Historic Beechworth Buildings

Tanswell's Commercial Hotel Beechworth

Tanswell's Commercial Hotel Beechworth Tanswell's Commercial Hotel 1873 replaced the 1853 wooden original. It is a two-storey stone and brick structure with a decorative iron lacework veranda. The facade, with its richly gilded crest on the front window and French doors, has been carefully restored. The lounge is furnished in mid-C19th style, as the Kelly gang knew it. To the rear of the building are the coach house and stables which were built in 1859 by the American Hiram Crawford who established his firm and a coach-building works, with Tanswell's acting as the booking office. Crawford's was the most successful coaching service between Melbourne and Beechworth in the 1850s.

Mayday Hills Beechworth

Mayday Hills Beechworth Now known as La Trobe at Beechworth visitors are welcome to wander its magnificent heritage buildings and gardens noted by the National Trust as Victorian Gardens of Significance. A ‘historic self guided walking tour’ guides visitors around the historic precinct and surrounds of the old Mayday Hills hospital or Beechworth Lunatic Asylum as it was originally named.

Established in 1867 as one of three major asylums in the state of Victoria, the hospital operated for nearly 130 years until its closure in 1995. Along the way visitors will discover fascinating facts and information relating to the asylum, its buildings and operations.

Beechworth Historic Precinct

The Beechworth Historic Precinct is the centre piece of the towns heritage building register. You will find the famous court house where Ned Kelly stood trial, and the cell in which he was held. There's even a belief amongst some of the staff that some of the old timers still haunt the building. There's the telegraph station, the sub treasury and the Chinese Protectors Office.

HM Prison Beechworth - Sydney Rd

Old Beechworth Prison - Sydney Rd The now closed HM Prison Beechworth is located at the corner of Sydney Rd and Williams Road, Beechworth and was built on the site of Beechworth's first stockade between 1859 and 1864 at a cost of 47,000 pounds. The prison ceased to be operational in 2004 and was subsequently sold into private developers hands. Unfortunately at this stage the building remains closed and no public access is available.

Beechworth Hospital Facade

Beechworth Hospital Facade The Ovens District Hospital was for many years the only hospital between Melbourne and Goulburn NSW. The initial building was completed in 1857 at a cost of 2,347 pounds. There were further additions between 1858 and 1890. In 1890 the isolation ward known as 'Little Canada' was built, named after a Canadian miner who lived in a nearby cabin.