4 October 2024 - Albury to Wangaratta (via Yackandandah, Beechworth and Eldorado)

Up betimes on a cloudy Friday morning with some intermittent light rain to head to Wangaratta (more commonly shortened to 'Wang').

We decided to make our first stop at the small town of Yackandandah (more commonly shortened to 'Yack').

              Historic Yackandandah!

A notable former resident of 'Yack' was Sir Isaac Isaacs, GCB, GCMG, PC, KC, an Australian lawyer, politician, former judge of the High Court of Australia and the first Australian-born Governor-General of Australia.

Isaac Isaacs - his parents apparently had little imagination when it came to choosing names.

What remains of the former 'Yackandandah Motor Garage'

There is an old saying that a town that cannot support one lawyer can always support two.

It seems that the same thing cannot be said about motor garages as both motor garages in 'Yack' are in urgent need of maintenance. 

Maybe they cut each other's commercial throats?

'Yack' - one motor garage too many?

'Gum Tree Pies' is the name of the shop not the flavour of the pies they sell.

"Beechworth Bakery" in Yackandandah - geographically embarrassed or a sub-branch?

           The former 'Yack' Post Office

         The current 'Yack' Post Office

The Star Hotel, Yackandandah - 2 stars.

.     The old style Yackandandah Hotel

         It still has a bar for "gentlemen"

   And a "Ladies Lounge" for the fairer sex

The Yackandandah "Antiques" Shop - full to overflowing with... quite a lot of old but mostly useless items.

We bade farewell to "Yack" and decided to head to Beechworth. 

The Prop first visited Beechworth in 1976 at which time the Beechworth Gaol was still operating (it closed in 2004). Then, Beechworth was a quiet little town.  Nowadays it is a bit of a 'touristic' Mecca and is chock a block with 'trendoids' and, inevitably, shops that style themselves as "Providores" and that sort of thing.

Beechworth Gaol today - boasting a café and tours!

According to the sign on the entrance, this was an "Integration Prison". Precisely who or what was "integrated" with whom is not readily apparent.

   "H.M. Integration Prison", Beechworth 

In 1976 one could, free of charge, enter the Beechworth Courthouse where Sir Redmond Barry sentenced Ned Kelly to death. Now, it is necessary to use a QR code to book a tour and pay $7 per person to have a look inside.

The former Beechworth Courthouse - formerly free admission but no more death sentences.

As many will know, Ned Kelly was tried at Beechworth and was hanged in Melbourne Gaol in November 1880 but nowadays he is something of a folk hero - note that his name is proudly displayed in the upper storey windows of the Beechworth Shire Hall.

               Beechworth Shire Hall

A local effigy of Ned Kelly dressed in full 'armour' fashioned from ploughshares

Provender or Providore or is it, after all, just a milk bar?

Ford Street, Beechworth, looking east.

        The Hibernian Hotel, Beechworth

           Tanswell's Commercial Hotel

        Post Office and Bank of Victoria

Country Fire Authority Building, Beechworth

         Telegraph Station, Beechworth

To see more pictures of Beechworth go to:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QfWEkXfbDiMeZFSF6

We left Beechworth and headed to Eldorado to inspect the Cock's Gold & Tin Dredge, the largest surviving bucket dredge in Australia. 

Operating between 1936 and 1954 Cock's Dredge recovered 70,664 ounces of gold and 1,383 tons of tin concentrate.

           Cock's Dredge at Eldorado

Information about Cock's Dredge

The business end of Cock's Dredge

After inspecting the Dredge we went in to the township of Eldorado to make a cup of tea and were astonished to find that the local residents had embraced EV technology with a passion.

Residents of Eldorado using their EV's (equine vehicles)

We then headed to 'Wang' where the day's journey reached its end.

            Hotel Pinsent, Wangaratta