By Kate Shilling — 15th February 2023
If your family history investigations lead you to Victoria’s beautiful high country, Beechworth is well worth a stop. Not only is this beautifully preserved gold-rush era town adorned with picturesque wineries, beautiful streetscapes and a vibrant food scene, it also houses the priceless legacies of infamous bushranger Ned Kelly and his rebellious family.
For starters, the HM Prison Beechworth held notorious bushrangers including Ned Kelly, Joe Byne and Harry Powers during the 1800s. As you stroll through the grounds, take note of the iron gates, installed around 1880 to prevent sympathisers from breaking the bushrangers out of gaol.
Check out the Beechworth Lockup too, found in the main Beechworth Historic and Cultural Precinct. Both Ned Kelly and his mother were held here on remand as they awaited trial. His mother, you might ask? As it happens, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Ellen Kelly, mother to Ned, was an accomplished criminal long before Ned reached notoriety and was ultimately gaoled for assaulting a policeman with a shovel to protect her fugitive son, Dan. It’s poignant to note that she was locked up in the same gaol where Ned was later executed, just metres from her cell.
The Beechworth Historic Courthouse is a stunning living history museum and one of the town’s most popular attractions. Take in an audio re-enactment of some of the key cases heard and learn from expert historians as they bring to life some of the dramatic events which took place inside these walls, including Ned Kelly’s final committal trial. Discover how a life of poverty led to the sad fate of Ned Kelly, his mother and brothers – a powerful story of hardships and rebellion against an unsympathetic society.
Lefthand image: Ned Kelly aged 16
Middle and righthand image: Ned Kelly
