After growing at breakneck speed during the Victorian goldrush, Beechworth is booming again, finds Jo Stewart. Discover what made Beechworth into your Top 50 Aussie towns list.
Find the complete list of the Top 50 Aussie Towns here.
As a historic goldmining town that was once the stamping ground of infamous bushrangers, Beechworth could stray into contrived tourist-trap territory. Instead, the north-east Victorian town is experiencing a renaissance thanks to an entrepreneurial community of new and veteran business owners whose exceptional food, beer and wine offerings are giving out-of-towners fresh reasons to visit.
Eating there
Start the day with a latte made on a baby-pink La Marzocco coffee machine at Tiny of Beechworth , a cute coffee haunt that also serves cocktails after 4pm. Around the corner, Project 49 stocks panini, salads and soups, plus a top range of local wines, olives and pantry essentials sourced from small-scale, local producers.
If you think all honey tastes the same, the Beechworth Honey Shop will certainly set you straight. With more than 40 single varietal honeys to try, this is Australia’s largest collection of liquid gold. Here, you’ll learn that scented ash honey has hints of violet while spotted-gum honey has a strong caramel flavour. You’ll never view a jar of honey in the same way.
Pastry fans shouldn’t miss a local heavyweight of the old-school bakery scene. From humble origins, the Beechworth Bakery brand has grown to include outposts in Bright, Bendigo and beyond, but the Camp Street original remains as busy as ever.
Inside, you’ll find classic country bakery standards such as meringues, iced doughnuts and lamingtons overflowing with cream. The Ned Kelly meat pie topped with bacon, cheese and egg is hard to go past – well over 1000 are sold each month at this bakery alone.
Wet your whistle with an afternoon beer on the breezy balcony of the grand, old Empire Hotel or visit Bridge Road Brewers for woodfired pizza and award-winning ales in an 1800s coach-house.
A behind-the-scenes brewery tour runs daily at 11am, so book in to see how the malty magic happens.
A giant of the national drinks scene, Billson’s Brewery has flown the flag for Australian beverages since 1865. Its striking, historic home on Last Street has a taproom, bar, tasting room, pooch-friendly beer garden and cellar-door shop to explore. Make your way to the factory-viewing platform to see the inner workings of this enterprise that has been tied to the town for more than 150 years.
On Camp Street, Billson’s Soda Bar proves you don’t need alcohol to have a good time. Behind the ornate gold lettering on the front window, you’ll likely be greeted by a dapper gent dressed in a vest and tie. Cordials, mocktails and ice-cream spiders are all on the menu here, providing a cool spot for a hangover-free night out.
Staying there
A stay at The Hive Apartment at Beechworth Honey puts you in a sweet spot. Right in the centre of town, the historic building was once a bank manager’s residence and gold office. Now it’s a lovely, light-filled three-bedroom short-stay hotel with a subtle bee theme.
One kilometre out of town, The Benev is a welcome addition to Beechworth. What was once an asylum is now an upscale spa hotel that’s a destination in its own right. Described as a ‘child and screen-free haven’, a stay in a signature wellness suite (complete with freestanding stone bath) is just the ticket if you’re looking to unwind in peace, sans kids.
Playing there
Spend two hours completing the Beechworth Gorge Walk circuit around the town’s fringes for a dose of nature and local history. The Kelly Gang took cover in these tracts of bushland that are littered with goldrush remnants, including the Powder Magazine, which was built to store the explosives used to blast the landscapes in search of gold.
Beechworth Cemetery is where many other notable locals have been laid to rest. From a victim of a bushranger shootout to an American Civil War veteran who died of alcoholism, a wander around the cemetery reveals much about the social fabric of the town in the 1800s. Many Chinese miners were also buried here, with the cemetery’s distinctive burning towers once used for burning prayers and gifts for the afterlife.
In 2016, a community buyback of the imposing Old Beechworth Gaol led to the historic property serving Beechworth in a brand-new way. Book ahead to learn about the gaol’s grim past and see the cell that once housed the one and only Ned Kelly – a pre-booked tour is the only way you can see inside for yourself.
What was once a house of pain (eight men were executed here in the 1800s) now houses a co-working space, cafe, event spaces and a hub for rural entrepreneurship. Despite its transformation from a place of detention to a space for innovation, the gaol’s heritage has been retained and honoured. Just like the town itself, Old Beechworth Gaol straddles the past and the present with aplomb.
Explore more of Beechworth in our travel guide or find out which other towns made it into your Top 50.
