Beechworth
Sep. 6th, 2014 08:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xenithBeechworth, in north-east Victoria, but I've been here before in 2009 so this is just a sort of overview of the town post, and then some bits and pieces later as I feel like it.
Looking at the older post, reminds that on the first time I came here I was asked "Why go there?" and this time it was "Why go there again?" Same answer, of course: because it's there. But also, I keep visiting places and having a quick look around and thinking "One day I'll have to come back and have a proper look about". So the more I travel, the longer my list of places still to visit becomes. Silly :)
In 2009, I stayed 2 night in Beechworth but left first thing in the morning, with a 2 hour stop over in Benalla on the way back to Melbourne. So I wanted to spend a bit more time in both, and I also included two other places just seen from the coach window (there were no trains running in 2009) to make sure there was enough to make the trip worthwhile. Four nights. Four towns.
(It did occur to me in the days beforehand that maybe I should have made the trip longer, but by the time I got to the end, four days was quite enough thanks. One of these days I'll go on a trip that involves lots of sitting around and relaxing. Really.)
This is the main street, on a wet and rainy morning, from the top of the hill, down past the "roundabout", to the gaol at the end. I linked to a larger version :)
Gold was discovered near here in 1852. It was officially discovered further west in Victoria (the Bendigo/Ballarat area) the year before and that's the district that seems to get the main attention when talking about the gold rush, but the Ovens Goldfields was an area of some size too. I think the population reached 30,000, Probably helped by it being close to NSW, for those who'd tried their luck there and wanted a fresh start elsewhere. Beechworth was the administrative centre. Population then about 10,000 peoples. These days its main industry is tourism. Population about 3000 peoples.
On the top side of the roundabout there are shops on the either side of the road.
And a hotel. (I stayed there in 2009. It's a good location. Not the best place when it's cold though.)
Note the letters in the footpath.
The top of the hill. The honey place on the left has lots of nice looking honey but can't bring them back :(
Back at the roundabout at sunset.
The post office is at this intersection.
From outside the post office, at sun set again. Downhill from the roundabout (to the right) is the historic precinct.
Telegraph station, court house, sub-treasury
Gold wardens office (left) & Chinese protector's office.
Behind those are some other bits like the police stables
and the town hall across the road, where the visitors' information centre is. The museum is behind there.
The rain brings out the yellow in the granite.
Back at the post office. There are some other places of interest about the town.
Not those.
The sweet shop is at the opposite end of the block to the post office.
Another hotel, opposite sweet shop.
The gaol is at the end of the historic precinct. In 2009 it was being developed into apartments. The guide then said people were upset because they felt it should be opened as a tourist attraction. Now in 2014, it doesn't look much like apartments.
A couple of blocks from the main streets is the facade of the former hospital.
Powder magazine, at the bottom of the hill.
Murray's Brewery has a brewery museum and a collection of carriages belonging to the National Trust.
The Old Priory, where I stayed. I'd booked a single room with a bathroom down the hall. When I arrived, she said they had a school group staying so I got bumped up to an ensuite cottage. Very nice.
Down the fourth street from the roundabout intersection. The bus stop is also down this way.
Right about here.
Looking at the older post, reminds that on the first time I came here I was asked "Why go there?" and this time it was "Why go there again?" Same answer, of course: because it's there. But also, I keep visiting places and having a quick look around and thinking "One day I'll have to come back and have a proper look about". So the more I travel, the longer my list of places still to visit becomes. Silly :)
In 2009, I stayed 2 night in Beechworth but left first thing in the morning, with a 2 hour stop over in Benalla on the way back to Melbourne. So I wanted to spend a bit more time in both, and I also included two other places just seen from the coach window (there were no trains running in 2009) to make sure there was enough to make the trip worthwhile. Four nights. Four towns.
(It did occur to me in the days beforehand that maybe I should have made the trip longer, but by the time I got to the end, four days was quite enough thanks. One of these days I'll go on a trip that involves lots of sitting around and relaxing. Really.)
This is the main street, on a wet and rainy morning, from the top of the hill, down past the "roundabout", to the gaol at the end. I linked to a larger version :)
Gold was discovered near here in 1852. It was officially discovered further west in Victoria (the Bendigo/Ballarat area) the year before and that's the district that seems to get the main attention when talking about the gold rush, but the Ovens Goldfields was an area of some size too. I think the population reached 30,000, Probably helped by it being close to NSW, for those who'd tried their luck there and wanted a fresh start elsewhere. Beechworth was the administrative centre. Population then about 10,000 peoples. These days its main industry is tourism. Population about 3000 peoples.
On the top side of the roundabout there are shops on the either side of the road.
And a hotel. (I stayed there in 2009. It's a good location. Not the best place when it's cold though.)
Note the letters in the footpath.
The top of the hill. The honey place on the left has lots of nice looking honey but can't bring them back :(
Back at the roundabout at sunset.
The post office is at this intersection.
From outside the post office, at sun set again. Downhill from the roundabout (to the right) is the historic precinct.
Telegraph station, court house, sub-treasury
Gold wardens office (left) & Chinese protector's office.
Behind those are some other bits like the police stables
and the town hall across the road, where the visitors' information centre is. The museum is behind there.
The rain brings out the yellow in the granite.
Back at the post office. There are some other places of interest about the town.
Not those.
The sweet shop is at the opposite end of the block to the post office.
Another hotel, opposite sweet shop.
The gaol is at the end of the historic precinct. In 2009 it was being developed into apartments. The guide then said people were upset because they felt it should be opened as a tourist attraction. Now in 2014, it doesn't look much like apartments.
A couple of blocks from the main streets is the facade of the former hospital.
Powder magazine, at the bottom of the hill.
Murray's Brewery has a brewery museum and a collection of carriages belonging to the National Trust.
The Old Priory, where I stayed. I'd booked a single room with a bathroom down the hall. When I arrived, she said they had a school group staying so I got bumped up to an ensuite cottage. Very nice.
Down the fourth street from the roundabout intersection. The bus stop is also down this way.
Right about here.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-06 11:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-06 11:17 am (UTC)I will do that!
(Now I have an excuse to go back, although it'll probably be another 5 years.)
no subject
Date: 2014-09-06 12:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-06 12:13 pm (UTC)Good :) I love to get off the tourist track, but without a car, it's a bit tricky.