Well, it's happening again as you can see by the relative dates....I'm getting behind. So, before we take a final tour through the Beechworth CBD, let me update those who may be following our progress with our movements and schedule.
Liz and I have just arrived in Yarrawonga to spend four days with good Melbourne friends (another couple we met at Kurrimine Beach) who have a holiday house there before moving on to Rutherglen on Friday 8th for another four over the coming weekend. Here we hope to catch up with local wine makers Chris and Robyn Pfeiffer to whom we have been introduced (at arms' length) by fellow winemakers, our Adelaide friends the Jerichos.
Although we have just spent six days at Myrtleford, we plan to return there for another six as of Tuesday 12 April. It is wonderfully central to much in the Ovens and King Valley areas, and the autumn leaves are finally really turning. With a bit of luck we'll then see them at their best during that week. Fingers crossed!
From Myrtleford we are heading up to Albury for a couple of nights. We have booked our annual flu shots there on the 19th. Once inoculated, we plan to make our way north to our Mudgee rendezvous via the Olympic and Western Highways travelling through Junee, Cootamundra, Young and Bathurst before dropping anchor in Mudgee on 27 April.
But for now, back to Beechworth and a toddle around the town. Let's begin at the old Beechworth Gaol, past the forbidding walls of which we walked quite often as we meandered down High Street from our camp into the CBD.
The front of this now defunct facility actually faces onto William Street and I was interested to see that the entire complex has been recently sold, presumably to a developer with plans!
Opposite the gaol is the 'new' Beechworth Police Station, a vastly different proposition to the wonderful old building in the historic precinct in which the boys and girls in blue were housed for so many years (but undoubtedly far more efficient a building).
On the intersection of Williams and Ford Streets stands one of Beechworth's many fine stone churches
opposite which is the stone archway marking one entrance to the Town Hall Gardens.
Here, amongst other things under the shade of the vast canopy of large trees, is a Memorial to those who served
and this quaint old stone water fountain, circa late 1800's, restored in 1984-5 as part of the Victorian 150 years celebrations.
Here, from the front of the gardens we look south-west along Ford Street, past the buildings of the historic precinct on the left towards what is the main town intersection, that of Ford and Camp Streets.
And here we are, looking further up the hill down which we travelled on our arrival. It probably won't surprise you to learn that the large green building on one corner of the intersection was once a pub! (now a coffee shop and cafe).
Opposite is the grand building which was once one of the four major banks in Beechworth (now, fittingly, a retail outlet for gold nuggets, jewellery, and in a reminder of our past travels, Argyle diamonds and Broome pearls, not to mention opals. It will probably not be difficult to convince you I cannot describe the interior of this emporium of the wealthy.
Diagonally across the road we find another of the old bank buildings, now a showroom and sales outlet for the (very active) local honey producers (of both the insect and human kind)
To complete the quartet, we have the fine old Beechworth Post office building which is still used as it was first intended.
A few doors away, on the same side of Ford Street as the Town Hall, is the red brick building which was once the third of the flourishing banks.
The fourth, now a very up-market restaurant and accommodation complex, 'The Provenance', is also to be found on Ford Street, just next to the Old Telegraph Station.
And I do mean 'up-market'. Apart from the price of this degustation menu (which I am quite sure would delight any self-respecting gourmand), it will cost you a mere $300 per night (give or take a $$or two) to lay your head here during any weekend. In what I thought was a real commentary on the fact that visitors flock to Beechworth on the weekends, these same rooms are a steal at $180, Monday to Thursday!
Back to the commercial area of the common herd where, apart from the upper end of Ford Street, the main clutch of commercial outlets is to be found in Camp Street to the south-west of the intersection.
Let's take a general wander through Beechworth's very popular CBD where there are some real finds (and where I've had to edit this presentation fiercely)
I must start with what is the most well known of all....the Beechworth Bakery.
I could not get over the popularity of this place. I was actually photographing at a relatively quiet time....normally these footpath tables are packed,
and the queues for counter service stretch out through the door and spill onto the street. The range of product is extensive, and although I did not indulge in any of the pies on offer, I have to say that the hot cross buns we bought were less than remarkable for what they cost us....hence my earlier comment about the standard of fare sold here.
Irrespective of personal taste, there is no doubt that they sell an awful lot of pies..and buns..and cakes...and rolls......and sandwiches....and coffees....etc etc! This bakery operates at full steam every day of the week from six in the morning till seven at night. And, in addition to the downstairs shop and cafe, those wishing to eat upstairs can do so in a very large room set aside for this purpose. We had even heard a trad jazz band tootling away there on the weekend.
Finally, whilst on the subject of this famous bakery, I could not help but be taken by the cover of its recipe book....that's not really Tom O'Toole.....it's John Cleese!
The other shop on this side of Camp Street which really took my fancy was the Sweet Shop.
As I took a closer look at the ornate front entrance door (there is a separate exit door) I spied a small print notice prohibiting photography inside. What's this all about I wondered. There was only one way to find out...go in and ask.
I'm glad I did. The current staff could not have been more welcoming. The notice is a hangover from the attitude of the previous owner who was apparently (and obviously) paranoid about having her sweets styles pirated....as if!
No such inhibitions now. Sweets are made daily here on site,
and the range on display (love the arrow!)
in the four rooms which make up the retail outlet is staggering. Shopping here is a bit like wandering through an Ikea store.....in one entrance and out at the other end with no turning back.......incredible!
One thing which did take my eye here in Beechworth is the extent to which all the local traders have made an effort to retain old style signage on their shops as this row on the opposite side of Camp Street demonstrates (as shown in this somewhat poor photo)
In this part of the CBD, on the corner of Camp and High Streets, are two of Beechworth's four remaining functioning hotels. The Empire, from what we saw of it, was not one which encouraged our custom, but on its exterior walls is an extraordinary reminder of days gone by.
Had it not been for the fact that our tour guide pointed these out to us we would have never spotted them, or at least understood their significance. If you look closely, you will see a hook protruding from the wall pillar.
And here, on the front verandah post is a metal, slot shaped receiver. At the base of the post you will see a dish shaped stone with a shall channel leading directly into the gutter. So?? Well, believe it or not, this was the local butchery back in the early days of Beechworth. Carcasses were hung on this front post to be slaughtered. The resulting gore would accumulate below and run off down the gutter. The dressed carcasses would then be hung on the hooks on the pub walls to display the meat to potential customers. Things were certainly different then...today's health inspectors would be in a state of complete apoplexy at the very thought!
And whilst on the subject of gutters, here in Beechworth we found a common thread with what we had seen in another iconic Australian town which was founded on gold...Charters Towers, where, like here, the gutters are made from stone blocks and are deep and wide.
Opposite The Empire and its rather gruesome reminder of the past, is our favourite Beechworth pub, The Nicholas.
On the first occasion we poked our noses in here quite early in the day, the owner most cordially invited us to look around. We took her up immediately. What a marvellous old pub this is. We had stepped back in time. The ever changing interior just seems to go on for ever, with old style lounge areas,
a large dining room (of which this is but a small section)
and even an 'art deco' lounge (another poor photo...sorry) complete with a smoking stand
and ducks on the wall!
Photos of old Beechworth were hanging on every wall, and at the far end of the dining room there is even a small stage to accommodate roving minstrels of all kinds. But this is not your ordinary stage......
.....it is 'two way', not only facing into the dining room, but also opening to the outside beer garden. Just how clever is that? This is definitely our sort of pub.
Whilst we didn't actually dine here, we did take our ease in the front bar on one occasion whilst walking back from town to our park,
only to run into our old mate 'BJ', the President of the local RSL with whom we had another good yarn. We were beginning to feel like locals ourselves!
The upper end of Ford Street houses the remainder of the bulk of Beechworth's shopping area
where there is an abundance of good quality clothing shops and cafes, all vying for the constant tourist trade.
Everywhere one looks along this street, there is something of interest from this very dated roof line
to the imposing bulk of The Commercial Hotel where we did tarry briefly at a kerbside table a few days previously.
Just beyond The Commercial is another of Beechworth's commercial enterprises which really took my fancy, this extraordinary old service station,
where the proprietor, who also doubles as the local tow truck operator and RACV roadside assistance chap, still uses vehicles I've not seen for years. I could not believe that this vintage Chevrolet truck tow truck was still operational, but it is,
as is the old Holden panel van parked next to it.
At the top of Ford Street two more of Beechworth's church buildings look down over the town. This still functioning place of worship building is far grander
than its opposite number which, together with
its red brick neighbour, now no longer accommodate the pious but houses a commercial venture (cannot now remember what it was!!)
As a final glimpse of Ford Street I must share this with you.....the old wooden building now used by the Beechworth Salvos pressed up hard against the solid stone block next door....how Beechworth!
And to conclude this ramble around the two main streets of the town CBD, we toddle off to Camp Street again, this time the north-western end of it.
Here we can find another example of some of the fine apparel on sale in this town....expensive stuff....for which there was, from what we saw, a very good market. Alpacas abound in the Beechworth area,
and this is but one of several stores offering this fine wool in garment form to those with the inclination and the wherewith all to afford it.
At the end of this street is the fourth of the operational pubs in Beechworth. Sadly, the fine old exterior of the Hibernian Hotel is not matched by what one finds inside. This pub has been gutted internally by the community consortium which now owns it. All that was old and interesting has been replaced by the sort of dining furniture and bar and bistro set up one would find in any modern hotel.
This was a real disappointment to us and is a development which is not all popular with large sections of the community, so we were told. I'm with them.
Next door to the Hibernian motel units is another of Beechworth's real gems, the Moments and Memories Tea Rooms.
After gaining permission from the proprietress, I was able to take a few indoor shots of this fascinating place,
where, apart from all else on offer here such as breakfasts, lunches, coffee and cake, and a staggering 50 different varieties of tea, those so inclined can line up for a formal 'high tea' during the afternoon.
For a reasonable $49 this marvellous indulgence can be yours. It is recommended that those who have booked this treat forego lunch.....it is not hard to see why! I was sad to learn from Lyn that business is not quite as brisk as she would have liked. Apparently many who visit Beechworth confine their exploratory activities to Ford Street and the lower end of Camp Street only. As I expected, local rules prohibit her from putting a sandwich board on the corner. She is planning to erect some advertising flags to promote her venture....and I wish her well in her endeavours....this just the sort of 'different' attraction towns like Beechworth need.
So let me conclude this ramble through the two main commercial streets of Beechworth with a final shot of the intersection, this time looking down Camp Street past the Post Office
to the rise of one of the hills of the Beechworth 'suburbs'. No street here is entirely flat for long, but it is all fascinating. In my next (and last) we'll take in a few 'Beechworth bits and pieces' and celebrate the High Country Hops Festival.
Liz and I have just arrived in Yarrawonga to spend four days with good Melbourne friends (another couple we met at Kurrimine Beach) who have a holiday house there before moving on to Rutherglen on Friday 8th for another four over the coming weekend. Here we hope to catch up with local wine makers Chris and Robyn Pfeiffer to whom we have been introduced (at arms' length) by fellow winemakers, our Adelaide friends the Jerichos.
Although we have just spent six days at Myrtleford, we plan to return there for another six as of Tuesday 12 April. It is wonderfully central to much in the Ovens and King Valley areas, and the autumn leaves are finally really turning. With a bit of luck we'll then see them at their best during that week. Fingers crossed!
From Myrtleford we are heading up to Albury for a couple of nights. We have booked our annual flu shots there on the 19th. Once inoculated, we plan to make our way north to our Mudgee rendezvous via the Olympic and Western Highways travelling through Junee, Cootamundra, Young and Bathurst before dropping anchor in Mudgee on 27 April.
But for now, back to Beechworth and a toddle around the town. Let's begin at the old Beechworth Gaol, past the forbidding walls of which we walked quite often as we meandered down High Street from our camp into the CBD.
The front of this now defunct facility actually faces onto William Street and I was interested to see that the entire complex has been recently sold, presumably to a developer with plans!
Opposite the gaol is the 'new' Beechworth Police Station, a vastly different proposition to the wonderful old building in the historic precinct in which the boys and girls in blue were housed for so many years (but undoubtedly far more efficient a building).
On the intersection of Williams and Ford Streets stands one of Beechworth's many fine stone churches
opposite which is the stone archway marking one entrance to the Town Hall Gardens.
Here, amongst other things under the shade of the vast canopy of large trees, is a Memorial to those who served
and this quaint old stone water fountain, circa late 1800's, restored in 1984-5 as part of the Victorian 150 years celebrations.
Here, from the front of the gardens we look south-west along Ford Street, past the buildings of the historic precinct on the left towards what is the main town intersection, that of Ford and Camp Streets.
And here we are, looking further up the hill down which we travelled on our arrival. It probably won't surprise you to learn that the large green building on one corner of the intersection was once a pub! (now a coffee shop and cafe).
Opposite is the grand building which was once one of the four major banks in Beechworth (now, fittingly, a retail outlet for gold nuggets, jewellery, and in a reminder of our past travels, Argyle diamonds and Broome pearls, not to mention opals. It will probably not be difficult to convince you I cannot describe the interior of this emporium of the wealthy.
Diagonally across the road we find another of the old bank buildings, now a showroom and sales outlet for the (very active) local honey producers (of both the insect and human kind)
To complete the quartet, we have the fine old Beechworth Post office building which is still used as it was first intended.
A few doors away, on the same side of Ford Street as the Town Hall, is the red brick building which was once the third of the flourishing banks.
The fourth, now a very up-market restaurant and accommodation complex, 'The Provenance', is also to be found on Ford Street, just next to the Old Telegraph Station.
And I do mean 'up-market'. Apart from the price of this degustation menu (which I am quite sure would delight any self-respecting gourmand), it will cost you a mere $300 per night (give or take a $$or two) to lay your head here during any weekend. In what I thought was a real commentary on the fact that visitors flock to Beechworth on the weekends, these same rooms are a steal at $180, Monday to Thursday!
Back to the commercial area of the common herd where, apart from the upper end of Ford Street, the main clutch of commercial outlets is to be found in Camp Street to the south-west of the intersection.
I must start with what is the most well known of all....the Beechworth Bakery.
I could not get over the popularity of this place. I was actually photographing at a relatively quiet time....normally these footpath tables are packed,
and the queues for counter service stretch out through the door and spill onto the street. The range of product is extensive, and although I did not indulge in any of the pies on offer, I have to say that the hot cross buns we bought were less than remarkable for what they cost us....hence my earlier comment about the standard of fare sold here.
Irrespective of personal taste, there is no doubt that they sell an awful lot of pies..and buns..and cakes...and rolls......and sandwiches....and coffees....etc etc! This bakery operates at full steam every day of the week from six in the morning till seven at night. And, in addition to the downstairs shop and cafe, those wishing to eat upstairs can do so in a very large room set aside for this purpose. We had even heard a trad jazz band tootling away there on the weekend.
Finally, whilst on the subject of this famous bakery, I could not help but be taken by the cover of its recipe book....that's not really Tom O'Toole.....it's John Cleese!
The other shop on this side of Camp Street which really took my fancy was the Sweet Shop.
As I took a closer look at the ornate front entrance door (there is a separate exit door) I spied a small print notice prohibiting photography inside. What's this all about I wondered. There was only one way to find out...go in and ask.
I'm glad I did. The current staff could not have been more welcoming. The notice is a hangover from the attitude of the previous owner who was apparently (and obviously) paranoid about having her sweets styles pirated....as if!
No such inhibitions now. Sweets are made daily here on site,
and the range on display (love the arrow!)
in the four rooms which make up the retail outlet is staggering. Shopping here is a bit like wandering through an Ikea store.....in one entrance and out at the other end with no turning back.......incredible!
One thing which did take my eye here in Beechworth is the extent to which all the local traders have made an effort to retain old style signage on their shops as this row on the opposite side of Camp Street demonstrates (as shown in this somewhat poor photo)
In this part of the CBD, on the corner of Camp and High Streets, are two of Beechworth's four remaining functioning hotels. The Empire, from what we saw of it, was not one which encouraged our custom, but on its exterior walls is an extraordinary reminder of days gone by.
Had it not been for the fact that our tour guide pointed these out to us we would have never spotted them, or at least understood their significance. If you look closely, you will see a hook protruding from the wall pillar.
And here, on the front verandah post is a metal, slot shaped receiver. At the base of the post you will see a dish shaped stone with a shall channel leading directly into the gutter. So?? Well, believe it or not, this was the local butchery back in the early days of Beechworth. Carcasses were hung on this front post to be slaughtered. The resulting gore would accumulate below and run off down the gutter. The dressed carcasses would then be hung on the hooks on the pub walls to display the meat to potential customers. Things were certainly different then...today's health inspectors would be in a state of complete apoplexy at the very thought!
And whilst on the subject of gutters, here in Beechworth we found a common thread with what we had seen in another iconic Australian town which was founded on gold...Charters Towers, where, like here, the gutters are made from stone blocks and are deep and wide.
Opposite The Empire and its rather gruesome reminder of the past, is our favourite Beechworth pub, The Nicholas.
On the first occasion we poked our noses in here quite early in the day, the owner most cordially invited us to look around. We took her up immediately. What a marvellous old pub this is. We had stepped back in time. The ever changing interior just seems to go on for ever, with old style lounge areas,
a large dining room (of which this is but a small section)
and even an 'art deco' lounge (another poor photo...sorry) complete with a smoking stand
and ducks on the wall!
Photos of old Beechworth were hanging on every wall, and at the far end of the dining room there is even a small stage to accommodate roving minstrels of all kinds. But this is not your ordinary stage......
.....it is 'two way', not only facing into the dining room, but also opening to the outside beer garden. Just how clever is that? This is definitely our sort of pub.
Whilst we didn't actually dine here, we did take our ease in the front bar on one occasion whilst walking back from town to our park,
only to run into our old mate 'BJ', the President of the local RSL with whom we had another good yarn. We were beginning to feel like locals ourselves!
The upper end of Ford Street houses the remainder of the bulk of Beechworth's shopping area
where there is an abundance of good quality clothing shops and cafes, all vying for the constant tourist trade.
Everywhere one looks along this street, there is something of interest from this very dated roof line
to the imposing bulk of The Commercial Hotel where we did tarry briefly at a kerbside table a few days previously.
Just beyond The Commercial is another of Beechworth's commercial enterprises which really took my fancy, this extraordinary old service station,
where the proprietor, who also doubles as the local tow truck operator and RACV roadside assistance chap, still uses vehicles I've not seen for years. I could not believe that this vintage Chevrolet truck tow truck was still operational, but it is,
as is the old Holden panel van parked next to it.
At the top of Ford Street two more of Beechworth's church buildings look down over the town. This still functioning place of worship building is far grander
than its opposite number which, together with
its red brick neighbour, now no longer accommodate the pious but houses a commercial venture (cannot now remember what it was!!)
As a final glimpse of Ford Street I must share this with you.....the old wooden building now used by the Beechworth Salvos pressed up hard against the solid stone block next door....how Beechworth!
And to conclude this ramble around the two main streets of the town CBD, we toddle off to Camp Street again, this time the north-western end of it.
Here we can find another example of some of the fine apparel on sale in this town....expensive stuff....for which there was, from what we saw, a very good market. Alpacas abound in the Beechworth area,
and this is but one of several stores offering this fine wool in garment form to those with the inclination and the wherewith all to afford it.
At the end of this street is the fourth of the operational pubs in Beechworth. Sadly, the fine old exterior of the Hibernian Hotel is not matched by what one finds inside. This pub has been gutted internally by the community consortium which now owns it. All that was old and interesting has been replaced by the sort of dining furniture and bar and bistro set up one would find in any modern hotel.
This was a real disappointment to us and is a development which is not all popular with large sections of the community, so we were told. I'm with them.
Next door to the Hibernian motel units is another of Beechworth's real gems, the Moments and Memories Tea Rooms.
After gaining permission from the proprietress, I was able to take a few indoor shots of this fascinating place,
where, apart from all else on offer here such as breakfasts, lunches, coffee and cake, and a staggering 50 different varieties of tea, those so inclined can line up for a formal 'high tea' during the afternoon.
For a reasonable $49 this marvellous indulgence can be yours. It is recommended that those who have booked this treat forego lunch.....it is not hard to see why! I was sad to learn from Lyn that business is not quite as brisk as she would have liked. Apparently many who visit Beechworth confine their exploratory activities to Ford Street and the lower end of Camp Street only. As I expected, local rules prohibit her from putting a sandwich board on the corner. She is planning to erect some advertising flags to promote her venture....and I wish her well in her endeavours....this just the sort of 'different' attraction towns like Beechworth need.
So let me conclude this ramble through the two main commercial streets of Beechworth with a final shot of the intersection, this time looking down Camp Street past the Post Office
to the rise of one of the hills of the Beechworth 'suburbs'. No street here is entirely flat for long, but it is all fascinating. In my next (and last) we'll take in a few 'Beechworth bits and pieces' and celebrate the High Country Hops Festival.
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