Frances Gertrude Gladstone was born on the 18th of September 1919 to Arthur George Ladson and Gertrude Hunrick Irving. France's grandfather, Alfred Ladson, came Beechworth from Norfolk, England, during the gold rush. Alfred had a grocery business, and was well known for writing letters for the miners to send to their families. Alfred also travelled to Beechworth with his sister, who was a trained nurse and helped establish a hospital for the goldfields. Frances remembers her father saying the Chinese miners were not allowed to bring their families to the goldfields, hence there were no Chinese children in schools around Beechworth. Frances was an avid botanist, and wrote a book called 'The Little Huntsman', which she wrote while watching her husband gold mining. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Frances Gladstone's story is significant, as she remembered important information about Chinese miners in the gold rush, explained the role of women in the 20th century in Beechworth, and the history of the hospitals in the region. This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up 40 minutes of recordings on each side.listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, botanist, chinese miners, goldmining, gladstone

Alfred 'Alf' Spencer grew up on a dairy farm run by his mother, west south west of Beechworth 'down Robertson Road', and was very well connected to the wider Beechworth area. In this oral history, he recalls his time driving the milk cart around Beechworth as well as the time he spent buying lollies and seeing the pictures. He talks extensively about working as a butcher at his brother's store, including how the butchers interacted with the rest of the town and the staff, as well as his time constructing roads and the pipe network of Beechworth. He discusses the dynamics of other workplaces around Beechworth, describing issues with how the local tannery treated its workers as well as how post-war migrants integrated across the town. He briefly discusses racial tensions between Chinese migrants and other miners on the goldfields. He also discusses the experience of health care in a rural area during his childhood. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. These cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke.Alfred Spencer's oral history of his life around Beechworth during the 20th century is historically and socially significant to the cultural history of the region and Victoria. There is a lot of detail about workplaces, their staff, and how the resources of the town interacted. He explores themes that are important to Victorian history, such as migration. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is a part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth-century Beechworth.' While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the 20th century, many of which will have now been lost if they had not been preserved.This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white strip and is currently stored in a clear flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up to 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mr Alfred Spencer /listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, spencer, alfred spencer, migration, post-war migration, goldfields, health care, farm, farming, dairy farm, black springs, butchers, meat processing, butcher, road, road network, labour relations

The old Bank of New South Wales building is located on the corner of Camp and Ford streets in Beechworth, Victoria. It was constructed between 1856 and 1857 from local honey coloured granite. It was designed by architects Robertson & Hale and is a two-storey rendered brick building and the original coat of arms is still visible. The coat of arms is distinctive and consists of a kangaroo, emu, lion, and rising sun. The rear of the building was surrounded by high granite walls for security as it was the original home for the local gold office. Beechworth Honey currently offers tourist accommodation in the Hive Apartment located in the former Bank of New South Wales Managers residence.The Bank of New South Wales building in Beechworth is significant for its location in one of Australia's most prominent goldfield towns. Of particular interest is the use of distinctive local Beechworth honey coloured granite in its construction. The building’s architecture is a simple, conservative classical style known as Renaissance Revival. It is one of the few known surviving works of the architects Robertson and Hale. The decorative composition above the main entrance and the counter in the banking chamber are of special interest.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on cardAHold bank of new south wales, bank of new south wales building, beechworth bank of new south wales, bank of nsw, beechworth 1850s, robertson and hale, architects robertson and hale, rendered brick, coat of arms, granite walls, local honey coloured granite, gold office, 1856, 1857, beechworth, beechworth honey, hive apartment, manager's residence, renaissance revival

This image appears to show nurses at what is now the Mayday Hills Mental Asylum arriving for work in approximately 1900. These individuals are part of a long history of nursing in Beechworth. Three medical or social welfare facilities opened in the mid-1800s as part of a push by the township to become a regional centre for Government services. These were the Ovens District Hospital (opened in 1857), the Ovens Benevolent Asylum (opened in 1863), and the Beechworth Mental Hospital (opened in 1867 and renamed Mayday Hills Hospital at Centenary celebrations in 1967). It was recognised that the unsettled living conditions, poverty and relative isolation of the Goldfields environment could produce 'mental disturbances' which required local treatment facilities as services in Melbourne were too far away. Carole Woods' publication 'A Titan's Field' describes activities undertaken by patients at Beechworth Mental Hospital as including monthly balls and occasional concerts as well as work to make the facility self-supporting such as farm work and making clothes. She mentions a report in 1870 that the approximately 300 patients were clean and neat with 'no-one in restraint or seclusion' but that by 1905 the organisation had 623 patients which placed strain on building infrastructure such as heating and water supplies, leading to high turnover of nurses and other issues. A program of building works to extend and improve facilities followed over subsequent decades. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and Woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's social and medical amenities in the early Twentieth Century, around the time of Australia's Federation into one nation. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a rectangular image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide.Obverse: i /burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, magic lantern, indigo shire, north-east victoria, nineteenth century, 1900s, twentieth century, emulsion slides, nursing, nurses, mental hospitals, lunatic asylums, asylums, social services, social welfare, insane asylums, mental health, infrastructure

This image of a man on horseback is thought to have been taken in Beechworth in approximately 1900. The man pictured may be Chinese. Chinese miners were a significant cultural group in Beechworth's gold rush period. Carole Woods' history of Beechworth, 'A Titan's Field', details a rapid increase in the Chinese population beginning in 1856 that led to Government discrimination and hostility from other miners. Many Chinese people who came to the Victorian goldfields had formerly worked as merchants, mechanics, farmers and shop-keepers. The pictured individual is wearing Western-style clothes indicating prosperity, such as a top hat, so may have held an official position or provided services to the community rather than working as a miner. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and Woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's cultural and social relationships in the early Twentieth Century, in particular the experiences of Chinese people. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a circular image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide.burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, magic lantern, indigo shire, north-east victoria, nineteenth century, 1900s, twentieth century, emulsion slides, chinese, chinese miners, immigration, racism, classism, social groups, cultural groups, horse riding, horses, equestrian, horseback

This image appears to show nurses at what is now the Mayday Hills Mental Asylum in approximately 1900. These individuals are part of a long history of nursing in Beechworth. Three medical or social welfare facilities opened in the mid-1800s as part of a push by the township to become a regional centre for Government services. These were the Ovens District Hospital (opened in 1857), the Ovens Benevolent Asylum (opened in 1863), and the Beechworth Mental Hospital (opened in 1867 and renamed Mayday Hills Hospital at Centenary celebrations in 1967). It was recognised that the unsettled living conditions, poverty and relative isolation of the Goldfields environment could produce 'mental disturbances' which required local treatment facilities as services in Melbourne were too far away. Carole Woods' publication 'A Titan's Field' describes activities undertaken by patients at Beechworth Mental Hospital as including monthly balls and occasional concerts as well as work to make the facility self-supporting such as farm work and making clothes. She mentions a report in 1870 that the approximately 300 patients were clean and neat with 'no-one in restraint or seclusion' but that by 1905 the organisation had 623 patients which placed strain on building infrastructure such as heating and water supplies, leading to high turnover of nurses and other issues. A program of building works to extend and improve facilities followed over subsequent decades. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and Woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's social and medical amenities in the early Twentieth Century, around the time of Australia's Federation into one nation. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a circular image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metals strips to secure the edges of the slide.burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, magic lantern, indigo shire, north-east victoria, nineteenth century, 1900s, twentieth century, emulsion slides, nursing, nurses, mental hospitals, lunatic asylums, asylums, social services, social welfare, insane asylums, mental health, infrastructure

This lantern slide shows the Ovens District Hospital (also called the Ovens Goldfields Hospital) in Beechworth in approximately 1900. The Hospital was built as part of a community push to develop the infrastructure needed for a permanent town in the 1850s. At the time there was no hospital located between Melbourne and the NSW town of Goulburn and it was recognised that the nature of mining and agricultural work predisposed people to serious injury. The community voted in 1853 to raise funds for a hospital and a voluntary committee elected from people who contributed £2 or more annually determined the organisation's management policies, which aimed to provide care for poor people at rates levied according to the person's means. Ongoing operations of the hospital were primarily supported by Government grants, however. The foundation stone was laid at a site in Church Street at a ceremony held 1st September 1856 which was attended by 2000 people using a locally crafted trowel with a tin ore handle and pure gold blade. The hospital, which was designed by J.H. Dobbyn, cost £2347. The hospital had two wards, a dispensary, apartments for a resident surgeon and the matron, an operating theatre and a board room. Further medical facilities including services to meet the cultural and health needs of the local Chinese community were later added, in addition to a Palladian-style cut-granite face built in 1862-63. It functioned as the region's primary hospital until surpassed by the Wangaratta Hospital in 1910. In the 1940s much of the building materials were salvaged and repurposed, with the exception of the facade which was restored in 1963 by the Beechworth Lions Club and still stands today. The facade featured on the covers of local history volume 'Beechworth: a Titan's Field' by Carole Woods and heritage-focused travel guide the 'Readers Digest Book of Historic Australian Towns'. Lantern slides, sometimes called 'magic lantern' slides, are glass plates on which an image has been secured for the purpose of projection. Glass slides were etched or hand-painted for this purpose from the Eighteenth Century but the process became more popular and accessible to the public with the development of photographic-emulsion slides used with a 'Magic Lantern' device in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Photographic lantern slides comprise a double-negative emulsion layer (forming a positive image) between thin glass plates that are bound together. A number of processes existed to form and bind the emulsion layer to the base plate, including the albumen, wet plate collodion, gelatine dry plate and woodburytype techniques. Lantern slides and magic lantern technologies are seen as foundational precursors to the development of modern photography and film-making techniques.This glass slide is significant because it provides insight into Beechworth's built environment and infrastructure in the early Twentieth Century, around the time of Australia's Federation. It is also an example of an early photographic and film-making technology in use in regional Victoria in the time period.Thin translucent sheet of glass with a round-edged square image printed on the front and framed in a black backing. It is held together by metal strips to secure the edges of the slide.Obverse: Y /burke museum, beechworth, lantern slide, slide, glass slide, plate, burke museum collection, photograph, monochrome, ovens district hospital, indigo shire, north-east victoria, hospital, palladian architecture, granite, community fundraising, community infrastructure, j.h. dobbyn, beechworth lions club, ovens goldfields hospital, chinese community

This cardbord box was used to package explosives which were used for mining. Black powder and dynamite were heavily used on the goldfields to blast away large sections of earth which. Explosives were stored at Beechworth Powder MagazineMining played an important role in the history of Beechworth, for the township was established in the mid-1850s after gold was discovered in the area. The success of goldmining lead to the growth and development of early Beechworth.A brown rectangular cardbord box with opening flaps at top and features printed text on sides and top.GLASGOW / THE PERFECT COMBINATION / NOBEL-GLASGOW EXPLOSIVES / NOBEL-GLASGOW DETONATORSburke museum, beechworth, mining, explosives

This clock was made by Charles Frederick Falck who was a watchmaker and jeweller in Beechworth from 1863-1908. Falck was born in Körlin, Prussia on May 22nd in 1833 and died at the age of 75 in 1908. Ovens and Murray Advertiser, Beechworth: edition June 13, 1908 OBITUARY: Falck was brought up to the business of watch-making, in which he developed exceptional mechanical ingenuity. Attracted by the favourable prospects held out by the Australian discoveries of gold he, like many other young adventurous spirits, left his native land to seek his fortune in the great southern Eldorado, arriving in Adelaide in 1854, and shortly after came to Melbourne where he worked as a journeyman, and subsequently started in business on his own account. Feeling inclined to test his fortune on the goldfields, he went to Blackwood but, meeting with little success, he returned to Melbourne where he was married. In 1862, he moved to Beechworth, where he commenced business as watchmaker and gold-buyer. He then embarked in vine-growing on the Sydney road, but eventually resumed his business avocations. His skill in practical horology was evinced in a clock of his own design and manufacture, surmounted by a golden eagle, which was exhibited at the first Melbourne Exhibition in 1856, and which afterwards formed a pre-eminent attraction in the window of his business premises in Ford Street. For many years, he filled the position of timekeeper to the Beechworth Racing Club, with complete satisfaction also at various sports meetings. He leaves a family of six sons and one daughter (Mrs. Jas. Broadfoot) all arrived at maturity. The funeral, which was well attended by a number of residents, took place at the Beechworth Cemetery on Sunday, the burial service being performed by the Ven. Archdeacon Potter. The cortege was capably supervised by Mr. D. Wilson, undertaker. The clock was returned to Beechworth in 2020 through the generous support of the Copland Foundation. Given that Mr. C. F. Falck traded as a watchmaker and jeweller in Beechworth for 45 years and traded with the 1855 clock mounted in his front window, there is a direct link between the clocks and the social, cultural and economic life of nineteenth century Beechworth at time when the town was developing and expanding in response to gold mining. This clock represent the significant skill and expertise of Charles Falck as an horologist. Medium-sized pendulum clock featuring a carved gilt wood eagle with wings outstretch (épandre - expanded with wing-tips directed upwards) and perched above a pendulum rod that holds a silver dial clock face within a reeded sunburst surround. The clock has an eight-day fuse movement with dead beat escapement wound from the clock face. C. F. F. FALCK / EXHIBITION 1856 / MELBOURNEburke museum, copland foundation, beechworth, leonard joel, auction, purchase, clock, pendulum, eagle, eagle clock, charles frederick falck, c. f. falck, falck, horology, pendulum clock, melbourne

This clock was made by Charles Frederick Falck who was a watchmaker and jeweller in Beechworth from 1863-1908. Falck was born in Körlin, Prussia on May 22nd in 1833 and died at the age of 75 in 1908. Ovens and Murray Advertiser, Beechworth: edition June 13, 1908 OBITUARY: Falck was brought up to the business of watch-making, in which he developed exceptional mechanical ingenuity. Attracted by the favourable prospects held out by the Australian discoveries of gold he, like many other young adventurous spirits, left his native land to seek his fortune in the great southern Eldorado, arriving in Adelaide in 1854, and shortly after came to Melbourne where he worked as a journeyman, and subsequently started in business on his own account. Feeling inclined to test his fortune on the goldfields, he went to Blackwood but, meeting with little success, he returned to Melbourne where he was married. In 1862, he moved to Beechworth, where he commenced business as watchmaker and gold-buyer. He then embarked in vine-growing on the Sydney road, but eventually resumed his business avocations. His skill in practical horology was evinced in a clock of his own design and manufacture, surmounted by a golden eagle, which was exhibited at the first Melbourne Exhibition in 1856, and which afterwards formed a pre-eminent attraction in the window of his business premises in Ford Street. For many years, he filled the position of timekeeper to the Beechworth Racing Club, with complete satisfaction also at various sports meetings. He leaves a family of six sons and one daughter (Mrs. Jas. Broadfoot) all arrived at maturity. The funeral, which was well attended by a number of residents, took place at the Beechworth Cemetery on Sunday, the burial service being performed by the Ven. Archdeacon Potter. The cortege was capably supervised by Mr. D. Wilson, undertaker. The clock was returned to Beechworth in 2020 through the generous support of the Copland Foundation and the Friends of the Burke. Given that Mr. C. F. Falck traded as a watchmaker and jeweller in Beechworth for 45 years and traded with the 1855 clock mounted in his front window, there is a direct link between the clocks and the social, cultural and economic life of nineteenth century Beechworth at time when the town was developing and expanding in response to gold mining. This clock represent the significant skill and expertise of Charles Falck as an horologist. Large swinging clock featuring a carved gilt wood eagle with its wings outstretched (abaisé - expanded with wing-tips lowered) and perched above a pendulum rod that holds a silvered dial clock face within a reeded sunburst surround. (Similar to #2019.056.01) The clock has an eight-day fuse movement with dead beat escapement wound from the clock face. C. F. FALCK / WATCHMAKERburke museum, copland foundation, beechworth, leonard joel, auction, purchase, clock, pendulum, eagle, eagle clock, charles frederick falck, c. f. falck, falck, horology, pendulum clock, melbourne

The A1 Gold Mine is located north of Woods Point, near Jamieson, in the Upper Goulburn region of Victoria. Gold was discovered at the A1 site in 1861 and mining operations began in 1864. The A1 Mine Settlement refers to a small township known variously as Castle Reef, Castle Point, and Raspberry Creek, which developed in the 1860s around mining industry centred on a crushing machine that worked the three gold reefs in the area. Historically, the name "A1"referred to the high quality of gold found in the quartz reefs at depths of at least two thousand feet. Along with the Morning Star mine at Woods Point, the A1 gold mine produced almost sixty percent of Victoria's gold output in the 1950s to 1970s and continued operating until 1992 when it went into administration. Operations at the site were revived in 2016 and the A1 Mine is now considered one of Victoria's premier gold mines. The A1 mine is part of the extensive and prospective Lachlan Fold Belt, a north-west trending belt of tightly folded Early Devonian sedimentary rocks extending from New South Wales to Victoria. Mineralisation is hosted within or immediately adjacent to diorite dykes. Contemporary development of the 'Queens Lode' at the A1 mine signals a move from high-grade, narrow vein airleg mining into larger scale, mechanical mining designed to increase ore production volume. This original, undated photograph of the A1 Mine appears to depict an area or phase of disuse or abandonment. The aged and humble appearance of the cottage suggests association with the historical A1 Mine Settlement, therefore the image may have been taken prior to the 1950s-1970s revival period in which the A1 mine is known to have produced high gold yields. The photograph contributes to our understanding of the A1 Gold Mine's impact on the landscape and the social, environmental impacts of mining on communities and may be compared with others in the Burke Museum's extensive collection of mining photographs to deepen our understanding of mining in the Jamieson area.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paperReverse: 5577 / A1 Mine / Near Jamieson / Vic. /burke museum, beechworth museum, beechworth, gold fields, gold rush, victorian gold rush, mining tunnels, gold ming history, colonial australia, australian gold rushes, mining technology, beechworth historic district, indigo gold trail, indigo shire, upper goulburn shire, jamieson, woods point-walhalla goldfield, a1 gold mine, victorian high country, modern mining methods, orogenic gold province, gold mineralisation, devonian, dykes

This image shows the approach to Beechworth from the south-west via the Newtown Bridge. Numerous early buildings line the road as it bifurcates to become Ford and High Streets on the ridge above Spring Creek and Newtown Falls. The sloping, rocky terrain and water course along the gorge show evidence of the intense mining activity that occurred at the site. The Ovens Gold Rush at Beechworth started when gold was found at Spring Creek in February 1852, prompting an influx of miners from around the world. The population grew over 20,000 by 1857. While the earliest mining at Beechworth was similar to that in other Victorian goldfields like Ballarat and Bendigo, Beechworth is notable for its use of hydraulic sluicing as a major method of removing wash-dirt. Hydraulic sluicing employs high pressure jets of water to blast away large areas of earth and wash it down to be run through a sluice box. Gold gets caught in the sluice and the remaining slurry is washed away. This method of mining is extremely effective but causes significant environmental impacts and damage to waterways. Large water quantities were required for large-scale sluicing, and the long water races and deep tailraces that were constructed in the Beechworth area in the nineteenth century are nonetheless considered feats of engineering. The site in the photograph is associated with the Rocky Mountain Mining Company who constructed an eight hundred meter tunnel under the township between 1876-1880 to reduce water levels at Spring Creek, which had been subject to diversions since the earliest days of alluvial mining. Over four million ounces of gold (115 tones) were found at Beechworth between 1852 and 1868, and the wealth from the gold rushes built Beechworth and the nationally significant buildings that remain standing today.This image shows the early development of the Beechworth township above Spring Creek, where gold was discovered in 1852. Evidence of hydraulic sluicing, a uniquely predominant method at Beechworth, and water-works engineering are present in the landscape. By the 1870s, alluvial gold deposits were depleted and increasingly complex engineering was required so deeper shafts could reach bedrock. This image is significant for understanding changes to the landscape and the evolution of mining methods and engineering practices related to the extensive construction, manipulation and management of water networks. The shift from smaller scale alluvial mining to larger company dominance in the mining industry has implications for understanding wider social, economic, political and industrial changes in the region of Beechworth and within the context of the Victorian Gold Rush more broadly. A black and white rectangular reproduction photograph printed on photographic paper. burke museum, beechworth museum, beechworth, gold fields, gold rush, victorian gold rush, hydraulic sluicing, rocky mountain mining company, spring creek, netwown falls, mining tunnels, water races, tailraces, colonial australia, australian gold rushes, mining technology, beechworth historic district, indigo gold trail, migration, indigo shire, gold mining, gold mining history

After gold was discovered to be deposited "for miles along Woolshed Valley" in the early 1850s, the Woolshed became a major site of mining activity in the north-east . This region was divided into large claims of 80 yards long, one of which was the one depicted in this photograph, called 'Big Johnson's Claim'. Claims such as this utilised a range of technology, including water wheels, steam engines, sluices and toms, most of which would not arrive until after 1856 when this photograph was taken. The Woolshed initially became prosperous in 1855, and labourers, such as the ones depicted in this photograph, engaged in sinking work for 7 pounds a week, whilst other mining labourers could earn up to nine. The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one which portray an open cut sluicing site can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. This image is of important historical significance for its ability to convey information about the operations of mining claims, particularly of the Woolshed Valley area that this photograph documents. This image is important for current research into the history of Woolshed, which was a major site of mining significance and operations. Therefore, this image has the capacity to be beneficial for research into society and the motivations of those living and working in this region during this period and therefore, has social significance. The Beechworth Burke Museum has additional images relating to gold sluicing and the Woolshed area which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one. A black and white rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: 7791 / page 34. / 52% / Big Johnstone / Claim on Woolshed Goldfields / 1856 / Note canvas [illegible] building / Burke Museum /woolshed, mining, claims, mining claims, big johnson, gold

This image is a reproduction of an 1899 original depicting the 'Williams Good Luck Mine' on the Mopoke Reef (also called 'Morepork Gully') in the Dingle Ranges, approximately three miles from Beechworth. The foreground of the image is littered with piles of smashed rock and detritus, known as ‘mullock’, beside a reinforced mine shaft, a vertical access passageway allowing miners to enter the mine and haul ore out using lifting technology such as a poppet heads, whims or windlasses. A group of miners and a dog appear close to an open-sided miner’s hut. Following the discovery of gold at Beechworth in 1852, rushes quickly followed at surrounding creeks and gullies in the district. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, small syndicates of miners continued to work old or abandoned quartz reefs, often persisting without the assistance of heavy machinery to remove the large amounts of rock, in order to obtain yields at ever greater depths. The group of miners in this photograph are Mr. Roger Williams and Sons, who revived operations at the ‘Old Good Luck’ mine on the Mopoke Reef in the Dingle Range near Beechworth around 1892, working the site for more than two decades. An emigrant from Cornwall with experience in the tin mining industry, 19 year old Roger Williams senior sailed to New Zealand in 1840, then to Australia where he spent time in the Bendigo Gold Fields before settling in Beechworth in the early 1860s. Mr Williams senior worked on various mining activities in the district, including the Rocky Mountain Tunnel project. Conversant with the character of gold-bearing reefs in the area, the syndicate dug an eight hundred foot tunnel, digging down as far down as two hundred feet with little capital save their labour, to connect and provide better working access to the mass of reefs and veins in the vicinity. Progress was hampered by poor air quality charged with fumes from dynamite and large quantities of rock had to be crushed to obtain payable yields. The Victorian Goldfields are filled with ruins and remnants of the area's rich mining history, ranging from small alluvial diggings to the remains of huge mining companies. Site names often changed several times throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Some sites were abandoned and forgotten, others were worked continuously over many decades. The names of mines were often repeated at different locations throughout the Victorian Goldfields. For example, there is a Mopoke Gully heritage mine near Fryers Creek, Victoria. 'Mopoke' is a common onomatopoeic name for Morepork and Australian Boobook owls. This image has historical, social and research significance for patterns of emigration during of the Victorian Gold Rush, and the historical, social and environmental impacts of mining at Beechworth at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As gold became scarce and government support and large company investment waned, poor hard-working miners laboured intensively to make a living through periods of high unemployment. This image can be compared and studied alongside other historical mining photographs and objects in the Burke Museum Collection. It has potential to improve our understanding of miners working conditions and the shifting character of mining in the Beechworth district. Black and white rectangular reproduction photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Obverse: Williams Good Luck Mine Beechworth / Roger! / Reverse: 6858 / burke museum, beechworth museum, beechworth, gold fields, gold rush, victorian gold rush, gold ming history, colonial australia, australian gold rushes, mining technology, beechworth historic district, indigo gold trail, migration, indigo shire, good luck gold mine, victorian goldfields, mining syndicates, gold fever, quartz-mining, small-scale mining, old good luck mine, mopoke gully, quartz reefs beechworth

This photograph depicts a reef mine in Beechworth. Reef mining, or quartz reef mining, was common in 19th Century Victoria. This gold mining technique requires mine shafts to be sunk into underground quartz reefs, with horizontal tunnels dug from the original shaft at differing levels to find the gold-bearing rock. The quartz would then be hoisted to the surface, which would then be pounded to access the gold in its metallic state. Gold was discovered in Beechworth in February 1852, at Spring Creek. Within 11 months of that discovery, over 8000 hopeful prospectors quickly descended on this region, transforming it into a thriving, wealthy township. Reef mining and hydraulic sluicing were gold mining techniques used in this region in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This photograph interestingly contains dogs alongside the miners. While dogs have been recorded as deterrents to thieves in the Victorian goldfields, these dogs appear as companions to these men.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. It also shows a location where reef mining was undertaken which provides insight into the impact on the environment at a time when it was done. Although quartz is one of the most common minerals found in the earth's crust, it does not always contain gold. Those reefs that do are rare and highly sought after by prospectors. The Beechworth Burke Museum has additional images relating to gold mining which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one.Sepia coloured rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paper. Obverse: Reverse: United Shire of Beechworth/ Shire Secretary/ Reef Mining, Beechworth./ 6167.abeechworth, burke museum, gold, gold mining, gold rush, victorian gold rush, reef mining, quartz, companion dog, horse and cart

This reproduced photograph depicts a reef mine in Beechworth. Reef mining, or quartz reef mining, was common in 19th Century Victoria. This gold mining technique requires mine shafts to be sunk into underground quartz reefs, with horizontal tunnels dug from the original shaft at differing levels to find the gold-bearing rock. The quartz would then be hoisted to the surface, which would then be pounded to access the gold in its metallic state. Gold was discovered in Beechworth in February 1852, at Spring Creek. 8000 hopeful prospectors quickly descended on this region within the year, transforming it into a thriving, wealthy township. Reef mining and hydraulic sluicing were gold mining techniques used in this region in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This reproduction photograph interestingly contains dogs alongside the miners. While dogs have been recorded as deterrents to thieves in the Victorian goldfields, these dogs appear as companions to these men.The search for gold is ingrained into the history of Victoria and therefore, images like this one can reveal important information for society and technology for the date when the photograph was taken. It also shows a location where reef mining was undertaken which provides insight into the impact on the environment at a time when it was done. The Beechworth Burke Museum has additional images relating to gold mining which can be analysed and studied alongside images like this one.Black and white rectangular reproduction photograph on gloss photographic paper. Obverse: Reverse: L is miners 26%/ 10 x 8/ 6167.bbeechworth, burke museum, gold, gold mining, gold rush, victorian gold rush, reef mining, quartz, companion dog, horse and cart

Depicted in the photograph are ten miners standing at a cliff face using a high pressure hose, in Beechworth, Victoria. The miners are located in the Three Mile Creek division, in the Beechworth Mining District established January 4th 1858 under An Act for Amending the Laws Relating to the Goldfields by the Governor-in-Council. The Ovens Gold Rush began at Beechworth in February 1852 and was followed by Yackandandah and the 'Indigo Goldfield'. The strategies applied to mining in Beechworth were distinct in comparison to other goldfields in Victoria such as Bendigo and Ballarat. The miners in Beechworth utlised 'hydraulic sluicing' to remove washdirt, the long water races and deep tailraces constructed through solid rock with an estimated 900 miles of water races cut through the Beechworth fields by 1880, demonstrating great engineering feats. The photograph taken is significant as it is a visual representation of the mining strategy, 'hydraulic sluicing' that was particularly unique to the Beechworth mines, particularly in Victoria and an engineering feat.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper, unmounted print.beechworth mining district, mining, three mile creek division, three mile creek

This photo shows the large mining cavity with a hydraulic sluicing machine in operation at Baarmutha Three Mile Mine, Beechworth . The Beechworth Mining District was one of six mining districts established by the Governor-in-Council on 4 January 1858 under the provisions of An Act for Amending the Laws Relating to the Goldfields (21 Vic no.32). The District was further divided into seven divisions: Spring Creek, Snake Valley, Three Mile Creek, Buckland, Woolshed, Yackandandah and Omeo. The boundaries of each of these divisions and of the whole district are described in the Governor-in-Council's proclamation printed in the Government Gazette, 5 January 1858, pages 3-5. Hydraulic mining is a form of mining that uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the placer mining of gold or tin, the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold. It is also used in mining kaolin and coal.This photograph shows the impact the gold rush era had on Australia and the earth.A black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paperCopied from original on loan film (WEBB QLD) / Donated 2009 NOV/ Baarmutha Three Mile Mine c1920-1950/ Managed by John Weir Peter Jereen Jack Cox / Owned by Plain Bros then Parkinsons Sluicing.mining, gold fields, beechworth, gold rush, burke museum, photograph, mining cavity, hydraulic mining, hydraulic sluicing, baarmutha

Taken between circa 1920 - 1950 this photograph depicts a man dressed in dark trousers, a white long sleeved shirt and broad-brimmed workers hat digging around in the Three Mile Mine at Barramutha. The mine was an important gold resource and was typically mined using a method known as hydraulic sluicing whereby high powered water jets are used to dislodge rock or move sediment. The remaining water sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold. The Beechworth mining district was one of six mining districts established by the governor-in-council on 4th of January 1858 under the provisions of An Act for Amending the Laws Relating to the Goldfields (21 Vic no. 32). This photograph shows historic and research value into the historical methods of hydraulic sluicing in the Beechworth mining disctrict. It also shows the evolution of the mining methods and has potential for understanding future engineering endeavors in the context of victorian mine goldfields. Black and white rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: 7597.3/ Copied from original on loan from Webb (QLD)/ Donated Nov 2009/ Barnawatha Three Mile Mine 1920-1950/ Owned by Plain Bros then Parkinsons/ Managed by John Weir, Peter Jenson, Jack Cox/ Slicing. three mile creek, three mile goldfields, three mile beechworth, goldfields, #beechworth, hydraulic mining, hydraulic sluice, burke museum

Taken between circa 1920 - 1930 this photograph depicts a Hydraulic water jet in the foreground and a man dressed in dark trousers, a white long sleeved shirt and broad-brimmed workers hat digging around in the Three Mile Mine at Barramutha. The mine was an important gold resource and was typically mined using a method known as hydraulic sluicing whereby high powered water jets are used to dislodge rock or move sediment. The remaining water sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold. The Beechworth mining district was one of six mining districts established by the governor-in-council on 4th of January 1858 under the provisions of An Act for Amending the Laws Relating to the Goldfields (21 Vic no. 32).This photograph shows cultural and research value into the historical methods of hydraulic sluicing in the Beechworth mining disctrict. It also shows the evolution of the mining methods and has potential for understanding future engineering endeavors in the context of victorian mine goldfields.Black and White rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper. Reverse: Copied from original on loan from Webb (QLD)/ Donated Nov 2009/ Barnawatha Three Mile Mine c1920-1950/ Owned by Plain Bros then Parkinsons/ Managed by John Weir, Peter Jenson, Jack Cox/ Slicing. three mile creek, three mile goldfields, three mile beechworth, goldfields, #beechworth, hydraulic mining, hydraulic sluice, burke museum

Taken between circa 1920 - 1950 this photograph depicts the open mine in the Three Mile Mine at Barramutha. The mine was an important gold resource and was typically mined using a method known as hydraulic sluicing whereby high powered water jets are used to dislodge rock or move sediment. The remaining water sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold. The Beechworth mining district was one of six mining districts established by the governor-in-council on 4th of January 1858 under the provisions of An Act for Amending the Laws Relating to the Goldfields (21 Vic no. 32).This photograph shows cultural and research value into the historical methods of hydraulic sluicing in the Beechworth mining disctrict. It also shows the evolution of the mining methods and has potential for understanding future engineering endeavors in the context of victorian mine goldfields.Black and White rectangular photograph printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: Copied from original on loan from Webb (QLD)/ Donated Nov 2009/ Barnawatha Three Mile Mine c1920-1950 Minehead & Slicing/ Managed by John Weir, Peter Jensen, Jack Cox/ Owned by/ the Plain Bros then Parkinsons/ John worked for Pqarkinsons. three mile creek, three mile goldfields, three mile beechworth, goldfields, #beechworth, hydraulic mining, hydraulic sluice, burke museum

The photograph depicts a mine cut with a tractor. Water is being used to sluice the front of the tractor, possibly to separate any gold that may have been picked up from the earth. A few people watch the demonstration. Water was a significant part of gold mining in the Beechworth area and miners used a method known as 'hydraulic sluicing'. Due to the amount of water required, many water races were constructed throughout the Beechworth Mining District. These were cut through solid rock and are an example of engineering achievement. Water usage in the area put Beechworth at the heart of water policy, with many firsts for Victorian colonial goldfield water management being established in the Beechworth Mining District. This photograph is significant as it depicts the use of water in gold mining in Beechworth. Beechworth was notable for it's use of water in mining.Black and white square photograph (portrait orientation) printed on matte photographic paper.Reverse: SW-50-2 / 1997 31136 / unreadable pencil markingssluicing, gold mining, mining, hydraulic sluice, hydraulic sluicing, beechworth mining district

The Rose Stereograph Company first began producing postcards, identified as the 'P' series (like this particular example) in 1913 and continued in this business until 1967 after which they switched to machine manufactured colour postcards printed by an external company. These were produced by Victorian-era photographer George Rose (1861-1942) often reputed as one of the best photographers in Australia during the later 19th Century and early 20th Century. Rose was born in 1861 in Clunes and began his photography business in 1880 when he founded the Rose Stereograph Company. He later switched to producing postcards after stereographs lost popularity in the early 1920s. The Mayday Hills Hospital was one of these locations photographed by George Rose and published as a postcard. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000,33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour. At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Pale sepia toned rectangular postcard printed on matte card.Obverse: THE ROSE SERIES P. 4689 / COPYRIGHT / ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES, MENTAL HOSPITAL, BEECHWORTH, VIC / Reverse: Published by the Rose Stereograph Co. / Armadale, Victoria / POST CARD / THE "ROSE" SERIES / DE LUXE / A REAL PHOTOGRAPH / PRODUCED IN AUSTRALIA /mayday hills, asylum, mental hospital, hospital, beechworth

This photograph was captured on an undisclosed date and by an unidentified photographer. It was printed in colour through the company AGFA which is a Belgian-German Multinational Corporation. This business prints, develops, manufactures and distributes digital imaging products, software and systems. It was founded in 1967 and continues to operate today. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Coloured rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paper.Reverse: AGFAbeechworth, mayday hills, mayday hills asylum, mental health, history of mental health, asylum, 1860s, gold town, north-east victoria, kew asylum, ararat asylum

This postcard contains a depiction of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria from the direction of Farm Hill, circa 1930. It was designed by C.F.Falk in Beechworth and printed in Saxony which is a landlocked state of Germany which borders the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria and the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. The depiction is a painting of the Mayday Hill Hospital which portrays the extensive buildings an HaHa wall (many of which have not survived to the present day). It provides a unique opportunity to reconstruct this historical site as it may have looked in approximately 1930. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). The extent of buildings displayed in this postcard helps convey the imposing and enormity of the structure before decommission. Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. The title on the obverse of this photograph as "Asylum for Insane, Beechworth" reflects a bygone era and attitude to mental health. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Colour rectangular postcard printed on cardObverse: Asylum for Insane, Beechworth. / Reverse: C.F. Faulk, Beechworth. Printed in Saxony. POST CARD / ADDRESS ONLY / AFFIX / STAMP / B 2298 / 1997.2457 /mental hospital, insane asylum, mayday hills mental hospital, beechworth, mayday hills, asylum, gold town, north-east victoria, ararat asylum, kew asylum

This postcard was published by R. & B. Hall in Beechworth and printed in Saxony, circa 1930. Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany which borders the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria and the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. This particular postcard is embossed with a pattern which surrounds the middle image in the center of the card. This image depicts Asylum Avenue which leads to the Mayday Hills Asylum in Beechworth, Victoria. What makes this scene particularly interesting is the appearance of snow which is rare in Beechworth. The road depicted on the postcard has track marks made by a car with thin wheels. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Pale coloured rectangular postcard printed on matte embossed card.Obverse: Snow Scene; Asylum Avenue, Beechworth. / Reverse: POST CARD / ADDRESS ONLY / Published by R. & B. Hall, Beechworth. / Printed in Saxony. / 3447 [crossed out] / 1997.2492 / AFFIX STAMP /asylum, asylum avenue, beechworth, snow north-east vic, victoria, snow scene, mayday hills, mayday hills hospital, mental hospital, colonial attitudes, mental health, history, town development, postcard

This photograph was captured sometime between an estimated 1940s-1950s. It depicts the Beechworth Benevolent Asylum (later the Ovens and Murray Hospital for the Aged) which was built in 1862. It is located on an elevated site in Beechworth, Victoria because it was believed the height was beneficial to the health of the patients at the Benevolent. Later wings were added to the original building between 1867 and 1890. The building was constructed in an unusual Flemish Gothic Revival style which contrasts with the classical style of the Mayday Hills Hospital in close proximity to the Benevolent. The Hospital was designed in Italianate Revival architecture. The appearance of buildings like the Mayday Hills Hospital and the Ovens Benevolent Asylum are representative of the importance of Beechworth as a town shortly after the goldrush. During the 1850s and 1860s, administration buildings were erected alongside churches, shops and structures of justice. This marks a movement away from the "chaotic" structure of life on the goldfields and towards a more civilised and cultural lifestyle. This social phenomenon is also witnessed in Melbourne with the creation of buildings like the State Library and the University of Melbourne. The Beechworth Benevolent Asylum was renamed the Ovens Benevolent Home in 1935. The Asylum had been set up to provide accommodation and care for permanently injured gold miners, and for women and children who were penniless, homeless, or whose parents were guests of the state. In 1954 it was renamed as The Ovens and Murray Home (as pictured in this photograph). The purpose of this building was to provide a refuge for the poor and destitute, homeless older men, deserted women and children along with providing care for the mentally ill. These buildings were built at the government's expense and are of great historical and architectural significance.This photograph depicts the Ovens and Murray Home (previously the Ovens Benevolent Home) during the 1940s or 1950s. Since this building is of great historic and architectural significance, photographs like this are especially valuable in reconstructing the use history and any changes/additions to the building over a period of time. This building is important for what it can reveal about society in Beechworth and also architectural styles. This building is made in the Flemish Gothic Revival style which is quite unusual for the 1860s. It is important as an early example of a building constructed for a specific purpose, in the case of this particular building: caring for the aged/destitute. This building is important for research into the civic development of Beechworth as an early Gold Rush town located in Victoria's North-East. During this period, Beechworth was developing as the main center of administration in this region which made it a very influential and quickly developed town. Photographs like this one which depict a building during one period in history can reveal important information for the use and alterations of a building and for preferences in architectural style. It can also be studied for what it reveals about society in Beechworth and compared and contrasted to similar institutions across Australia and with additional photographs in the Burke Museum collection.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paperObverse: OVENS & MURRAY HOME / Reverse: KODAK PAPER / 727 / J. Collins BMM 8689.1 /mayday hills, beechworth benevolent asylum, ovens benevolent home, asylum, refuge, poor and destitute, goldrush, flemish gothic revival, architecture

This photograph was captured sometime between an estimated 1940s-1950s. It depicts the Beechworth Benevolent Asylum (later the Ovens and Murray Hospital for the Aged) which was built in 1862. It is located on an elevated site in Beechworth, Victoria because it was believed the height was beneficial to the health of the patients at the Benevolent. Later wings were added to the original building between 1867 and 1890. The building was constructed in an unusual Flemish Gothic Revival style which contrasts with the classical style of the Mayday Hills Hospital in close proximity to the Benevolent. The Hospital was designed in Italianate Revival architecture. The appearance of buildings like the Mayday Hills Hospital and the Ovens Benevolent Asylum are representative of the importance of Beechworth as a town shortly after the goldrush. During the 1850s and 1860s, administration buildings were erected alongside churches, shops and structures of justice. This marks a movement away from the "chaotic" structure of life on the goldfields and towards a more civilised and cultural lifestyle. This social phenomenon is also witnessed in Melbourne with the creation of buildings like the State Library and the University of Melbourne. The Beechworth Benevolent Asylum was renamed the Ovens Benevolent Home in 1935. The Asylum had been set up to provide accommodation and care for permanently injured gold miners, and for women and children who were penniless, homeless, or whose parents were guests of the state. In 1954 it was renamed as The Ovens and Murray Home (as pictured in this photograph). The purpose of this building was to provide a refuge for the poor and destitute, homeless older men, deserted women and children along with providing care for the mentally ill. These buildings were built at the government's expense and are of great historical and architectural significance.This photograph depicts the Ovens and Murray Home (previously the Ovens Benevolent Home) during the 1940s or 1950s. Since this building is of great historic and architectural significance, photographs like this are especially valuable in reconstructing the use history and any changes/additions to the building over a period of time. This building is important for what it can reveal about society in Beechworth and also architectural styles. This building is made in the Flemish Gothic Revival style which is quite unusual for the 1860s. It is important as an early example of a building constructed for a specific purpose, in the case of this particular building: caring for the aged/destitute. This building is important for research into the civic development of Beechworth as an early Gold Rush town located in Victoria's North-East. During this period, Beechworth was developing as the main center of administration in this region which made it a very influential and quickly developed town. Photographs like this one which depict a building during one period in history can reveal important information for the use and alterations of a building and for preferences in architectural style. It can also be studied for what it reveals about society in Beechworth and compared and contrasted to similar institutions across Australia and with additional photographs in the Burke Museum collection.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic paperBack of photograph. Handwriting: "For John Beckingsale"mayday hills, beechworth benevolent asylum, ovens benevolent home, destitute, gold town, beechworth, victoria, north-east vic

This image is a copy of a photograph depicting the front façade of the Mayday Hills Hospital by an unknown photographer. The date this photograph was captured has not been recorded but due to the appearance of the water fountain in the front garden, it can be estimated to be during the 1930s. The fountain does not remain on the site today but stood in the same location, alongside other physical markers, to that in photographs dating to the 1930s. This allows an estimated date of 1930s for this photograph. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on gloss photographic papermental hospital, insane asylum, mayday hills mental hospital

Photographed in the early 1900s, this black and white photograph depicts 25 members of the Mayday Hills Hospital Staff. Six men sit in front of the group (Mr Imhose stands fourth from the left in front row), upon the ground and behind them, in bright white clothing, sit eight female nurses upon a long bench (one of these nurses is identified on the rear as Miss A.J. Ross). Behind these women stand 10 men. The men are all wearing dark clothing and several have 'Kepi' style hats. The staff photograph was captured by Frazer and Vallance Photographers Melbourne. This image was originally combined with 1997.2491 but these images have since been torn apart and catalogued separately. Beechworth's Mayday Hills was chosen as the site of Victoria's newest asylum, at the time, due to the landscape and altitude. The hilltop atmosphere and the native fauna, it was argued, would assist in the cure of the patients kept at the hospital (Wood 1985, 122). The positioning of the hospital had a beneficial effect on the rural town. A pamphlet published by James Ingram and Son (1849) reveal that famous landmarks in Beechworth which included the Post Office, Gaol, Courthouse and Asylum "demonstrate the appreciation of Beechworth by the Government not only as as important district center, but also as a site unrivaled as a sanitarium". There were other locations in contention at the time, but ultimately Beechworth was chosen (Craig 2000, 33). Prior to the creation of the Asylum in Beechworth, those charged with having mental illnesses or, as it was termed, "insanity" were unable to be properly cared for in the Gaol (which is where they were often sent). John Buckley Castieau wrote, in 1861 for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser, that the Gaol was unable to properly care for those classified then as "insane" but that they would endeavor to treat them above the other inmates (which he notes is not always the case in other establishments). Castieau wrote this in favour of supporting the building of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth. It was stated that at the time the Mayday Hills Hospital was built, there were 83 prisoners kept in the Gaol who were to be rehoused to the Hospital on the grounds of "insanity". The classification as someone as "insane", in this period of time is a reflection on the inability to cure and understand illnesses of the mind during the mid to late 1800s. Opening on the 24th of October 1867, the Mayday Hills Hospital was originally named the "Ovens Lunatic Asylum", a title which is very much a product of its time. Whilst controversial, changes to the name is part of the history of the Hospital and can provide much insight into the understanding of mental illness throughout history and the use/disuse of this term provides information into the reception/changing opinions of mental illness in society. The Hospital would later become known as the "Mayday Hills Asylum" and/or "Mayday Hills Hospital" with the latter being the most commonly used title. An article in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser notes that on the 7th of March 1865, the foundation stone of the Hospital was laid (it would officially open in 1867) and that it was such a moment of accomplishment and joy for Beechworth that a letter to the editor even suggested that there should be a holiday dedicated to the day the foundation stone as laid. This reveals an extent to which the townspeople of early Beechworth valued the construction of the Hospital in their town. It provided the town with a sense of prestige and honour.At first glance, the remains of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth, Victoria, inspire tragedy, trauma and beauty. The buildings themselves, with their Italianate style Renaissance architecture designed by J.J. Clark (Craig 2000, 49 & Smith 2016, 203) reflect a bygone period of European and Australian history. The gardens provide a sense of tranquility and beauty. The experience of those within these walls remains a valuable area of study to provide a more complete understanding. This particular hospital is considered the fourth of its like and one of three identified as the largest of their kind. The Mayday Hills Hospital is a sister to the Kew and Ararat Asylums in Melbourne which are both located in relative proximity. Understanding the role of the Mayday Hills Hospital in Beechworth history is integral to understanding the development of the goldfields town, but also for providing important information as to the history of caring for, and the reception of, mental illnesses in Australian and wider European history. Mayday Hills provides a case study which can be researched through oral history, an analysis of the grounds/buildings and through images like this postcard which portray the structure in a highly deliberate manner. Images like this depict the strong façade of the Hospital and provide a glimpse into the tranquility of the gardens. This has been done deliberately to provide a sense of comfort and healing about the building to those looking from the outside. Further research into the importance of the Hospital in Beechworth and it's connection to the town will be supported through images like these kept in the Mayday Hills photo album in the collection of the Burke Museum.Black and white rectangular photograph printed on photographic paper mounted on cardHandwriting reads: "Mental Hospital / Beechworth / Miss A. J. Ross / about 82 in 1944".mental asylum, beechworth, mayday hills, mayday hills hospital, victoria, mental health, history of mental illness, treatment of metal illness, asylum, hospital for mentally unwell, miss a.j. ross, nurse, staff, doctors