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Former Bank Of New South Wales - Beechworth Hstoric Area

Other Name Westpac Bank Location 59 Ford Street and Cnr Camp Street,, BEECHWORTH VIC 3747 - Property No B0384 File Number B0384 Level Regional

[1/1] B0384 fmr Bank of NSW 59 Ford

Statement of Significance

A distinctive bank of the late 1850s, designed in a severe version of the Renaissance Revival, and 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.
Classified: 'Local' 09/04/1959
Revised: 10/02/1972

Historic Area Statement of Significance: Beechworth is a picturesque nineteenth Century provincial town. It is a well preserved example of Government and private building which resulted from the town's important historical role as the administrative and commercial centre of Victoria's north-eastern goldfields. Beechworth was once significant for its position on an early overland route from Melbourne to Sydney.
The town is located sympathetically to the topography, in an area of considerable landscape interest. Set amidst forested undulating country, there remain many relics of the mining era in and about Beechworh. It is a rich field for the industrial archaeology.
There are within the town a large number of historical and architecturally significant buildings. These display a quality of form and richness of material and detail, which make Beechworth one of the most significant of Austraila's goldfield towns. Of particular interest is the common usage of local granite in construction. Its honey colour imparts a quality distinctive to Beechworth.
The highlights of Beechworth are the grid of wide streets flanked with granite kerbing; the streetscapes of considerable integrity with groups of homogeneous buildings set off by mature elms and other exotic trees; and the remnants of historic Victorian gardens. About the town there are many examples of nineteenth century street furniture, signs and fences. Beechworth's historical wealth is of national significance.
Classified: April, 1983