This is something I extract in 2004 - The town of B/worth grows - Tour of inspection shows - > New buildings, others projected, old stores being altered and improved > and population on the increase. C/England school house approaching > completion, Attached parsonage finished and inhabited by Rev Mr. > Bennett and family. > > Turning into Church Street and up opposite the hospital Mr. Keefer > Barrister, erects a substantial log hut after the fashion of his > Canadian forefathers - LIttle Canada. > Down to Loch and we have 3 or 4 handsome brick cottages which have > astonished locals who haven't been down in the neglected area of town > for some months. Other cottages of less permanent material popping up > too in Loch. Between Last andLoch and William and Camp a colony of > smaller dwellings and workshops. IN Camp we have Hall and Carpenter > who have opened a small store - portraits by the collodion process and > sewing by machine. Next door you see the Ovens Hardware - a real > novelty. The watch trade has doubled (leaving out thefts) Mr. Turner > from the Woolshed and Mr. Goodman (newcomer to town) both opened > watchmaker and jewellers' shops in Camp. if you look on the cnr of > High, that's Mr. Turners. > We now pop over to Ford Street - The Bank of Australia appears in Ford > Street > back down to High (we'll just cut through the block next to the > Commercial here for short cut) > -and of the bombardian origin we have the pawnshop by Mr. Deutschmann > in High St. Also in this street you see Nonden and Frank (who left > the Woolshed) general storekeepers. Also here Mr. Hart has his > clothing store. > > Another candidate for public favor is Denise and Pat's Mr. Munchhausen > for clothes lines - we just passed it in Camp St. > > In High St Mr. Gimison's new and spacious premises are opened, only we > can't see what why he opened it. > > We turn head up to Ford St. -Schreier King and Co. have opened Mr. > Hathorne's old premises as toacconists. Higher up Ford St, on what > was formerly Mr. Campbell's office but of late a plot of land, up > popped two stores, one for Mr. S. Hall the hairdresser who formerly > shaved not the ladies but the gentlemen, right next to the Union > HOtel. > > We come across another vacant lot between the Union and the saddlers, > and blow me down, two more stores being erected. The town is to have > two new public houses, one in Camp and one in Ford. In Ford Mr. > Roberson has convereted Mackay Miller and Mackay's old store into just > what we need, another Hotel. Will open soon under the strange name > for Mr. Robertson, of "Macs". round the block again, and into Camp > where Mr. TAnner is about to open a HUGE house "The Empire". > (eventually to be taken over by PP's mob). That's due for completion > beginning of July. Added to the medical profession in town is Dr. Lee > who was formerly on the 'Shed. > > Well the leather has worn out with our wanderings...........just leave > the tour guide a tip as you pass by. > - >

and here is the fire extract I did in 2003 - Anne note where the Post Office moved to (g). For Mary and Di. Snippets as I see them. I can't relay the whole article/s on the fire as it occupies several pages. I originally said I would type the article but as I went thru the paper I found it was THE story of the day. Too much to do here. But ifyou want to read yourself it is in the Ovens and Murray Advertiser for March 26th. The glow was seen from Chiltern and Wangaratta and bits of paper ended up in Reid Creek. Must have been one heck of a show. THE BURNING OF THE BEECHWORTH CEMETERY RECORDS. The total destruction of the Beechworth Cemetery records which occurred through the burning of Mr. Ingram's shop on Saturday evening last, (Di this would have been 23rd Marc 67.)if not promptly remedied as far as possible may hereafter prove highly detrimental to the interests of many persons whose relatives have been interred in that place of sepulture. We think it would be advisable for all interested to take steps to refurnish these archives at least so far as practicable. - The Post Office moved to Crawford's Buildings in Ford Street - hope they paid rent. - The fire alarm rang about 11.15 pm. The fire had broken out in a corner of the stables attached to the Empire Hotel, Camp Street. This stable was the one nearest to and almost adjoining the Bank of Australiasia. All horses removed from stables except for one poor animal which seems to have been overlooked. - Mr. Little of the Nine Mile line of coaches managed to save all that belonged to him that was in the stable and yard. The pigs got out safely. While the fire was being fought between the stable and the Bank it spread rapidly in a southerly direction and the hotel itself was soon in a blaze. The wind altho not strong was sufficient to fan the flames. The Fire Brigade arrives but their assistance was of no use as there was no supply of water. Although the tank on the hill was it apears ful of water thrugh some defect in one of the hydrants it was not available at the lower end of the town. It was evident the hotel was not to be saved so the attentions were directed elsewhere. Youngs book store next door was soon also enveloped in flames altho the brick walls resisted for some time. This allowed Mr. Young with the help of a few personal friends to remove a great portion of his stock in trade but his furniture was nearly all destoryed. Some of the female members of his family were so alarmed that they were perfectly incapable of any action. In a very short time the shop was completely destroyed and only two brick walls left standing.. Within a quarter hour of the fire breaking out, Mr. Ingram's stationer's shop next to Mr. Young's caught fire. Very little could be removed from this shop a the fierceness of the flames rendered it impossible to get near the building, built of wood. All the business books of Mr. Ingram's were unfortunately burnt together with the records of teh Cemetery of which he was secretary. With the fire raging thru three premises, INgrams the hotel and Youngs the heat was so intense it was almost impossible to stand on the opposite sid of the street. The verandahs across the street at one time were burning and smoking. They were soonpulled down. Should these shops have caught fire the wind would have swept the flames right up Ford Street through the wood buildings an a major disaster would have hit Beechworth. By now the fire had spread to the shop occupied by Mr. Dunn the tailor, next to the Empire. and also the offices occupied by Mr. Martin solicitor behind which was a large room at one time used as a gym. Fears the fire would not stop until it reached the corner of HIgh St. Next went the Chinese store. They managed to get a good deal of their stock out. The residence of Mr. Townsend the dentist was next. Every attempt made to save this building. It was at this point the fire was halted as Mr. Townsends roof was torn down, and damp blankets placed over the remainder. To stop the fire any further just in case it did destroy Mr. Townsends the properties of Mr. Hoch the butcher and the large room used for holding meetings of the German Rifle Association were pulled down. "It may therefore be said that not one of the houses from the cnr of Camp and Ford Sts to the orner of Camp and High escaped without some injury" All this was in the easterly direction but now for the opposite direction. The orchard attached to the Post Office was on fire almost as soon as the Empire HOtel. Mr Byrchall the postmaster had taken every precaution for saving the letters and newspapers and had them all in the passage of his private residence ready for removal upon a constable appearing to take charge of them. They were eventually removed. Mr. Byrchall in his attempts to save the correspondence lost all his private property. One of the drapers hops in Ford St started to catch, but it was immediately extinguished. All that remianed of the Empire and some of the buildings was a few chimney stacks "alone in their glory". On Monday things were still smoking. The loss amounted to voer £10,000. From YOungs to the Chinese store the property was owned by a Mr. W.C. Jones-Parry who had practised as a barrister in Beechworth but was then in England. Many people lost their possessions in these buildings, for example Mr.Ingram's manager lost all his furntiure and clothes of his family. The Groom at the stables lost everything and his wife was about a week after her "acccouchement" had to be carried out. Mr. Martin the solictor lost most of his law books. Staff tenants and owners and house guests (yes people just visiting others) lost their possessions. The Post Office mail ws deposted for safety in the Bank of NSW and then removed to the temporary office at Crawfords Buildings in Ford St. Mmr. George Garrod a waiter at the Empire HOtel lost all his possessions, just as he had done at the burning of the Star HOtel in Chiltern only 2 years earlier. Value of property destroyed - Mr. Ingram £2000 Mr YOung 3000 Mr. Newson £1200 Mr. Byrchall £300 Mr. Dunn £100 Mr Martin £50 Mr. Sheppard £100 Chinese store £50 Mr. Townsend £50 McLeod £50 THE BEECHWORTH CEMETERY As we remarked in our report of the disastrous fire that occurred in Camp St on the night of Saturday last, the records connected with the above Cemetery were utterly destroyed. This is avery serious matter, for although it is true that the last resting places of many are distinctly marked by monuments it is unquestionably a fact that the names of the great majority of those interred in the Cemetery can only be traced by its books. Those books are like the names of the individuals they contained amongst the tings of the past. A good deal may be done however to alleviate the loss if immediate action be taken. Let all those who have friends or relatives interred in teh groudn gather up names and dates of burial and let the Secretary to the Trustees be required to keep a book always available in which these details may be entered. By this means a great amount of the lost information may be recovered.Whilst upon this subject we must be allowed to express our asonishment at the careless manner in which teh books alluded to were stored. Surely a corner might have been found in some iron safe for their deposit even if the high rates charged for sepulture did not afford sufficient income to purchase so necessary an article for their custody. We wil hope that in future the Cemtery records will be placed beyond the reach of danger from fire. = An inquest was held into the fire - Mr. INgram moved his business into a shop at the Star Theatre buildings Ford St. opposite Crawford Buildings. J Young was selling from the Star Theatre. -- Hope this helps. Denise A Fire Relief Fund was set up.