Sixty-one pubs!

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 entertainment at the height of the Ovens goldfield rush in the 1850s.

Lorraine also described the beautiful and poignant historic photographs of Waywurru and Dudhuroa people at Wangaratta and elsewhere in the North East taken by Thomas Washbourne in 1865-66 that have recently come into hotel's collection with advice from Waywurru researcher, historian and storyteller Megan Carter. Ross spoke about an image on a glass positive plate that is thought depict men outside Chevalier's Mill at the top of Beechworth gorge. He found it in a local property clearing sale.

Our next event takes place on Sunday, 19 April, starting from Christ Church Anglican churchyard at 10:15 for 10:30am. Treestoreys guided walk takes in Beechworth's historic trees, treescapes and parks on a 1.4km route. Book at https://www.trybooking.com/eventlist/digbeechworth