bridge Roads latest brew, the Chestnut Lager, entered for the first time at the awards also received a medal.

Bridge Road is already working on a beer which is sure to do well in next years competition. Their unique fresh hop harvest beer is currently brewing and will be released in the coming months.

For further details please contact:
Ben Kraus
ph. 03 57 282 703 or e. info@bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

Beechworth gets set to saddle up for 2009 Golden Horseshoes Festival

2009-03-21T13:14:00.002+11:00

Preparations are in full swing in Beechworth as the town gets set for its biggest annual celebration, the Golden Horseshoes Festival, opening three weeks today on Good
Friday 10 April and continuing across the Easter weekend.

The 2009 program will see the return of old favourites including the fabulous Grand Parade which will see dozens of f loats vie for the Beechworth Bakery Perpetual Trophy as well as new events including displays, a Monster Raff le, free live performances and spectacular roving entertainment.

The Treasure Hunt for the $2000 Golden Egg from Beechworth Gold also returns this year. Once again, fortune hunters will have the chance to claim the amazing egg encased in $2000 of gold when they search for clues on a special treasure map of the streets of Beechworth. The winner will be the first correct entry drawn at 12:30pm on Easter Sunday. One of the most popular events of the weekend, 2008 saw thousands of visitors join in the fun, w ith a delighted local family the lucky w inners
of the grand prize.

The Food Court in Camp Street also returns with live entertainment including the Australia Fair Grand Concert Street Organ, a travelling concert-organ in the great European style, which produces an amazing sound the equivalent of a 20 piece band.

Museum Victoria’s Discovery Program will be setting up a display of dinosaur bones and fossils, the Old Cranks Car Club w ill show some classic beauties and the Friends of the Burke Museum w ill lead a Mystery Tour of Beechworth’s secret and forgotten nooks and crannies. History buffs will also enjoy the fascinating new documentary about the Buckland Valley Goldfield, From the Ashes on the big
screen on Saturday night.

Rotary’s huge Easter Craft Market in the Queen Victoria Gardens and the Beechworth Neighborhood Centre’s Paddy’s Market will again offer bargain hunters the chance to pick up some treasure from the stalls crammed with furniture, collectibles and bric-a-brac.

Run for the second year by a local community committee, the Golden Horseshoes Festival annually attracts thousands of visitors to the town. Committee President Kathryn Osmond said while sponsorship support from local businesses had been fantastic this year, organisers were still keen to hear from anyone interested in volunteering their time during Easter to help with Parade marshalling, public
information assistance, setting up and manning displays.

She urged local groups and individuals to get into the spirit of this great annual event and dress up, join in the treasure hunt, enter a float, buy a raffle ticket or just pull up a chair in the food court and soak up the unique ambience of Easter in Beechworth.

THE BUCKLAND VALLEY GOLDFIELD “From the Ashes ”

2009-03-18T09:46:00.002+11:00

Written & Presented by Andrew Swift, Filmed by Sean King

The Buckland Valley was one of the most eventful mountain goldfields in Australia. Within a few short years it witnessed a rush of over 6,000 diggers, a high death toll with the outbreak of typhoid, and the infamous anti- Chinese race riots of 1857.

Filmed after the 2006 bushfires, this documentary recalls these major events as well as examining many of the varied historic mining sites of this valley. Visiting large-scale hydraulic sluicing pits, Chinese hut sites and floating into old quartz reef tunnels, were the footprints of the last miners are found. An ancient Chinese mining apparatus is also rediscovered in a working reconstruction.

This film is a rough, ready and adventurous tour of rediscovery set in a remarkable corner of North Eastern Victoria.

MEMORIAL HALL, Ford Street Beechworth
7.30pm SATURDAY 11th April 2009
$5 entry, NO BOOKINGS REQUIRED
Be early so as not miss a seat!
Duration approximately 90 minutes for general viewing

THE BUCKLAND VALLEY
GOLDFIELD
“From the Ashes ”
w w w . h e r i t a g e r a t . c o m . a u f o r p r e v i e w

New group takes reins of Beechworth’s famous Ned Kelly Weekend Friday 7 – Sunday 9 August 2009

2009-03-07T15:51:00.000+11:00

The new Beechworth Historical Re-enactment Group (BHRG) will offer a fresh take on an Australian legend when it takes the reins of the 2009 Ned Kelly Weekend, this year being held from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 August.

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 historic Beechworth Courthouse from 6 to 11 August 1880.

The Beechworth Historical Re-enactment Group is an enthusiastic troupe which already has this year’s Ned Kelly Weekend program well in hand. It will unveil the full 2009 program at an official launch in Beechworth on Thursday 7 May.

BHRG founding president, Adam Wynne-Jenkins, says visitors to Beechworth can once again expect a lively program of re-enactments, art, music, displays, market stalls, competitions and talks by leading authorities on the subject of the life and times of Australia’s most notorious bushranger.

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.

Fresh Beechworth temptations for lovers of the good life

2009-03-07T15:37:00.001+11:00

Beechworth’s reputation as a gourmet travel destination has been further enhanced with the recent arrival of Michael Ryan’s restaurant and luxury suites, Provenance as well as Natasha Davis’ fromagerie, Larder.

The new businesses join some impressive local company including the renowned Warden’s of Beechworth, Gigi’s, The Ox & Hound, Bouchon at Botanicals, The Green Shed and The Stanley in the picturesque hilltop village of Stanley a few kilometres out of town.

Add to that list the award-winning boutique brewery, Bridge Road Brewers whose owner Ben Kraus has announced several new on-tap venues for a number of his delicious beers in Melbourne - at Bar Etiquette in Brunswick, Mrs Parmas in Little Bourke St, the Cherry Tree in Richmond and the Local Taphouse in St Kilda. In Beechworth, visitors to Bridge Road can sample Ben’s excellent range of ales and tuck into the Brewers’ home-made pretzels and sensational gourmet pizzas.

A lifelong passion for great food has led newcomer Natasha Davis to Beechworth where she opened Larder late last year. Her mission is to offer the best international and regional speciality cheeses in impeccable condition and reflecting seasonal influences. Visitors can taste the cheese spectrum at Larder, from French Roquefort, Rouzaire Brie aux truffles, La Mancha Manchego, Piano Hill Ironstone and sweet hand stretched, buffalo Mozzarella from Shaw River. Natasha also offers provisioning for impromptu picnics or special occasions, offering complimentary hire of lovely wicker baskets packed with mouth-watering terrines, pates, locally smoked trout and small goods as well as Lescure French butter to slather on yummy Laurent Bakery baguettes..

Michael Ryan,the mastermind behind The Age 2008 Country Restaurant of the Year, the two chef hat Range restaurant in Myrtleford, has opened Provenance in the 1856 Bank of Australasia, one of Beechworth’s finest historic gold era buildings adjacent to the Historic and Cultural Precinct in Ford Street. With six metre ceilings and towering arched windows, the bank’s original granite vault now houses the wine cellar. Accommodation at Provenance comprises four newly refurbished luxury suites in what was once the old stables and carriage house.

The Big Bushfire Benefit at Beechworth

2009-03-06T09:47:00.002+11:00

FREE FAMILY EVENT
Saturday 14 March
La Trobe at Beechworth

The Big Bushfire Benefit at Beechworth
Albury’s MEGAS Music Store has joined forces with La Trobe at Beechworth to present a free familyday next Saturday 14 March to benefit victims of the recent Victorian bushfires.

Australian Idol finalist, Ricky Muscat, Peter Denahy, a seven- time Country Music
Awards nominee, Kelly Hope, a local and international singer/songwriter and Australian Idol finalist, singer/song writer, Kane Harrison along with local support acts, have donated theirtime to the cause, appearing on stage at the May Day Hills Oval at La Trobe from 4:30pm to 9:15pm.

Albury boy and successful stage and screen actor, Malcolm Kennard (Packed to the
Rafters, E Street) is also donating his time, of fering free storytelling workshops
(Community narrative) at La Trobe’s Bijou theatre, from 11am to 3pm. The w orkshops
will aim to help people express their feelings and responses to the f ires through the medium of storytelling. (NB, places w ill be limited to 20 guests, booking essential on 03 5720 8050.)

And from 9:30pm, the classic Australian movie, The Castle, will be shown on the big
screen.

All proceeds from the day, including a sausage sizzle, jumping castle and other fun activities for children and families, will be dontated to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal.Gates open at La Trobe at 3pm. The Big Bushfire Benefit at Beechworth is strictly an alcohol-free event.

Richard Perso Live at The Stanley Pub Friday, 6th March 2009

2009-03-06T09:22:00.000+11:00

Richard Perso
Live at The Stanley Pub
Friday, 6th March 2009
from 7.00pm-11.00pm

Richards range includes blues and roots, folk, country and rock with instrumentals thrown in for good measure - 11-string and 6-string acoustic guitar, WoodSkin, Stompbox, Yirdaki (Didgeridoo), Harmonica, Vocals.

Skip Landy in his promotion for Devonshire Blues "Richard Perso is an exceptional guitarist from Yackandandah & will be showing why he is a name who is surely going to become well known. Jeff Lang and John Butler should be looking over their shoulders now because the next generation is here"

For further information, contact Annemarie
Ph: 03 5728 6502

Pop sensation Jade MacRae set to star at new at Beechworth Romance Festival

2008-12-14T11:42:00.002+11:00

What: Beechworth Romance Festival
Where: La Trobe Campus, Beechworth
When: St. Valentines Day, Saturday 14 Feb 2009
Tickets: www.beechworthonline.com.au

Anyone planning an unforgettable St. Valentines Day need look no further than the beautiful town of Beechworth in Victoria’s North East where a brand new Romance Festival will take place in 2009.

This unique day-long celebration of love and romance will take place on Saturday 14 February in and around the picturesque gardens and historic buildings of La Trobe at Beechworth.

Featuring a packed all-day program of fine local food and wine, music, film and a host of opportunities for lovers to enjoy and celebrate this special day, the Festival will offer a truly memorable experience for romantics of all ages.

A highlight of the Romance Festival will be a performance by the sensational singer, recording star and TV celebrity, Jade MacRae who will headline at the Romantic Zeale Concert from 3 to 9pm. One of the most popular and talented performers on the Australian stage, she has two fabulous ARIA-nominated albums to her credit along with hit singles including this year’s sizzling, In the Basement and I Wanna be in Love.

Also on the bill is singer and Australian Idol pin-up, Ricky Muscat, and a superb line-up of local talent. The concert emcee will be TV personality, John Walker.

The Beechworth Romance Festival will also include:
• Romance Acting Workshops at the Beechworth Town Hall with actor and former Albury-boy, Malcolm Kennard, (Packed to the Rafters, The Matrix, E-Street)
• Renewal of Vows with local marriage celebrant, Simon Goss the La Trobe chapel
• An all-day Romance Expo for couples planning a special wedding day
• The Passion Lunch and Passion Dinner in the gorgeous La Trobe gardens with delicious three-course menus featuring superb local produce accompanied by fine wines of the area
• A screening of the blockbuster romance, Australia, on the big outdoor screen accompanied by picnic hampers packed with gourmet treats, local wine and beer

Accommodation Available at La Trobe. Phone 03 5720 8050
Full program details and bookings:
Phone 1300 366 321 or go to www.beechworthonline.com.au

New tour uncovers old Beechworth

2008-12-14T10:42:00.000+11:00

Visitors to Beechworth this January have the chance to discover a new side of the historic town with the launch of the Town Walking Tour.

The tour will complement the hugely popular Ned Kelly and Gold walking tours which have become a must for tourists to the area since their launch three years ago.

The new tour will explore the town’s rich Gold Era history, uncovering fascinating and often little-known stories about the characters and events that shaped Beechworth’s early development.

Expert guides from the Visitor Information Centre will lead the tour on a leisurely hour-long stroll through the wide, tree-lined avenues and beautifully preserved streetscapes of Beechworth.

Along the way, visitors will stop at more than two dozen sites, including the Robert O’Hara Burke Memorial Museum, one of Australia’s best regional museums named after the ill-fated explorer and one-time Police Superintendent of Beechworth.

Other notable sites include:

· The old Temple Bar Hotel in Ford Street, one of more than 60 licensed premises operating in the area in the 1870s. They will learn about the publican who advertised in the Constitution & Ovens Mining Intelligencer for a “kangaroo and an emu for this hotel – wanted dead or alive.”

· The Old Anglican Schoolhouse whose alumni include noted geologist Edward John Dunn and the first Australian-born Governor General Sir Isaac Isaacs

· St. Joseph’s Presbytery in Church Street where Kelly Gang associate turned police informer, Aaron Sherritt married Ellen Barry in 1879.

The new Town Walking Tour will leave from the Beechworth VIC every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 1pm from 5 January until 1 February.

Bookings and enquiries at Beechworth Visitor Information Centre,
phone 1300 366 321 or visit www.beechworthonline.com.au

Indigo towns join forces for big weekend event

2008-11-11T17:36:00.003+11:00

The many delights of Indigo Shire were promoted across the weekend at the 2AY RACV House & Garden Show at the Albury Wodonga Gateway.
Indigo towns join forces for big weekend event

The event, which saw big crowds turn out for a program of events which included TV star, Don Burke, offered a sensational promotional opportunity for towns across the Shire.

The Indigo Tourism Advisory Committee Chairman, Damian Adams, said he was delighted to see representatives from each town combine to present an excellent showcase of the area's attractions. The displays included visitor guides, maps, photos, displays of historical artefacts, fine wines and a special cycle tourism promotion.

Hundreds of people lodged entries in the raffle of a host of prizes generously donated by operators from across the region including accommodation, adventure activities, wines and a range of guided tours.

Historic Burke treasure stars in new circus exhibition

2008-10-17T13:17:00.000+11:00

Friday 17 October 2008

A treasure of Beechworth’s Burke Museum collection, an original woodblock, Ashton’s Circus circa 1857, is featuring in a new touring exhibition - Step Right Up - celebrating the circus in Australian art.

The object, by an unknown artist, is the oldest work on display as part of the exhibition at the Albury Art Gallery until 23 November ahead of a national tour including The Arts Centre in Melbourne, Museum of Brisbane and Art Gallery of Northern Territory.

A print taken from the historic woodblock by artist Vincent Drane will also feature in Step Right Up. The print, made at the National Trust-owned Federal Standard Printing Works in Chiltern, was commissioned by the Burke Museum in 2000 to promote a touring exhibition of its own amazing visual art collection, Following the Fortune Hunters: The Art and Culture of the Ovens Goldfield.

A joint project of the Albury Art Gallery and the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, Step Right Up - the Circus in Australian Art also features pieces from the Albury City collection, works commissioned by artists specifically for this event and historical and contemporary artworks drawn from State, Regional, commercial and private collections. Works from major artists such as John Brack, Fred Williams, Ken Whisson, Jeffrey Smart and John Olsen are included in the exhibition.

The historic woodblock is one of thousands of objects, artworks and curiosities held in the treasure trove that is Beechworth’s Burke Museum. A nationally significant collection of Aboriginal artefacts from the early to mid-19th century, an amazing natural history collection, one of the four original Ned Kelly death masks and thousands of documents, journals and photographs from Beechworth’s heady gold rush days to the present are among the permanent collections on display at this fine regional museum, a jewel of Beechworth’s Historic and Cultural Precinct.

As part of its own exhibitions program, the Burke Museum is currently featuring Women Vote: They Picked up the Patter with Amazing Fluency commemorating the contribution of Beechworth women to the Monster Petition presented to the Victorian Parliament in 1891 calling for the right to vote. See full details at: www.beechworth.com/burkemus/exhibits

Visit Beechworth This Weekend & Sample Bridge Road Brewers’ “Nutty” Lager

2008-10-09T16:07:00.003+11:00

Bridge Road Brewers is proud to announce the release of its latest brew, the Chestnut Lager. Brewed with local chestnuts and hops and aged for over 4 months this Beechworth lager is unique in Australia.

The brewery had been approached by local chestnut growers looking to value add to their produce. Beechworth and its close neighbor Stanley are Australia’s chestnut growing capital. The region is also home to some of Victoria’s last remaining hop gardens, with the Rostrevor Hop Garden in the Ovens Valley near Myrtleford growing the Galaxy hops that have been used in the Lager.

Brewer Ben Kraus said the lager was challenging to brew, however the initial test batch has proved a huge success. Demand for the beer has been strong and the brewery is currently brewing two more batches for release prior to Christmas.

The current release is available to take away directly from the brewery, and from a limited number of city stockists. The beer will also feature as part of the Beechworth Oktoberfest on the 11th and 12th of October. But be warned it wont last long.

Best Western Beechworth Motel wins for most upgrades and improvements

2008-10-09T16:04:00.001+11:00

The Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn (Beechworth, Victoria) has been announced as the winner of the Best Western Award for Excellence in the category of Most Improvements and Upgrades within a Best Western Property.

The award, announced at the Best Western Annual Convention in Auckland, New Zealand, recognises the Best Western property that has made the most improvements throughout the year.

The Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn spent $140,000 on renovating all 10 suites. Bathrooms were replaced, wall lighting was removed and replaced with elegant lamps and indirect lighting, and all soft furnishings and carpets were replaced with new items in muted autumnal colours. On the strength of these, the Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn was judged to have made the most outstanding improvements.

“This award justifies the time and effort that has been put into this project,” says Robert Ransom of the Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn. “The result has been overwhelming. Using local tradesmen to contribute to the refurbishment has injected more confidence in us to expand the motel to the next level.”

The Best Western Beechworth Motor Inn is a three-and-a-half star property featuring single, queen and large family rooms on one-and-a-half acres of leafy landscaped gardens.

Located only one kilometre from the centre of Beechworth, the property is an ideal base for corporate guests. All suites feature undercover parking and easy access to a large swimming pool, sun deck and private BBQ area.
Source: Best Western

Well Done Rob & Janelle - Keep up the great work - from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre Team.

Abseiling Adventures In Beechworth this Saturday 11th October 2008

2008-10-09T12:40:00.001+11:00

MORNING ABSEILING IN THE BEECHWORTH GORGE
3 Hours 10 AM to 1 PM

We will be offering morning abseiling adventures in the Beechworth Gorge EACH DAY from

Saturday 11th October (Note that if you don’t book early we may be booked out) Price

$88.00pp ($80.00pp for families or groups of three or more)

Suitable for most ages and levels of fitness
All safety gear supplied
ABSEIL from a 25-metre cliff on the Gorge road at Beechworth. (We also have a 10 metre introductory cliff for the nervous) The cliffs are only a short distance from the Town and have excellent views of the woolshed valley and the Granite ranges of Mt Pilot

The Site
Located on the gorge road the cliffs are just past the Bailey bridge over spring creek. Beechworth built the gorge road with prize moneys won during the 1930’s best tourist town awards.

The Adventure
We drive in convoy from Beechworth to the abseil site then after rigging up and having a safety brief we walk to the top of the cliffs to start the first abseil. You can then abseil as many times as you like in the time block.

Level Of Difficulty
Easy

Where to meet
Meet at the BEECHWORTH Visitors Information Centre Ford St Beechworth at 10 AM

You Need
Your own vehicle (The sites are about 15 Km from Beechworth) some water and comfortable rubber soled shoes or boots.

Bring any personal Medication (Asthma Etc)
Cost
$88 per participant (Regardless of age)
$77 for Pensioners or seniors card holders
$80 pp for families or groups of 3 or more
You can pay the guide cash on the day

Beechworth Kinder - Movie Night - Mumma Me

2008-10-09T12:38:00.000+11:00

Movie Night
Mamna Mia!
Date: Friday 10th October 2008

The Old Priory - 7.30pm - $20 per person
$10 for Students (accompanied by an adult)
Drinks at Bar Prices - Supper Provided
Tickets avaiable at the door

Fundraiser for Bikes & Trikes

BEECHWORTH OKTOBERFEST 2008

2008-10-09T11:11:00.000+11:00

Beechworth craft-brewery Bridge Road Brewers is hosting its forth annual Oktoberfest. Located in the heart of town, this small brewery has a swag of awards to its name, and is ready for this years celebration of beer and music to be its best yet. The event is based around the original Oktoberfest held in Munich in late September each year.

The Beechworth event will be held on Sat 11th and Sun 12th of October, from 11am till 6pm. October is also the breweries official beer month, with other events being planned for October including a beer degustation evening and special brewing events.
Visitors are encouraged to get out the Lederhosen or Dirndl (traditional Bavarian dress) and enjoy the festivities. This family weekend will include children’s activities, plenty of beer, German cuisine and fun for all with a traditional ohm-pah band belting out some great drinking tunes.

Bridge Road Brewers, established by Ben Kraus and his Austrian partner Maria Frischmann, has been brewing its beers for a little over 3 years and has come a long way from its origins in the family garage where the business spent its first year. Its relocation to an old coach house in Beechworth’s centre has proven a success. The brewery has been able to expand its range of beers, currently nine, and increase its production capacity to almost double.

Oktoberfest Entertainment will be provided by Alpine Cocktail, specialists in German ohm-pah music, with vocalist Rene hailing from Vienna, Austria.
The new venue has also allowed the addition of a kitchen to the brewery, where, apart from the giant pretzels, pizzas are the pick of the lunch time menu.
The Beechworth Oktoberfest will be held at Bridge Road Brewers, off Ford St, behind Tanswell’s Hotel, rear access from High St. It will be held between 11am and 6pm on Sat 11th and Sun 12th of October.

For further inquiries please contact Ben or Maria on 0357282703, or drop in to Bridge Road
Brewers.

Koala at Silver Creek Caravan Park

2008-10-09T11:02:00.007+11:00

Thanks to Deb and Chris at Silver Creek Carvan park for sending in photos of a Koala visiting the park.

In Beechworth Today back in 1878

2008-10-09T10:54:00.001+11:00

Daniel our wonderful Walking Tour Guide is full of interesting information. Thanks for today's interesting fact Daniel.

On the 9th October 1878 (130 years ago) Ellen Kelly (Ned's mum) was given 3 years hard labour for attempted murder of Constable Fitzpatrick. She appeared in the Beechworth Courthouse before Redmond Barry with baby Alice at her breast. Neighbour "Bricky" Williamson and son-in-law Bill Skillion were each given 6 years hard labour over the same offence.

Snow in Beechworth

2008-08-14T16:20:00.004+10:00

We had snowflakes falling in Beechworth last Sunday morning around 10am. Unfortunately the ground wasn't cold enough so the snow melted once it hit the ground.

And would you believe it folks? I left my camera at home the day it snowed in Beechworth . Thanks to Jim Didolis of Freeman On Ford for sending in some snow photos.

Ned Kelly Weekend Photos

2008-08-14T16:16:00.002+10:00

Thanks to Jim Didolis of Freeman On Ford for sending in photos taken at the Ned Kelly Weekend.

Beechworth set to celebrate a legend Ned Kelly Weekend on two weeks from today Fri 1, Sat 2 & Sun 3 August

2008-07-21T15:48:00.003+10:00

Ned Kelly enthusiasts from around the country are set to flock to Beechworth in the North East of Victoria for the historic gold-era town’s celebration of its links with Australia’s most notorious bushranger from Friday 1 to Sunday 3 August.

This year’s packed program, taking place in the 150 year-old Historic & Cultural Precinct, has attracted bookings from as far afield as Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.

Many Ned Kelly Weekend visitors are regulars at the annual event, and include direct descendents of some of the principal players in the Kelly story. This year they include Nola Love, the great granddaughter of Constable McIntyre who was the sole survivor of the police shooting by the Kelly Gang at Stringybark Creek and Leigh Olver, a direct descendent of Ned’s mother, Ellen Kelly.

Now in its fifth year and regarded as Australia’s most significant annual celebration of the Ned Kelly story, the Ned Kelly Weekend commemorates the anniversary of the outlaw’s committal hearing held in the historic Courthouse from 6 to 11 August 1880. Sentenced to death and hanged later that year, the bushranger’s celebrity shows no sign of fading nearly 130 years on.

This year’s Ned Kelly Weekend offers a lively and entertaining program to suit all tastes and pockets and includes new events as well as old favourites.

New this year is the Ned Kelly Weekend Heritage Market on Saturday 2 August. From 10am until 2pm, the Historic Precinct area of Ford Street will be closed to traffic and transformed into a colourful market square featuring delicious, good old-fashioned food such as soup and damper and tea and scones, as well as traditional crafts including spinning and weaving, knitting, demonstrations of wood crafts, blacksmithing, coopering and whip making, along with live music and buskers.

And back by popular demand is the Ned Kelly Weekend opening event Ned at the Nic – a traditional Music Hall ‘knees up’ at the Nicholas Hotel, featuring a sit-down three course dinner, entertainment from another local legend, Lazy Harry and his sensational band, dancing until late and the hugely popular Ned Kelly trivia quiz.

Also featuring across the weekend are theatre productions, a fabulous Kelly-themed art show, the unveiling of a new display of one of the four original Ned Kelly death masks at the Burke Museum, talks in the Historic Courthouse by Ned Kelly experts, the re-enactment of the Committal Hearing on Saturday and Sunday, the new Best Beard competition, The Great Fight commemoration and Ned On the Big Screen in the historic Town Hall.

Full weekend passes or tickets to individual events are available at www.beechworthonline.com.au
or phone the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre on 1300 366 321

Seating increased 50 percent for Tim Flannery’s talk in Beechworth

2008-07-12T09:50:00.000+10:00

The response to this year’s Kerferd Oration in Beechworth by Professor Tim Flannery has been so strong that organisers have enlarged the seating capacity from 300 to 450 seats.

The oration is being held at the Kerferd Conference Centre at the Beechworth campus of La Trobe University on Sunday, July 27, at 11am.

Kerferd Oration committee member Joan Simms said the response this year had been “quite overwhelming”

“So many people want to hear from someone like Professor Flannery. His oration on The Climate Change Challenge is more topical than ever. There’s been the recent draft Garnaut report, various local moves towards forming sustainability groups and a growing awareness of the need for all of us to do our bit for the environment,” Ms Simms said.

“We’ve had to increase the seating in the Kerferd Conference Centre to 450 seats and we have provision to stretch that a bit more to the deck outside,” Ms Simms said.

“We have advertised that doors open at 10.15am and the feedback we are getting is that some people are coming quite early to queue up before that. One group has told me they are bringing their breakfast to have in the grounds while they keep an eye on the length of the queue.

"And I know of another group from Melbourne who are extending their holiday at the snow, and staying in Beechworth overnight to attend the Oration.”

Ms Simms stressed that no booking was required for this free community event, however only the first 450 people at the door would be certain of getting a seat inside the conference room.

Students from Year 7 at the Beechworth Secondary College will have artworks and installations on the theme of sustainability on display inside the conference centre.

Parking is limited close to the conference centre and Ms Simms advised people to park in nearby streets and walk in to the venue.

Beechworth businesses ‘tread softly’ as environmental art takes to the streets

2008-07-03T14:28:00.000+10:00

Beechworth businesses have offered their shop windows for the month of July to display the work of dozens of regional artists taking part in tread softly, an exhibition focusing on environmental issues relating to climate change, global warming and loss of habitat and biodiversity.

The exhibition is being presented in the lead-up to the 2008 Kerford Oration which will be delivered by Professor Tim Flannery on ‘The Climate Change Challenge’ at LaTrobe University’s Beechworth campus on Sunday 27 July at 11am.

tread softly, which includes works on paper, photography, paintings, objects, jewellery and sculpture, celebrates the environment and draws attention to environmental issues as well as provides a showcase for the ideas and work of regional artists.

A diverse range of subjects tackled by artists featuring in the exhibition include a commentary on the impact of domestic pets on native wildlife, declining river systems, salinity, drought, the massive and mounting global problem of waste disposal and the warming of the planet as a result of human impact.

But while many of the themes are both confronting and alarming, the work Milagros for Beechworth by gold & silversmith, Rose Wedler, on display in the Pots of Thyme window, tells a good news story. The work celebrates the small miracle of the rediscovery near Beechworth a few years ago of a plant previously thought extinct – the Swainsona recta or Purple Pea.

Catalogues for this intriguing and innovative exhibition are available from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre at 101 Ford Street. In keeping with the theme of tread softly, collection points for recycling the catalogues are available around the shopping precinct.

Painting The Beechworth Town Hall Almost Complete

2008-07-03T14:16:00.007+10:00

The Beechworth Town Hall has been unavailable for June whilst the painters from Period Restoration moved into give the Town Hall a make over.

We think they have done a terrific job! Well done to Graham and the team! The Town Hall will be available for bookings by the end of next week.

Congratualations to our July Operators of the Month

2008-07-01T15:12:00.001+10:00

Congratulations to our June Operators of the Month: Milawa Mustards, Gorge Walk B&B, Stone Cottage and Kinross B&B. Our operators of the month have their brochure in prime position with in the VIC and their image and link on the home page of www.beechworthonline.com.au

Beechworth Celtic Festival, 7th-9th November 2008

2008-07-01T15:09:00.001+10:00

Beechworth’s annual salute to its Celtic heritage, now in its 14th year, is set to be the best yet.
This three day event set in Historic Beechworth celebrates all things Celtic, with a full program of live music, theatre, dancing, comedy, pipe bands and a street parade. The Celtic Festival is a diverse event with something to offer every age group.

Highlights of the 2008 program include a Gala Celtic Dinner to open the weekend on Friday evening and the Official Celtic concert to be held on Saturday evening. The concert evening will feature a night not to be missed, with live music, dance, comedy and a theatrical performance from the renowned Celtic group Braemar. The theatrical production, Lochaber No More, outlines the history of the Jacobite Rebellion in narrative and song.

Ticketed live music venues will be located throughout beautiful Beechworth, in its historic hotels and halls, with a free chalkboard stage to be located in the heart of town. The street parade, a great event for families, will feature a number of pipe bands, dancers and other performances.

The Celtic Festival is truly a festival of fun, entertainment and celebration in the celtic spirit. So put on your favourite kilt and get yourself up the hill to Beechworth this November to celebrate all things Celtic.

For further information or ticket enquiries visit http://beechworthcelticfestival.com.au or phone the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre 1300 366 321 for accommodation and other enquiries.

The Beechworth Celtic Festival Inc.

“Beneath My Feet 1”

2008-06-25T15:13:00.005+10:00

There was some excitement this afternoon when we had a visit from Angela Perry today.

Angela Perry is a local Beechworth resident and has hand pieced and quilted “Beneath My Feet 1” which is the pattern of the floor in the Beechworth Town Hall foyer. Angela sourced fabrics from Canberra and finished the quilt in 9 weeks. Amazing!

Photos include: Angela Perry & Anne Wilson (Beechworth Visitor Information Centre) with the quilt.

Tim Flannery to give Tim Flannery to give

2008-06-24T16:26:00.001+10:00

2008 George Briscoe Kerferd Oration
Date: Sunday 27 July
Time: 11am
Venue: LaTrobe University, Beechworth

Renowned scientist and climate change expert Professor Tim Flannery will deliver the annual Kerferd Oration in Beechworth, in North East Victoria, next month.
Professor Flannery, Australian of the Year in 2007, is well known around the world for his position on global warming and environmental issues. An internationally acclaimed scientist and conservationist, Professor Flannery has published more than 130 peer-reviewed scientific papers, but it is his landmark book The Weather Makers that sets him apart. This book has received widespread praise for its informed and balanced approach to climate change and has been translated into more than 20 languages. In 2006 it won the NSWPremier’s Literary Prizes for Best Critical Writing and Book of the Year.

In 2007 Professor Flannery co-founded and was appointed Chair of The Copenhagen
Climate Council, a coalition of community, business and political leaders who have come together to confront climate change.

Professor Flannery will deliver the George Briscoe Kerferd Oration at 11am on Sunday July 27, at the Beechworth campus of LaTrobe University.

Past orators at this free community event were the then Deputy Premier of Victoria the Hon John Thwaites (2007); Cathy McGowan AO (2006); Professor Henry Brodaty AO (2005);Barbara Holborow OAM (2004) and the then Chief Justice of Victoria the Hon John PhillipsAC (2003).

This annual oration, now in its sixth year and jointly sponsored by Indigo Shire Council, Latrobe University and corporate sponsor WAW Credit Union, is named after one of the founding fathers of Beechworth. George Kerferd was a very public minded man. In 1857, just five years after gold was discovered at Beechworth, he was a member of the Beechworth Municipal Council and later its president for some years. He helped establish the Ovens District Hospital and was involved with the establishment of the Ovens Benevolent Asylum. In 1864 he entered Victorian Parliament as the Ovens District representative, holding
portfolios in six ministries before becoming Premier in 1874.

Ned Kelly Weekend 2008 Tickets Now On Sale

2008-06-15T11:31:00.002+10:00

Ned Kelly Weekend 2008 tickets are now on sale.

Book your tickets online www.beechworthonline.com.au to Australia's most significant Ned Kelly Event. A weekend packed full of activities for the Ned Kelly enthusiast.

For phone bookings call the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre on 1300 366 321

Ned Kelly Weekend 2008 Program

2008-06-15T11:18:00.005+10:00

About the Beechworth Ned Kelly Weekend

Beechworth’s famous Ned Kelly Weekend returns from 1- 3 August with a lively program of re-enactments, theatre, art, music, displays, market stalls, competitions and talks by leading authorities on the subject of the life and times of Australia’s most notorious bushranger.

Now in its fifth year, Australia’s most significant annual celebration of the Kelly legend commemorates the anniversary of the outlaw’s committal hearing held in the historic Beechworth Courthouse from 6 to 11 August 1880.

This year’s Ned Kelly Weekend has the added significance of the 150th anniversary of the Beechworth Historic & Cultural Precinct, being commemorated throughout 2008. This year for the first time, tours of the Courthouse will be available across the Ned Kelly Weekend in recognition of the sesquicentenary.

2008 Ned Kelly Weekend Program

Friday 1 August
Ned at the Nic
Nicholas Hotel, Ford Street
7pm – late
Tickets: $45 including three course dinner. Tables of 10 (max. seating 80)

Back by popular demand in 2008, this rollicking night out kicks off the Ned Kelly Weekend in fine style. In the tradition of the old Music Hall, join us for a hearty three-course traditional roast dinner and a great night’s entertainment.

Live music and dancing to Lazy Harry’s sensational three-piece band, Kelly Trivia, lots of prizes and much more.

Dress up in your best period costume and celebrate the opening of Ned Kelly Weekend with gusto!

Saturday 2 August

10am – 5pm: Exhibition - Framed
Sub Treasury Building, Beechworth Historic Precinct
Ford Street
Entry by gold coin donation

Return of the sensational Kelly-inspired art show and open across the weekend. A hit of the 2007 Ned Kelly event, Framed features dozens of original paintings, sculpture, objects and works on paper by local and interstate artists This year the general public will have the chance to vote for their favourite work in the Framed People’s Choice Award.
Beechworth artist, Janene Delves, with her work, Everywhere is Ned, on display at Framed 2007

10am – 4pm: The Ned Kelly Weekend Heritage Market
Ford Street, outside the Historic & Cultural Precinct
New in 2008, this day-long event will transform the Precinct end of Ford Street into a colourful Gold-era market featuring an array of traditional craft stalls such as spinning and weaving, quilting, the art of shoemaking, shingle-making, pickles and preserves, delicious hot food and much more. Fun for the whole family – tug ‘o war, kite flying and organized games for the kids in the Police Paddock.

10:15am – 10:45am: Re-enactment - Ned Kelly’s arrival at the Courthouse
Historic Precinct, Ford Street
Ahead of his Preliminary Trial, don’t miss this Ned Kelly Weekend favourite - the colourful, fully costumed re-staging of Ned’s arrival under police escort at the Historic Precinct, Ford Street.

11am – 1pm:Re-enactment – Ned Kelly’s Committal Hearing at the historic Beechworth Courthouse, Ford Street
Tickets: $22 adults, $11 children
Ned Kelly was brought to the Beechworth Courthouse to answer a charge of murder. This re-enactment of the Committal Hearing of Ned Kelly which took place from 6 – 11 August 1880 offers a fascinating insight into one of the momentous events of Australian legal history.

12 Noon – 12:30pm: Ned on the Big Screen
The Story of the Kelly Gang
Beechworth Town Hall, Ford Street
Gold coin donation
Screening of the historic 1906 film, believed to be the world’s first feature-length movie.

2pm - 3pm: Talks by the Experts
www.ironoutlaw.com's Brad Webb on Ned Kelly and the emergence of technology
Beechworth Historic Courthouse
Tickets: $17 adults, $11 children

As the Kelly outbreak intensified it was the telegraph that kept the population enthralled with news of the Gang’s daring exploits. Imagine what might have happened if Ned had really embraced this 'new' medium and wired the Jerilderie Letter to every newspaper in the country? Today it is the internet which will guarantee Ned Kelly’s ongoing celebrity. Brad Webb’s www.ironoutlaw.com is one of the world’s largest and most visited history-related websites, receiving more than 8.5 million hits a year. This fascinating talk will trace the 'true online history of the Kelly Gang' from the telegraph to the internet.

3:30pm – 4:30pmpm: Special Tour: Ellen Kelly-at the Beechworth Courthouse
$5 adults, $3.50 concession, $10 per family
In recognition of the 150th anniversary in 2008, the Historic Courthouse will be open for special guided and self-guided tours on Saturday and Sunday. The Ellen Kelly Tour will be led by Noelene Allen, a specialist on the subject of the and times of Ned Kelly’s mother, Ellen.

7:30pm: Performance - The Jerilderie Letter
devised and performed by Peter Finlay with music by Malcolm Hill
Beechworth Historic Courthouse
Tickets: $33, no concessions
Running time one hour
“In Lloyd Jones production, Kelly's shaved, white, severed head -- a death mask on a plinth -- does the talking. Peter Finlay is the actor. And what a mighty, controlled, hypnotic recitation he gives!” Chris Boyd, Herald Sun Theatre Reviewer

This fine theatrical staging of Ned Kelly’s explosive ‘manifesto’ has mesmerised audiences and critics alike since its debut at Melbourne’s La Mama theatre last year. Devised and performed by Peter Finlay, directed by Lloyd Jones and with live accompaniment by the noted writer/musician, Malcolm Hill, The Jerilderie Letter will be the must-see event of this year’s Ned Kelly Weekend,

9:30 – 10:30pm: Performance: Ned Kelly, by Ashley Davies & Ian Jones
Town Hall, Ford Street
Tickets: $22
“It was the hit of the festival” Patrick Donovan, music writer The Age.
Ashley Davies’ production of Ned Kelly is a raw, stripped back telling of a story that many Australians think they know. This acclaimed live show incorporates a six piece band and visual display including photos, historical documents, footage of Kelly country, and text narrated by Ian Jones, Australia’s foremost Kelly historian. The performance transports the audience to key moments in the life of Ned Kelly including his teenage years, his mother’s incarceration, the Gang’s bank robberies, the last stand at Glenrowan and the court proceedings. It all makes for a moving, powerful and true account of the Kelly story.

Sunday 3 August

>
10am – 11am: Talks by the Experts – TBC
Beechworth Historic Courthouse, Ford Street
Tickets: $17 adults, $11 children

11am – 12:30: Old Fashioned Fun and Games
Village Green, Police Paddocks (rear of Historic Precinct)
Free Events including, tug ‘o war, children’s games
11am: Judging of the Great Ned Kelly Weekend Beard Competition
More information to come.

11:30am: The Great Fight
Commemorating the marathon bare-knuckled fight between Ned Kelly and Isaiah ‘Wild’ Wright, a horse-breaker and avowed supporter of the Kelly family. Ned eventually won the 20 round stoush, which took place on the banks of Beechworth’s Spring Creek on 8 August 1874. Don’t miss the chance to dress in your Sunday Best period costume and cheer on the heroes of this fabled sporting contest.

10am – 5pm: Framed
Sub Treasury Building, Beechworth Historic Precinct
Ford Street
Entry by gold coin donation

12:30pm – 1:30pm: Special Tour - Ned Kelly at the Beechworth Courthouse
$5 adults, $3.50 concession $10 per family
Special Ned Kelly-themed guided tour of the Historic Courthouse

1:30pm – 2:30pm: Special Tour: Ellen Kelly-at the Beechworth Courthouse
$5 adults, $3.50 concession, $10 per family
The Ellen Kelly Tour will be led by Noelene Allen, a specialist on the subject of the life and times of Ned Kelly’s mother, Ellen.

2:30 – 5pm: Self-guided Tours of Beechworth Historic Courthouse
$5 adults, $3.50 concession, $10 per family

12 Noon – 1pm Ned on the Big Screen – Bail Up!
Beechworth Town Hall, Ford Street
Gold coin donation
Screening of the fascinating National Film & Sound Archive documentary, featuring a selection of fragments and scenes from the surviving titles of Australia’s bushranger films including The Story of the Kelly Gang, Thunderbolt (1910), Robbery Under Arms (1920) and When The Kellys Were Out (1923).

Across the weekend

1– 2pm and 3:30–4:30pm Saturday and Sunday
Ned Kelly Guided Walking Tour
Departs from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre, Ford Street
Tickets: $7.50 adults, $5 concession, $15 family
Enjoy this lively and informative tour led by our experienced Guides. See the historic sites and hear the stories of Ned Kelly, his family and the Gang and their connection to Beechworth. A must for all Kelly enthusiasts or anyone interested in Australia’s most famous bushranger.

10am – 5pm: Exhibition Ned Kelly: Fact and Fiction
Burke Museum, Loch Street
Standard entry fees apply
Developed by the National Museum in Canberra, traces the story of the young man who gained notoriety as leader of the Kelly Gang, vowing to fight the authorities on behalf of the poor and oppressed, before he was captured and hanged in 1880. Also, part of the Burke Museum’s permanent collection, see one of the four known death masks created of Ned Kelly after his execution at Old Melbourne Gaol on 11 November 1880 as well as other Kelly-related artefacts.

Saturday 8.30 am & 3.15 pm, Sunday 8.30 am: Ned Kelly Mini Bus Tour
Maximum 20 people
Tickets: Adult $20, Concession $16; Family $44

Tour Historic Kelly sites on this 90-minute mini bus tour; view existing buildings with a Kelly connection within Beechworth Township. The tour includes the former Beechworth Goal (from outside), the Beechworth Cemetery and then onto Telegraph Rock and the Woolshed Valley to view the remains of the hut where Aaron Sherritt was murdered and other Kelly sites.

Congratulations - June Operators Of The Month

2008-06-09T14:54:00.001+10:00

Congratulations to our June Operators of the Month: Beechworth Honey Experience, Serena Cottages, Lilac Cottage and Yackandandah Townshiphill Motel. Our operators of the month have their brochure in prime position with in the VIC and their image and link on the home page of www.beechworthonline.com.au

Vote for Beechworth

2008-05-28T16:30:00.003+10:00

Victoria 101 is well underway.

After only a couple of weeks, RACV’s Victoria 101 best tourism experiences is a real hit with Victorians. Thousands of people have already been online and voted for their favourite tourism experiences.

We need you to vote for Beechworth as your favourite tourism experience

So stop blogging and start voting for Beechworth!

Star spotting in Beechworth

2008-05-28T16:15:00.002+10:00

Michael at the Courthouse kindly informed the team at the Visitor Information Centre at closing time, that Chris Hemsworth (who played Kim Hyde off TV soapy Home And Away) enjoyed a visit to the Beechworth Historic Courthouse and Burke Museum yesterday.

My first response - "Oh my god Micheal, how come you didn't send Chris over here to the information centre?" Penny and I are huge Home And Away fans.

Congratulations Lake Sambell Caravan Park

2008-05-28T15:43:00.003+10:00

Congratulations goes to Sue and Rodger at Lake Sambell Caravan Park - who have recently been awarded Green Star accredited by AAA Tourism for their environmentally friendly practices. They have been independently evaluated and had to meet a certain criteria. Things like glass, bottle, paper and cardboard recycling, black water dump point, dual flush toilets, water saving shower heads, front loading washing machines, non-smoking rooms, mulching garden waste, power saving light bulbs, requesting quests to turn off appliances when leaving rooms vacant etc., all contributed to Lake Sambell Caravan Park's accreditation.

Research by AAA Tourism has shown that almost two-thirds of travellers will be influenced in their accommodation decisions based on a property's environmentally friendly practices and accreditation, such as the Green Star.

The Green Star does not replace the existing property Star rating - the Green Star enhances the property's rating by acknowledging environmentally friendly practices.

Justice Lex Lasry awarded Honourary Doctorate

2008-05-28T15:40:00.001+10:00

Australian Catholic University has awarded an honorary doctorate to the honourable Justice Lex Lasry QC for his contribution to social justice and law. Justice Lasry will be in Beechworth on Saturday 14 June to deliver the inaugural Beechworth Law Lecture, marking the 150th anniversary of the town's Historic Courthouse.

Justice Lex Lasry (right) with Australian Catholic University National Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Greg Craven
“The legal profession has had a champion in Lex Lasry, one whom they respect and acknowledge in different yet significant ways,” said ACU National Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Craven.

Lex Lasry was admitted to practise as a prosecutor in 1973 and later became a renowned criminal defence lawyer. He was quickly recognised within the legal profession for his astuteness and high intelligence. He became well known within Victorian legal circles for his role assisting the Costigan Royal Commission, as temporary counsel assisting the National Crime Authority, and for his role in inquiries following fatal police shootings in the late 1980s.
But it was when he turned to criminal defence law that Lex Lasry was put most prominently in the public eye.

“Few Australians were unmoved by the poignant and emotionally draining scenes as he fought with all his knowledge of law and called for compassion and mercy in the case to stop the hanging of a drug offender convicted in Singapore between 2002 and 2005,” said Professor Craven.
Justice Lasry’s sensitivity to the individual and his determination to end the practice of capital punishment have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum. This and other major cases have marked him as a man of high principle, one prepared to take on cases which opened up issues of civil rights and ethics.

An outspoken advocate of causes, especially for the abolition of the death penalty, Justice Lasry is regularly invited to address both legal practitioners, university students and community groups on issues of social justice, human rights, and those of ethical and moral significance. He has maintained an apolitical stance, standing out against any political party trying to own him or his views.
Most recently as a justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Justice Lasry maintains his continuing commitment to the rights of the individual.

Australian Catholic University (ACU National) established as Australia’s only Catholic, national, publicly funded university is open to all. The University empowers its students and staff with a strong sense of social responsibility and concern for the moral and ethical dimensions of their study and their professional and personal lives.

Beechworth Harvest Celebration 2008

2008-05-18T09:09:00.000+10:00

Beechworth is preparing to serve up a feast of mouth-watering local fare with the return of the annual Harvest Celebration on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May.

Now in its 15th year, the event is a gourmet’s dream, highlighting the renowned wine and produce of this blessed region at one of the most glorious times of the year to visit.

Day One of the Harvest Celebration on Saturday 17 May will see the vignerons of the Beechworth Wine Region, including some normally closed to the public, throwing open their cellar doors to visitors. This is an opportunity for wine-lovers to visit some of the premier boutique wineries of the North East. Throughout the day and evening Beechworth’s famed restaurants and eateries will feature special menus offering fine local produce and matching wines. A Gala Harvest Dinner at The Pines at La Trobe @ Beechworth will be an experience not to be missed. To secure your booking, phone (03) 5720 8050.

On Sunday 18 May the Harvest Celebration showcases local produce. Huge marquees in the centre of Beechworth’s Historic & Cultural Precinct will transform the area into a giant smorgasbord all day from 10am to 5pm.

Local temptations will include venison, pork and lamb, apples, pears and chestnuts, organic vegetables, preserves, jams, relishes and pickles, olive oils and table olives, bread, cakes and pastries, lavender and saffron products as well as fortified and table wines, boutique beers and cordials.

The Harvest Celebration Presentation Stage will be hosted by actor and comedian, John Walker and will feature demonstrations by talented local chefs, expert tips on cooking chestnuts, pretzel-making, the word on organic wines and having fun baking bread and pastries.

This year’s children’s program has been expanded with entertainment throughout the afternoon including the return of the popular dough-making workshops. Also back in 2008 is the Street Full of Scarecrows for the third year running. Prizes will be presented to the best scarecrows on the Presentation Stage during the afternoon.

The inaugural Beechworth Harvest Celebration was held on Mother's Day Weekend in 1994 as a one-day event aimed at showcasing the diversity and quality of food and wine being produced in the region. Fifteen years on, this now eagerly anticipated event on the Beechworth calendar has gone from strength to strength into a full weekend of activities.

Meet the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre Scarecrows

2008-05-14T17:09:00.004+10:00

As you know the Beechworth Harvest Celebration is on this weekend 17th and 18th May 2008. And we have been busy making scarecrows out of recycled materials...brochure boxes, out of date brochures, old uniforms etc.

So let me proudly introduce our Beechworth Visitor Information Scarecrows - Happy Hannah and Friendly Fredia

National Volunteers Week 2008

2008-05-14T09:59:00.003+10:00

Monday 12th May 2008 is the start of National Volunteer Week. We would like the opportunity to say thank you to our wonderful team of volunteers at the Visitor Information Centre.

I took the opportunity to ask some of our volunteers, why do they volunteer at the Visitor Information Centre?

“Volunteering at the Information Centre is great fun! You get back more than what you give” Pauline Carson

“I really enjoy my time at the Info Centre, talking to lots of happy relaxed holidaying visitors is always a buzz. I also get to know what’s going on in my own town, so I never miss out on any events either” Lesley Finedon

Volunteering at the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre offers an excellent
opportunity to:
• Meet new people
• Be a part of a great team environment
• Help your local community
• Promote Beechworth and our Shire
• Share local knowledge
• Lean about events and latest news
• Keep busy
• Have fun

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer? Phone us on 1300 366 321

The Scarecrows are coming again…

2008-05-07T11:52:00.002+10:00

Will Your Scarecrow be Ready to Join the Party?

Prizes to be won!!!

Beechworth Harvest Festival
Ford Street, Beechworth
Sunday 18 May 2008
Set up by 8.30am
Collect by 3pm

Promote recycling by making a scarecrow
Recycled materials only

Entry free for Student Section
$10 entry for Open Section
Judging at 1pm

Book your entry in by 4pm, Monday May 12, 2008
Contact Estelle Paterson at Beechworth Secondary College

Congratulations - May Operators Of The Month

2008-05-06T10:04:00.002+10:00

Congratulations to our May Operators of the Month: Rail Trail Retreat, Beechworth Ghost Tours, Colby Cottages and Foxgloves B&B. Our operators of the month have their brochure in prime position with in the VIC and their image and link on the home page of www.beechworthonline.com.au

Its Autumn in Beechworth

2008-05-04T09:24:00.005+10:00

The Beechworth Visitor Information Centre (BVIC) has been very busy during March and April with a combined total of 22,239 visitors coming into the BVIC compared to 18,123 over the same period in 2007.

We have had lots of visitors come to Beechworth especially to see the magnificent Autumn leaves. I throughly enjoyed taking photos of the Autumn colours my lunch break for you to enjoy.

Kerry

Book your tickets for The Postmasters Office'

2008-04-20T14:16:00.004+10:00

The “Postmasters Office”

All –Australian Music Show
Original, Traditional & Modern Contemporary styles

With Special Guest Performer
Pat Drummond also featuring Singer/Song writers Neil Higgins & Tracy Hamilton

Friday 25th April 2008
Time: 8pm
GLE Social Club rooms (Fromalley know as the ‘Buffs Lodge’)
53 Ford Street, Beechworth
Ticket Entry Free: Adults $12.00, Concession $10.00
Tickets available at the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre
For Further Information Contact 0427 176 742
www.neilhiggins.com.au