Queen Victoria Park Beautification (completed 2023)

A fruitful partnership with Beechworth Scouts Group is helping Council to restore Queen Victoria Park’s unique 0.35 hectare patch of remnant native vegetation.

Since 2021 as part of National Tree Day, the Joeys, Cubs and Scouts have been helping Council to remove noxious weeds and plant native seedlings.

The group has enthusiastically hand-weeded a huge amount of English Broom to prevent further seeding of this invasive noxious weed.

Restoration and ongoing management of the park’s natural habitat go hand in hand with preserving its pre-contact cultural heritage and allows the native Red Stringybarks, Chocolate lilies, and the rare Hairy Hop-bush to flourish.

This has been a key part of the Victorian Government funded beautification of the Park, which has seen the upgrade of walking paths, installation of signage and tree works. 

The final directional and interpretive signs were installed this week.

There are just a few finishing touches remaining to bring this project to completion, including the installation of two new picnic tables, which is scheduled for next week.

This grant-funded project is now nearing completion with new entrance and directional signs installed this week.

Weather permitting, the final four signs, three orientation and one interpretative, will be installed next week.

Works to install the new directional and interpretive signs began on Wednesday, with all existing signs removed and the footings poured for the larger new signs.

Most of the interpretative signs have now been installed and weather permitting, the remaining signs will be installed over the next fortnight which will bring this fully grant-funded project to completion.

Works to install new signage to complement the recently upgraded paths will begin late next week.

The eleven new signs will replace the existing signage throughout the park and include orientation maps, directional and interpretation signs as well as arrival signs at both carpark entries.

Weather permitting, the installation will be complete by the following week.

Queen Victoria Park now has a sealed network of pathways, with the sealing works completed this week.

The freshly sealed footpaths will have some loose surface rocks while the seal settles so please be mindful when walking or riding through the park.

The wider works of this beautification project are now largely complete, with some minor works yet to be finalised, including topsoiling, drainage and signage.

UPDATE FRIDAY 3 MARCH

The path works are now nearing completion, with seal works scheduled for early the week beginning Monday 6 March.

Please be mindful of the machinery and extra activity in the area.

Works to upgrade the paths as part of this project commenced this week.

Sections of the park’s pathways and both carparks will be temporarily closed to allow for these construction works over the coming weeks.

Please be mindful of the signage in place and avoid walking through active construction areas. Weather permitting, these works should be completed by the end of March.

Works to remove five dead or decaying trees were also completed this week as part of the project, as recommended by an independent arborist report and approved by Heritage Victoria.

Cold, windy and wet conditions did not prevent the planting of 25 trees this week as part of the rejunvenation of Queen Victoria Park in Beechworth. The outdoor conditions were possibly not ideal for humans but were perfect for the planting of young trees.

It was fantastic to have Councillor Larry Goldsworthy and CEO Trevor Ierino join members of the Beechworth Treescape Group and Shire staff for planting. Sadly due to COVID restrictions Beechworth High School volunteers were unable to join us, which was disappointing for all.

The planting saw 25 additional rare and unusual pine trees planted to add to the existing collection in Queen Victoria Park. Weed control was also undertaken.

Queen Victoria Park is a gazetted Botanic Garden and is also listed on the State Heritage Register due to its historical, aesthetic and scientific (botanical) significance to the State of Victoria.

The gardens are recognised as a pinetum – being a collection of pine trees and the Queen Victoria Park contains specimens from across the globe. Many of the trees are identified as being of significance due to their rarity in cultivation or their immense size and age for example the Pinus coulteri which was planted in 1875. Queen Victoria Park also contains significant remnant native vegetation including the rare Dodonaea boroniifolia.

While we couldn’t coincide the planting with these dates, the planting of trees this week was important to help celebrate Botanic Gardens Day 2021 which was on the May 30, which, this year celebrated the power of plants as important in climate stabilisation, value for food, habitat, in research and medicine and as a way to improve our wellbeing. Fine out more: Botanic Gardens Day 2021 - BGANZ | BGANZ.

It was also World Environment Day on the 5 June, another important celebration with the theme reimagine, recreate, restore. Find out more on this celebration here: World Environment Day

Prior to planting, the trees were at the Indigo Shire Council nursery in Chiltern. While some were grown from seed by staff, the majority were purchased from specialist nurseries and arboreta (e.g. Yamina Rare Plants in the Dandenongs and Bill Funk’s Mereweather Arboretum in Dunkeld).

Below is the full list of trees that will be planted in Queen Victoria Park. The majority of these trees were planted in our June planting but a  small number of trees will be planted in March 2022 at the official opening.

• Pinus strobus - Eastern White Pine (Eastern North America)

• Pinus mugo - Dwarf Mountain Pine (Southern and Central Europe)

• Pinus roxburghii - Long Leaf Indian Pine (Himalayas)

• Pinus parviflora 'Glauca' – Blue Japanese White Pine (Japan)

• Pinus pinea – Stone Pine (Mediteranean)

• Pinus sylvestris 'Argentea' – Blue Scots Pine (Asia/ Europe)

• Pinus coulteri – Big Cone Pine (Southern California)

• Pinus wallichiana – Himalayan White Pine (Himalayas – eastern Afghanistan to northern Burma)

• Pinus bhutanica – Bhutan White Pine (Bhutan and north east India)

• Pinus elliottii – Slash Pine (South East America)

• Pinus tabuliformis – Chinese Red Pine (Northern China)

• Pinus thunbergii – Japanese Black Pine (Japan and South Korea)

• Pinus strobiformis – Mexican White Pine (Southwestwern United States and Mexico)

• Pinus nigra subsp pallasiana – (Turkey/ Cypress)

• Pinus jeffreyi – Jeffries Pine (California)

• Pinus serotina – Pond/ Marsh Pine (SE Atlantic Coast)

• Pinus muricata – Bishop Pine (California and off shore islands)

• Pinus nigra – Black Pine - (Mediteranean)

• Pinus patula – Mexican Weeping Pine (Mexican highlands)

• Pinus bungeana – Bunge’s Pine (China)

• Pinus sabiniana – Foothill Pine (California)

• Pinus banksiana – Jack Pine (Canada – East of the Rockies)

• Pinus sylvestris 'Mongolica' – Mongolian Pine (China)

• Taxodium distichum – Bald Cypress (Southern United States) 

• Wollemia nobilis – Wollemi Pine (NSW, Australia)