Be Bushfire Smart

Beechworth Historic Park is located 270 km north-east of Melbourne in the foothills of the Alps. The town of Beechworth is perhaps the best preserved gold town in Victoria with more than 30 of its buildings classified by the National Trust. It's a popular tourist destination due to the natural beauty of the surrounding forests and ranges and the historical architecture of the town.

Outside the town a number of significant goldmining sites are incorporated in sections of the 1020 hectares of Beechworth Historic Park. The tranquil beauty of eucalyptus and native cypress pine forests, winding creeks, steep gullies and rugged granite outcrops can be enjoyed for their own sake but also paint a picture as the setting for the labors of the diggers.

• Walking, browsing, gem-fossicking, fishing, swimming and horse riding are popular.
• In Beechworth, visit the museum, powder magazine, the classical granite arches of the Goldfields Hospital facade, the Chinese burning towers, the jail, the former Regency Theatre and the Victorian churches, banks and public buildings. View the cell that twice held Ned Kelly, and visit the sites of bushranger gang hideouts.
• The Beechworth Forest Drive begins from the town and passes through the peppermint forest near Lake Kerferd.
• The 5 km Gorge Scenic Drive, also a pleasant walk, provides views of waterfalls and rugged countryside west of the town. It also passes the restored powder magazine, built to safeguard mining explosives.
• Other walking tracks connect Lake Sambell to Lake Kerferd, and a network of tracks link points of interest in the Gorge area including Fiddes Quarry, the precipice and cascades.

The town of Beechworth has four hotels, five motels, two caravan parks, guest houses, bed and breakfast accommodation, host farms and resorts.

Local shepherds first recognised the gold-bearing potential of the area. In 1852, when one prospecting party returned with a pannikin containing 6 kilograms of gold, news spread rapidly to the rest of the colony and diggers streamed in by their thousands. Other rich finds followed that first discovery at Spring Creek. By 1857 at least 14,000 ounces of gold left Beechworth under escort for Melbourne each fortnight. Between 1852 and 1866 the Ovens Goldfield yielded 4,121,918 ounces of gold. By 1853 the area was surveyed and Beechworth declared a town with a total of three streets. The temporary structures of canvas or wooden slabs were soon replaced by the imposing granite still there today.

Aboriginal Traditional Owners
Parks Victoria acknowledges the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Victoria - including its parks and reserves. Through their cultural traditions, the Dhudhuroa identify the Beechworth Historic Park as their Traditional Country.
Further information is available from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria AAV and Native Title Services Victoria .

The park supports a diverse range of marsupials, reptiles and birds. Rare species include Brush-tailed phascogales, Bandy Bandy Snakes and Barking Owls.

Eucalyptus and native cypress-pine forests are prevalent in the park.

• Horse riders must keep to vehicle tracks in the park.

• The whole area is peppered with abandoned mine shafts and care should be taken when not following marked trails. Refer to brochures available from tourist information offices for details of the walks.
• Limited fossicking is allowed (with Miner's Right).
• People with limited mobility may find it difficult to visit some of the historic sites due to the steep grade of the access.

Access is via Hume Highway to Wangaratta and Ovens Highway to Beechworth turnoff. The train travels to Wangaratta and the bus to Beechworth. (Melway ref: 622 E7)

The Gorge Scenic Drive
The Gorge Scenic Drive allows carbased viewing of this park’s features. There are few opportunities for leaving the car along the route. The road is narrow, with one way traffic in a single lane, and is mostly sealed. The drive is not suitable for buses.

• Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park
• Mount Buffalo National Park
• Mount Granya State Park
• Warby Range State Park