Beechworth Historic Precinct Masterplan

People, horses and carriages in the main street of Beechworth prior to road sealing.

In 2020, Council appointed leading planning, economics and tourism consulting team, Urban Enterprise, to produce a transformative and in-depth new Masterplan to steer an exciting new course for the Beechworth Historic Precinct.

The completed Masterplan will be a culmination of three critical phases:

  1. Business Plan, based on extensive market research into the current Precinct offering.
  2. An Experience Plan, which will recommend a range of new community and tourism experiences, and;
  3. A Place Plan, which will look at physical and functional detail of the actual buildings and overall site now, and with added aerial overlays, showing how it may look in the future.

The Experience Plan was adopted at the December 2021 Council Meeting and is available to be viewed here.

In an exciting development, in August 2023 Indigo Shire Council endorsed a Memorandum of Understanding to participate in the Victorian Goldfields UNESCO bid for World Heritage Listing.

This is a significant opportunity for Indigo Shire and its communities.  Our heritage assets, built, landscapes and histories that meet the high threshold for World Heritage would be recognised on the world stage and preservation and interpretation opportunities, including funding, are associated with this status.

Achieving global recognition will add another critical layer of considerations to the Historic Precinct in Beechworth and as well as all historic assets across our Shire.

With the culminated Masterplan not yet completed, it is essential this exciting opportunity is investigated and amalgamated into the overall vision for the Beechworth Historic Precinct, to ensure a comprehensive, up-to-date, and robust Masterplan.

We are currently reviewing the Masterplan to ensure alignment with the World Heritage bid and associated opportunities. 

Visit the Victoria Goldfields UNESCO World Heritage Bid Page to learn more about this exciting opportunity.