BEECHWORTH HISTORY AND HERITAGE SOCIETY

3 July, 2026 A STATEMENT FROM SOCIETY PRESIDENT JAMIE KRONBORG Beechworth History and Heritage Society has concluded extensive investigations into opportunities to retain and activate five horse-drawn carriages with local provenance from Victoria’s National Trust collection in Beechworth. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, collaborative approach and broad community support, our 'Horsepower!' proposal to use these carriages to interpret the vital story of the horse in th

𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗗𝗔𝗬 30 June 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. On 1 May, 1862, Beechworth Athenaeum curator William Morton wrote to Victoria’s colonial government botanist Ferdinand von Mueller: ‘My dear Sir, I have very great pleasure — complying with the wish of the President — (G. B. Kerferd Esqr. J. P.) of

Beechworth as we know it turns 175 years old in 2027. This anniversary presents an opportunity for our community to reflect on where we have come from and think actively about what we want Beechworth to look like when we celebrate our bicentenary in 2052. Beechworth History and Heritage Society is leading community-wide Kitchen Table Conversations so that everyone who lives and works here has the opportunity to contribute and build a clear picture of our community’s hopes and

𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗗𝗔𝗬 21 June 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. On 27 October, 1862, scientist, magnetician, oceanographer and meteorologist Georg von Neumayer noted in his journal: 'Arrived at Beechworth at 9h 15m a.m. and went at once to the Survey Office for the purpose of inspecting the meteorological obser

𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗗𝗔𝗬 21 June 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. On 3 August, 1871, Lincolns Inn-trained solicitor and barrister Frederick Brown - a one-time Beechworth gold and insurance agent, auctioneer, later council leader and parliamentarian - stood in Beechworth general sessions court. He was representing

Thirty walkers and park advocates on 23 May celebrated the centenary of Beechworth's Gorge Road opening and ninetieth anniversary of its second Spring Creek bridge opening at an event organised by Beechworth History and Heritage Society. Society chair Jamie Kronborg told those gathered that road and bridge-building in the gorge, long since the major natural attraction in Beechworth Historic Park, was quite a story. “With early guidance about the route from famed Board of Work

Our sincere thanks to all who dug into Beechworth and supported and participated in our National Trusts' Australian Heritage Festival events across April-May. Government Camp. Mayday Hill. Ovens. December 1852. Attributed to Edward Bateman. State Library of New South Wales. 𝗣𝗲𝗻, 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 - the last of these - was sold out on Saturday (16 May) with 15 people joining our guided walk through Beechworth's art history. This included an acknowledgement of our

𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗗𝗔𝗬 1 May 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. It's 1 May, the birthday of 'Beechworth's Grand Old Man': James Ingram senior, born at Sanquhar in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, in 1828. He emigrated to Victoria in December 1852 and came to Beechworth with his wife Margaret (née Robertson) in

Beechworth RSL sub-branch today conducted a moving ANZAC Day dawn service to commemorate the one hundred and eleventh Australian and New Zealand expeditionary force Great War landing at Gallipoli in Türkiye. At our Town Hall Gardens' cenotaph, before a hushed crowd, the solemn recitation of the traditional dedication, ode and sounding of last post, reveille and New Zealand and Australian anthems were broken only by kookaburras welcoming the sun through the crowns of the garde

Walkers enjoyed a guided tour among Beechworth’s historic trees on 19 April, with Beechworth History and Heritage president Jamie Kronborg recounting stories of botany and science along the way. The walk was devised by arborist Col Gladstone with Beechworth Treescape Group's Jan Milhinch and Jamie, who described for participants how the town's exceptional tree-lined streets and colonial-era parks were planned and planted. The group also ‘met’ Ferdinand von Mueller, colonial-e

Thanks so much to Hotel Nicholas hosts Lorraine and Ross Lucas for guiding us through their packed collection of historic Beechworth photographs on 18 April. This Dig into Beechworth event was the first in our National Trusts' Australian Heritage Festival 2026 local program that runs mid-April to mid-May. We heard about many of the Beechworth plateau's 61 hotels - a good number of which are shown on the Nich's walls - offering stabling, food, drink, a possible bed and enterta

Unearth some fascinating Beechworth tales during the National Trusts' Australian Heritage Festival 2026. Step into our Victorian-era gold rush town's art story, treescape, historic photographs and the hoof-prints of horsepower with our Beechworth History and Heritage Society festival program. NEGATIVE. POSITIVE. Saturday, 18 April, 2026: Arrive 10:15am for 10:30am start. Ends 12:00pm. Where: The Hotel Nicholas, 1 A Camp Street, Beechworth VIC 3747 Explore the extraordinary c

Rain auspiciously held off at the right moment yesterday for 25 people commemorating Ching Ming (Clear and Bright, or Tomb-sweeping, Day) in Beechworth’s Chinese Cemetery. More than 2000 Chinese ancestors were remembered in the beautiful graveyard where they were interred at the end of lives in which they contributed so much to Beechworth during and after the colonial gold rush. The commemoration was hosted by Kathryn Chivers, descended from a Chinese-born family, and Beechwo

A SILENT National Film and Sound Archive moving picture of ‘ Back to Beechworth ’ in March 1932 - including its street parade - is worth seeing again as Beechworth heads into this weekend’s Golden Horseshoes Festival 2026. The ‘Queen City of the North’, as The Ovens and Murray Advertiser described the town, put on a five-day celebration to mark its second win in The Sun newspaper’s Ideal Town competition. The footage shows panoramic views of Beechworth, Stanley and the Alps

COMMUNITY UPDATE # 2 Thanks to so many in the community for supporting our pitch for temporary use of the long-empty, secure railway goods shed to house Beechworth's historic horse-drawn carriage collection. With the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), we've identified at least eight vehicles from Beechworth, the North East and Border, plus others from the district, to remain here. With these, our ambition is to tell the story of HORSEPOWER! - the fundamental contributio

Beechworth History and Heritage Society president Jamie Kronborg and treasurer Peter Kenyon yesterday visited Bendigo's fascinating Golden Dragon Museum 金龍博物館, guided by research officer Leigh McKinnon. Golden Dragon Museum research officer Leigh McKinnon with BHHS president Jamie Kronborg with Loong, a Chinese dragon long used in Bendigo's Easter Festival parade 1892-1970. Image: Peter Kenyon Leigh spoke about the links between Bendigo's and Beechworth's Chinese communities

National Trust of Australia (Victoria) chief executive Collette Brennan and Victorian heritage agency and organisation leaders visited Beechworth on 12-13 March, 2026. Collette met with Beechworth History and Heritage Society (BHHS) to discuss preservation goals and exhibition opportunities for horse-drawn vehicles from the Trust’s carriage collection long held in Beechworth. The Trust in February moved to relocate from local storage some of the vehicles neither built nor ope

A Beechworthian passionate about the town’s history led a rally of 40 people to save a historic horse-drawn vehicle collection on Sunday.

Thanks so much for your shout-outs, ideas and constructive comments to help us keep the community's historic horse-drawn vehicle collection in Beechworth. The horse was the champion heavy-lifter in our colonial economy. And into federation, too. The spread of horse and stockyards either side of Loch Street and the undergear at the top of the lane by Church Street in this clip of Charles Bayliss's 1876 town panorama signals just how vital they were, walking and working with us

We want to work with the community to recognise and interpret the extraordinary horsepower that enabled Beechworth’s colonial gold rush society and development.