Architectural digest ... Ford Street.Credit: Heath Missen
Do lunatics make better gardeners than sane people? I'm toying with this question during a walk through the magnificent grounds of what was once the Beechworth Lunatic Asylum. Although the imposing Victorian sanatorium closed its doors in 1995 - it now houses a university campus, conference centre and a chic new spa - the spirit of Robert Coates, a former patient, hangs heavily over its ornate gardens.
In 1867, Coates, described as "one of the best landscape gardeners in the colony", was given the task of laying out the extensive gardens, including the grand avenue of English oaks and lavish beds of rhododendrons and azaleas.
Coates was also a lunatic - a fact that is celebrated by the Ovens & Murray Advertiser. "Consequently, he brings a greater amount of care and diligence to bear on the work entrusted to his charge than perhaps a sane person would," wrote the newspaper's gardening correspondent.
This witty observation seems to sum up a trim, sunny and open-minded country town that has weathered its fair share of troubles, including the devastating bushfires that swept through the district last year.
Often described as a "gold rush town", Beechworth contains many architectural gems, including the sandstone courthouse (where Ned Kelly made two appearances in the dock), the historic cemetery, with its distinctive and haunting Chinese Burning Towers, and, of course, the former asylum. In fact, there is so much history here, you just stumble across it by accident. Walking back from my Kodo hot-rock treatment - one of the specialties of The Spa at Beechworth - I discover the field where Ned Kelly once went 20 rounds with Isaiah "Wild" Wright, a local champion bare-knuckle fighter. Wright later said that Kelly, just 19 and already a veteran horse thief, had given him "the hiding of my life".
My digs for the night is a 19th-century bushman's slab hut, magnificently brought back to life by local couple Matt Pfahlert and Gina Bladon. Thanks to their diligence and love, the original hut (built from hand-hewn mountain ash) is now a magnificent timber lodge called 1860 - complete with big stone fireplaces, a handsome, modern kitchen and a deep, white bathtub.
Expecting to find a pretty - but rather sterile - heritage town, I was delighted to discover that Beechworth, located in the foothills of the Victorian Alps, is a self-assured and easygoing place, where people live and eat well - and happily share their good fortune with visitors. The fact it has one of the country's best boutique breweries is an added bonus.
Tucked behind the town's most famous pub, Tanswell's Commercial Hotel, Bridge Road Brewers is a microbrewery run by real ale fanatics for real ale fanatics. There are eight beers to sample, including the wonderfully named Bling India Pale Ale, plus top-of-the-range Chevalier beers, which are sold in champagne bottles.
One morning I followed the old railway line out of town to the Pennyweight Winery - a small, organic family vineyard that produces batches of table wines and the most astonishing fortifieds and sherries, including a fragrant fino. "My main interest is in flavours," says chief winemaker Stephen Morris, whose family has farmed this land for generations.
"We are really making wines for ourselves. Luckily, we are small enough that we can still afford to be that cheeky."
Such is the family's dedication to the craft of winemaking that the grapes are picked by hand in the cool of the morning. Fermentation takes place in huge beeswax-lined concrete tanks and the wine is aged in French oak. There is little mechanisation and no temperature-controlled stainless steel fermenters.
"Wine has been made this way for hundreds of years," Morris says. "We don't see any reason to change things. Each bottle of our wine is different, unique and made with care."
With a couple of glasses of Stephen's aged La Serena Oloroso sherry under my belt and a clear, blue sky above my head, I'm beginning to think that Beechworth is the loveliest place in Victoria - if not the world.
My general sense of bonhomie is further enhanced when I sit down to a meal of black pudding and Milawa poussin at Provenance Restaurant, the town's most famous eatery. The elegant dining room - once part of the old Bank of Australasia - adds to the sense of occasion.
I wander down Ford Street to my lodgings with the taste of chef Michael Ryan's black pudding, sherry vinegar ganache and cherry dressing still tingling on my tongue. It's a warm, starry night and the pub windows on Ford Street are thrown open. There is no one around and the convivial sound of laughter follows me home like a welcome stray, glad of the company.
The writer was a guest of Tourism Victoria.
TRIP NOTES
GETTING THERE
Rex Regional Express operates daily flights between Sydney and Albury. Return fares from $167. Phone 131 713, see rex.com.au.
Beechworth is 44km by road from Albury. Avis, Thrifty and Budget have hire cars at the airport — or book a cab from Beechworth for about $90 (one-way). Phone Terry on 0417 022 070.
WHERE TO STAY
1860 is a beautifully restored slab house offering one spacious bedroom, open fires, a superbly equipped kitchen, leather sofas, widescreen television, Wi-Fi and a private garden. Midweek $275 a night, weekends $310 a night, minimum two-night stay. 4 Surrey Lane, Beechworth. Phone 0408 273 783, see 1860luxuryaccommodation.com.
WHERE TO EAT
Provenance Restaurant, 86 Ford Street, Beechworth. Phone (03) 5728 1786, see theprovenance.com.au.
Wardens Food and Wine, 32 Ford Street, Beechworth. Phone (03) 5728 1377, see wardens.com.au. Contemporary Italian bistro serving fresh, stylish, affordable cuisine.
Bridge Road Brewers, Old Coach House Brewers Lane, 50 Ford Street, Beechworth. Phone (03) 5728 2703, see bridgeroadbrewers.com.au. Cheerful boutique brewery, famous for its home-baked pretzels and pizzas.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Beechworth Visitor Information Centre, phone (03) 5728 8065, see beechworthonline.com.au.
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