Mr Tom Carey was born in 1940 in Beechworth to family from Beechworth and Woolshed. His family had strong associations with Australia's Gold Rush, with grandparents having followed the rush from town to town, and parents in Beechworth. Tom has strong associations with Beechworth and its surrounds, with his family having some connection to the Kelly Gang. Tom worked in many industries in Beechworth, from the Bridge Road, Price’s Store, tannery, post office, the Kiewa Murray Water Authority, and the Beechworth Council. 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. Mr Tom Carey account of his life in Beechworth and the local area during the 20th century is historically and socially significant to the cultural heritage of the region. He details important historical events and hardships in the region's history that had a lasting local, regional and national impact, including Australia during war time, economic struggles, and women's and men’s societal roles in a rural area. 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 40 minutes of recordings on each sideMr Tom Carey/ beechworth, oral history, burke museum, tannery, beechworth council, kelly gang, bridge road, price’s store, post office, the kiewa murray water authority, woolshed, gold rush, carey, tom carey, listen to what they say

Ernie Warner was a local of Beechworth, a third generation inhabitant of the town. His grandfather arrived as a prospector, and his parents married there and established a sheep/wool farm, which passed to his brother. Ernie was the owner of the hardware store in Camp street, which was the former Post Office Hotel, from 1955 to 1979, having previously worked there as a teenager in the 1930s/1940s. He did not go to war due to injury, but during the wartime was employed in the hardware, at Zwar Bros. Tannery and by bookkeeping for his father. Ernie married in 1948 and had 6 children. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams (and Linda Peacock) 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.Ernie Warner's oral history recording has social and interpretive significance due to his discussion on life in Beechworth during the Depression, War and post-war eras. He discusses his work in the hardware shop on Camp Street and his work in the Zwar Bros. tannery during the wartime, when it supplied leather to the army. His recording also has social significance because he discusses his family; his grandfather had arrived in Beechworth from England to prospect for gold and his father and brother were sheep farmers. 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 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Ernie Warnerzwar brothers tannery, beechworth, gold prospecting, world war two, hardware store, sheep farming

John O'Loughlin was born in 1922 in Warracknabeal, Victoria and moved to Beechworth in February 1969. Following a brief time working in the real estate business, John gained employment as a prison officer at Beechworth Gaol. The gaol had initially closed its doors in 1918 but was reopened after the completion of alterations in 1926 as a reformatory prison for habitual male criminals. In his new role, John was able to pursue management in the farming industry, taking trusted prisoners out to a farm on the Wodonga side of Beechworth to work the land. This area was known as The Rockery, a grazing property of two-hundred and eighty acres about two miles north of Beechworth. This work done by the prisoners included timber cutting, land maintenance and the grazing of livestock, mainly Black Poll cattle. The programme was an instrumental component of prisoner rehabilitation, allowing freedom and responsibility. When he retired from his work in 1987, John observed that many improvements had been made towards the living conditions and daily life of the prisoners. 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. The cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke. John O'Loughlin's account of his life in Beechworth and the local area during the twentieth century is historically and socially significant to the cultural heritage of the region. He details important information surrounding Beechworth Gaol and the daily life of its prisoners; it is a place that still holds significance for the residents of Beechworth today. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is 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 twentieth century, much of which would have 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 stripe and is currently stored in a clear flat rectangular plastic container. It holds up to forty minutes of recording on each side. John O'Loughlin / beechworth gaol, old beechworth gaol, john o'loughlin, beechworth prison, beechworth, gaol, prisoners, beechworth prison officer, prisoner reform beechworth, the rockery, black poll cattle, daily prison life beechworth, prisoner farmwork, beechworth training prison

Alan French was born in Beechworth in 1918 on Christmas Day, an only child descendent from French, Irish and Scottish family who had moved to and stayed in the area years before, both of his parents were born in Beechworth and were fourth generation Indigo Shire locals. Alan grew up in the depression era working the land with his dad when they could, cutting wood or helping on the local farms in and around Wooragee. Everyone able in those days bartered for goods, little coin and vegetables if there was spare to go around with labour or what little they produced from their efforts. In this interview, Alan discusses how his great grandparents Francois (French) and Catherine (Irish) Bertrand were the first vignerons in Beechworth, even mentioned in Beechworth, a Titans Field; 'Vines were draped across 156 acres of Beechworth shire in 1880, and notable vignerons included Francois Bertrand [...]' (Woods: 162) according to Alan 'you can still see where the old vines used to be, Malakoff Rose Garden' but whether or not the wine they produced was any good for drinking is open to interpretation and lost to the history of Beechworth and those who tasted it. 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.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 40 minutes of recordings on each side.listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, vigneron, a titans field, beechworth a titans field, francois bertrand, wooragee, indigo shire, depression era, wood cutting, labour, farming, vines, history, malakoff rose garden

Mrs. Helen Jackson, originally from Melbourne, moved to Beechworth in the 1950s for the purpose of her husband's employment with the Mayday Hills asylum as a vegetable gardener. Living in Beechworth for over 40 years, Mrs. Jackson spent her time as a devoted full-time mother raising her family of biological and foster children where she has fond memories of Beechworth being a safe and fun place to live - "Oh it was, life was fun!". 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.The oral history record of Mrs. Helen Jackson is a representative insight into life in Beechworth from the 1950s onwards, specifically in the descriptions of commerce, business, family, and leisure activities for residents of the town during the post-war period until the present day. Mrs. Jackson's recollections have a social value to the town of Beechworth as a local perspective on its development and contributes to its cultural and social history. 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 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mrs Helen Jackson /listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, jackson, helen jackson, linda peacock, mayday hills

Mason Robert was born in (unintelligible) in 19(unintelligible). Mason's grandparents were from Stanley, where Mason completed his schooling. Mason started working for the Forestry Commission in 1939 looking after Crown land but eventually went into the army in 1942. At the Forestry Commission, he was responsible for maintaining and looking after the land. Mason later went to work for the Lands Department after working at the Commission for seven years. 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.Mason Robert's account of his life in Beechworth and the local area during the 20th century is historically and socially significant to the cultural heritage of the region. He recalls some of the changes that Beechworth underwent such as the introduction of electricity in the 1950s and an increase in tourism. His account is important to the region's history in terms of important historical events such as WWII and other events impacting the region. 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 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mr. Robert Mason/beechworth, mason robert, forestry commission, lands department, crown land, wwii, listen to what they say, burke museum, jennifer williams, oral history

Ken Howe was born on the 9th February 1941 in Beechworth. His parents came from Everton. His mothers parents were from Northern Island and his fathers parents from Everton. They were farmers and did not come to Beechworth for gold. Ken left school when he was 13 and a half and worked at the Zwar brothers Tannery for four years. He then went on to work at with the Forest Commission. Ken discusses his job's, family, the arrival of Baltic immigrants after world war 2, The impact of the story of Kelly's in his life and just life in general at Beechworth. 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.Ken Howe's story offers an insight into life in Beechworth from the 1940's onwards, he details the various jobs that occurred in the Zwar brothers tannery factory, the tasks that occurred for the forest commission. He also provides insight into the role the Kelly story played in their lives and the significant places were incidents occurred. His story also offers a look into everyday Beechworth life and how the baltic immigrants after World War 2 integrated into the Australian lifestyle by working at the Zwar brothers tannery. 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 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mr Ken Howe /listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, ken howe, howe, everton, northern island, farmers, zwar brothers tannery, glue, forest commission, family

Clemence Orton was born in Beechworth in 1922 and lived his life in Murmungee on his parent’s property that he took over and ran working the land. He was schooled in Murmungee and interested in vet science. He served in WWII and was 24 years old when he returned. After World War II he took work experience with the local vet and attended his own farm stock, horses in particular. His knowledge of the area during his parent’s time and his families time saw him familiar with mining in the local area and Chinese miners through to farming techniques and practices. He was known as a ‘local resident with an encyclopaedic knowledge of local history'. Clemence married Dorothy and raised his family in Murmungee. He passed away on January 17th 2007. 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. Clemence Orton’s family has lived in the Beechworth and Murmungee region for over a century. Through his experience living on the land he is able to shine a light on farming and life on the land, farming techniques and mining history in the region. Clemence Orton was know for his knowledge of local history and lived in the region making his involvement in this oral history project important. 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 cleat flat plastic rectangular container. It holds up to 40 minutes of recordings on each side. Mr Clemence Orton /listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, orton, vet, mining history, chinese miners, clemence orton

Mr Max Sutor was born in South Australia. He first began his work as a marine engineer at the Mildura Irrigation Trusts, moving later to the Melbourne Harbour Trusts. After a number of years as an engineer, he moved into farming at Gippsland and joined the prison service several years after during the late 1960s. He was first stationed at Morwell River Prison in South Gippsland, transferring to McLeod Prison in 1972 and finally to Beechworth in 1974 as senior prison and stores officer. He would assist in the organisation, obtaining and distribution of food and medication to prisoners. The prison, at the time, was of medium security and held high security prisoners, with an estimated amount of 108 prisoners to 23 staff. Mr Suter showed a great push in showing humility towards prisoners, wanting to avoid animosity against them by never looking at their records to treat them equally. His choice of kind behaviour towards prisoners had clearly influenced their own, especially during manual labor. The prison had worked cooperatively with a local farm, having their prisoners assist in the farm work. Attitudes inevitably changed positively for several prisoners. Whilst he held no control over their actions at the farm, he still became well trusted and liked amongst the prisoners, as they would continue to go to him for assistance and questions. Mr Suter had also worked as an instigator of finding drugs within each prison he has worked within. This led him to study the variations, and being a member of the Parents and Citizens Association at the high school his children attended, as well as Community Service Director of a Rotary club, he wanted to educate parents in guidance for those unsure on how to conduct actions against such behaviours. From his first seminar, a police surgeon told him that three drug users were found by their parents. 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.Mr Max Suter's account on his time and experience as a senior prison officer at Beechworth Prison is historically and socially significant for the cultural heritage of the region. His recounts of his time working within the prison and out in local parent and community associations held a positive effect on the awareness and behaviours of the Beechworth area, and provides detailed information on the duties and complications working in a 20th century rural prison, as well as the lack of local awareness from adults with young influential children. 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 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Max Suterlisten to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, max suter, beechworth prison, farming, drug awareness

Graeme Gallus was born on the Mornington Peninsular in a town called Sommerville, in 1938. His family was born in Germany and came to Australia in 1851. He arrived in Beechworth in 1981 after purchasing a taxi service. He talks about local businesses, government employment, community celebrations and clubs. Miss Amy Elizabeth Porrit's account of her life in Beechworth and the local area during the 20th century is historically and socially significant to the cultural heritage of the region. She details important historical events and hardships in the region's history that had a lasting local, regional and national impact, including Australia during war time, economic struggles, and women's societal roles in a rural area. 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 40 minutes of recordings on each side.Mr Graeme Gallussommerville, gallus, graeme gallus, taxi, beechworth, real estate, christmas, lions club

In this interview we hear from Don and Bobbie Hayes who met and were married in Beechworth. Mrs Hayes was born in Beechworth to a blacksmith and a teacher who had moved to the area not long before she was born in 1925. She discusses her family and the struggle her mother had being a city woman relocated to the bush and into a family who didn't accept her for her Methodist religious beliefs as they were a staunch Catholic family. After working in the Tannery when they first moved to Beechworth from Melbourne, Don got a job in the 1950's at the Beechworth Mental hospital known as Mayday Hills (est. 1862) and continued working there for the next thirty six years. Starting as a nurse Don would be one of three or four staff known then as attendants, who would oversee up to forty patients in a ward taking them out to work the land and gardens or chop wood on the grounds. Mrs Hayes also worked in the Hospital and discusses the need at the time to be earning to pay for large medical bills that came from two of their children, one having a congenital heart problem which was not covered by hospital benefits and the other displaced hips that required surgery. By the end of his time working at the hospital, Don was in charge of the patient training centre where those destined for discharge would be trained on how to cope in the world outside of the hospital grounds they were so used to. Both talk openly and with heartfelt candour, recalling their years spent among the patients of the hospital community, their sense of humour and compassion are evident and although the times and the jobs were definitely hard and the wages low, this couple cared deeply about the people they worked with and sit among those people from the local area who established Beechworth as a significant social welfare region. 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.The significance of this oral history lies in the firsthand accounts from two people who were directly involved in the significant nursing work undertaken at Mayday Hills Mental hospital from the 1950's. Hearing the stories from those who were there and had lived experience, adds depth and we gain valuable insight into how and what the asylum was like for those who worked there and colourful details about the kinds of patients they encountered too, it adds human and personal context to what could otherwise become statistic and abstract information about a historic site. 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 40 minutes of recordings on each side.listen to what they say, beechworth, oral history, burke museum, mayday hills hospital, may day hills, beechworth mental asylum, mental hospital, asylum, nursing, hospital, patient training centre, patients, social welfare