This centers around the township of historic Beechworth and district, with its mix of early settlement, gold mining and the odd bush ranger thrown into the mix. At the end of 2016, we were asked to consider celebrating the golden heritage of Beechworth and the North East Districts. We picked the year 1857 which saw Beechworth a thriving goldfields city with a population 20,000 people and centre
for Governance in the goldfields. Nearby was the goldfield of Ovens and a new field on the Buckland. The Buckland gold field was the epicentre of a riot involving Chinese and European miners, with the Chinese being driven from the field. Three men were charged over this affair and were tried at the Beechworth Courthouse. This year will see the establishment of a thriving goldfields camp in the historic precinct in Beechworth, portraying the rough and tumble lifestyle of this period in the Australian goldfields. Re-enactors from all over Australia will gather on the weekend of the 12th and 13th August to portray, the miners, military, Police and Colonial Administration involved in the hustle and bustle of a period of Australia’s history. Friday the 11th August will see local schools visiting to experience what life was like, talk, participate and interact with colorful characters involved in the development of Australia’s unique multicultural melting pot that we see today.
