Beechworth

Beechworth, town, northeastern Victoria, Australia, at the foot of the Victorian Alps. The original settlement (c. 1839), called Mayday Hills, was renamed for a place in England. It was proclaimed a town in 1856, a borough in 1863, and a shire in 1865. During the mid-19th century it was a centre of the Ovens Valley goldfields; it was the site of some of the earliest hospital, jail, and mental health care facilities in Victoria. The town has a memorial museum named for the explorer Robert O’Hara Burke, who had lived in Beechworth, and hosts a branch of La Trobe University. The valley produces timber, hops, grapes, tobacco, and livestock. Alluvial deposits of precious and semiprecious gems occur in the vicinity. Beechworth has a mild climate, is a resort for anglers and hikers, and provides access to winter snow areas of the upper valley. Pop. (2001) urban centre, 2,778; (2011) gazetted locality, 3,559.