Continuing our recent winter caravan journey into country Victoria, we arrived in Beechworth.The shore of Lake Sambell, walking distance from the town, is picturesque, and alive with ducks, silvery cormorants drying their wings in wintry sunlight, the occasional heron, and a plethora of glossy black waterhens. It was to be our home for a week, giving us plenty of time to get to know this town rich in Australian history and folklore.

And what a history Beechworth has, emanating from the Gold Rush era of the 1850s in Victoria’s High Country, and still evident today in many of the remarkably well-preserved buildings and streets of the town.The Beechworth Historic Precinct, right in the centre of town, is a collection of beautifully intact sandstone heritage buildings, giving insight into the Gold Rush era. It was once the administrative heart of the NW goldfields, the Telegraph station and Chinese Protectorate office particularly reflecting the impact of colonisation and the waves of immigration that followed. The historic Courthouse in the same complex was where Ned Kelly’s committal hearing took place before he was transferred to Melbourne, tried, and subsequently hung.The entire site is National Heritage Listed, and wandering through its sandstone and timber buildings certainly gives you a sense of the stories that shaped this community and country.

As does the infamous Beechworth Gaol, situated almost next door.Ned Kelly and quite a few members of the Kelly family spent time behind its bleak walls, as did other notorious felons such as gangland mobster and drug runner Carl Williams, and the enigmatic Chopper Read.A guided tour of this austere establishment was not to be missed. Over an hour, our tour guide, an entertaining raconteur, relished in providing his listeners with gruesome facts surrounding the spartan conditions and almost intolerable daily life for the inmates, the pecking order of the prison and what that meant, and stark details of the many hangings which took place there, complete with a tour of cells and a visit to the actual area where hangings took place.The gaol closed in 2004, after 140 years in operation, and in 2016, 19 local families and four philanthropic trusts bought it back, with big intentions.

Over the last ten years, their vision has transformed the gaol into a vibrant community precinct delivering social, cultural and economic benefits to the region. Events, tours, a bustling café, and a centre for entrepreneurship are ensuring the building’s unique heritage for future generations. Old Beechworth Gaol was added to the National Heritage List in 2024.

After the tour in a very cold, stark gaol, coffee was sorely needed. Where better to go than the Beechworth Bakery, and what better to have with coffee than a Beesting?For those unfamiliar with this cake creation made in Heaven, I can assure you it is to die for. Think the softest, lightest, creamiest custard filling, gloriously sandwiched between an equally soft and delectable fluffy doughy brioche, and topped with a crunchy honey almond topping. Oh my! The iconic Beechworth Bakery, founded in 1984, is an institution, with eight branches across regional Victoria and NSW.

Beechworth is a wine region of note, with over two dozen or so vineyards in relatively close proximity to the town, and an array of artisanal winemakers crafting their own distinctive styles from the classics of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinot Noir, to the lesser-known Nebbiolo, Roussanne and Gamay.Being lovers of wine, it would be remiss of us not to visit as many local wineries as possible, and so we did, tasting, purchasing a bottle or two here and there, and also often enjoying a wine-related chat with the cellar door staff while nibbling on regional cheeses, pâtés, breads, and olive oil. At Indigo vineyard, seated in their lovely garden, we shared the company of a very inquisitive magpie, but not our tasting plate. Fortunately, a caring staff member kept Maggie at bay as we enjoyed our delicious treats.

Honey is yet another substance Beechworth is renowned for. Beechworth Honey is one of Australia’s best-loved iconic brands, an environmentally responsible family business preserving natural bee habitats and supplying pure, unadulterated honey for over 140 years. The shop, well situated in the main drag sells all things honey, over 60 varieties, and we did not leave empty-handed.

This heady lifestyle of honey, cake, wine, cheese, and bread is quite delightful, but needs to be tempered by walking. Beechworth is a walker’s paradise, with its scenic town, lake, and tree walks.

It is blessed with not only a very inviting town centre, where you can wander from store to store displaying all manner of things old and new, like the fabulous Emporium where we purchased my new hat, but also magnificent avenues of elm and oak, and a large number of parks and gardens with plantings begun in the 1860s and still present today. Victoria Park is a delight to walk through, well signwritten with snippets from history, and also tree species identification.

There are many exotic trees, protected by heritage regulations, to be seen and admired whilst you do a self-guided walk past Victorian cottages, along lanes and parks, or around the lake and along Spring Creek. The town planners of yesteryear, in a community rich in gold and civic pride, certainly left a wonderful blueprint for future generations.

Our visit to Beechworth was far too short, there is so much to be seen and done and enjoyed in this town, and region.

But we did manage to explore the Woolshed Falls, eat stunning pub grub at the Empire Hotel, visit the Burke museum with its excellent street shopfront display of yesteryear, and experience a market morning in eccentric, fabulous nearby Yackandandah.

As someone a bit famous once said, I’ll be back.