Joint media release: Iconic gold rush precinct added to National Heritage List

The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water
Senator Lisa Darmanin MP, Senator for Victoria

The Albanese Labor Government has added the historic 19th century Beechworth Administrative Precinct to Australia’s National Heritage List.

Located in the heart of Victoria, the 170-year-old precinct has been listed for its historic significance, offering a rare insight into governance of the goldfields and Chinese migration throughout Australia’s gold rush.

From the 1850s, migration to Australia increased drastically in response to the gold rush with miners arriving from Europe, America and China.

During this period, up to 42,000 Chinese migrants arrived at the Victorian goldfields, many of them travelling by foot from South Australia.

In response to the influx of gold miners into Victoria, the government constructed administrative centres to manage the goldfields. The Beechworth Administrative Precinct was established and included a gaol, courthouse, gold warden’s office, Chinese protectorate office, sub treasury gold office, telegraph office and stables.

Beechworth remains one of the most intact examples of how gold rush government buildings were designed at the time, often using local materials such as granite.

The National Heritage List recognises places of outstanding heritage significance to Australia. It includes natural, historic and Indigenous places under Australia’s national environment law.

Other Victorian sites on the National Heritage List include Abbotsford Convent, Eureka Stockade Gardens, the Great Ocean Road, Melbourne Cricket Ground, and Rippon Lea House and Garden.

Other sites around Australia include the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park, Sydney Opera House, and the Parramatta Female Factory.

More information on the National Heritage List: Australia's National Heritage List - DCCEEW

See photos: Frame.io

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water the Hon Tanya Plibersek:

“The Beechworth Administrative Precinct is a fantastic addition to our country’s National Heritage List – joining significant heritage sites such as Abbotsford Convent, Rippon Lea, the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru.

“Although the precinct is in the heart of Victoria, it really helps tell the story of Australia – a timeless and intact example of our nation’s growth during the gold rush.

“We’re thrilled to preserve places of outstanding heritage significance, like the Beechworth Administrative Precinct, for generations to come.”

Quotes attributable to Senator for Victoria, Lisa Darmanin:

"The addition of the Beechworth Administrative Precinct to the National Heritage List celebrates the rich history of our local community and the pivotal role Beechworth played during Victoria’s goldrush era.

"This precinct is a testament to the significant contributions of Chinese migrants who played a crucial role in shaping Beechworth and the Victorian goldfields.

“By recognising the iconic precinct on the National Heritage List, we acknowledge its local significance and its critical role in the broader story of Australia's gold rush and the enduring legacy of Chinese migration.”