Issue #358 – Wednesday, 23 November, 2016
Albury Wodonga’s largest circulating newspaper
Carevan housed in church AFTER being made homeless, Carevan has found a home at St Matthews Church.
FULL DETAILS, PAGE 6
Investors stand proudly in front of the Old Beechworth jail with their sights set on bigger and brighter plans for the heritage site. Picture:CONTRIBUTED
Big jail plans By Monique Kuzeff IT’S official. The old Beechworth jail is now under community ownership after 44 local individuals, four philanthropic groups and one non-profit organisation dug deep in their pockets to garner $2.5 million to obtain the local gem. And what is more is that there are big plans to reactivate the highly valued heritage site to engage more community, youth and visitor involvement, spokesperson of the consortium Matt Pfahlert told Albury Wodonga News Weekly. The prison has seen a long his-
tory in the small gold rush town since its construction in 1864 using granite quarried on the site. It accommodated convicts for over 140 years including the infamous Ned Kelly before it its operations ceased in 2004. It then “idled” under private ownership for 12 years and was only open for tours on occasion. After the previous sale to a Sydneybased property development company fell through earlier in the year, the local community banded together to take the opportunity to ensure the aged prison would not again slip from their hands.
“When we heard the sale had fallen through from the auction last year, we started to rally in early this year,” Mr Pfahlert said. “It’s such a heritage icon for the town and plays such a significant role in our history with Kelly’s story. “Under community ownership, it means the jail won’t virtually idle and have no money or restoration or plan for its future.” But now the future of the iconic heritage site is looking brighter with an abundance of new ideas for the site flowing in from all community investors involved.
Mr Pfahlert said the new owners intend to create a “vibrant community precinct” that combines social and economic benefits for both Beechworth and the wider region. “Those people who have chipped in to buy the jail have really rallied around the two ideas of providing cycling tourism and rural entrepreneurship learning,” he said. “We’d like to provide career opportunities for rural young people, spark more interest in the Ned Kelly story and also encourage social enterprise and grassroots community action.” While plans for the site are yet to be decided, some of the other ideas for
the site that have been raised among community investors include hospitality and retail opportunities, possible residential development, entertainment and events space, luxury accommodation focused on cycle tourism and cultural heritage, and a wellness centre and conference facility space. Mr Pfahlert said through this move he hoped that in some way the Beechworth community has encouraged other communities to consider taking ownership of their assets. “It’s about communities taking local matters in to their own hands and finding new purposes for things like this.”
Simply the best choice of LAND. Both sides of the border. NOW SELLING STAGES 1 & 2- SOMERSET RISE!!! CHRISTMAS SPECIAL - BE QUICK! 1 Stanton Drive
$133,000 $1333, 3,00 000
61 O’Keefe O’K O ’K Keeeefe fe Street Str tree ree eet 61
2 Stanton Drive
$143,000 $14 1433,,00000
62 O’Keefe O’K ’Keeeefe fe Street Stttrrreeet S eeeet 62
$$1 12200,0 ,00000 $120,000
3 Maclure Rd
$130,000
65 Zellar Zella eellla lar ar Co C our urt 65 Court
SOLD S SO O OLLD $120,000
6 Maclure Rd
SOLD SO S O OLLD $110,000 ,
7 Stanton Drivee
$110,000 $11110, 0,00000
8 Stanton Drivee
$12 120, 0,00000 $120,000
ve 17 Stanton Drive
$$1135,0 5,,000000 $135,000
LAND SALES 02 60 567 111
rtt 33 Phelps Court
$1455,,000 $145,000
39 Gallagher Stt
SOLD S O OLLD $ SO $110,000
et 57 O’Keefe Street
$114433,,00 ,00000 $143,000
58 O’Keefe Streett
$11 114, 4,0000000 $114,000
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59 O’Keefe Street
$11445, 5,00000 $145,000
200066 Lankester 20 Lan anke ank kest ster er C rt $137,500 rt $$11377,5 ,5000 2006 Crt
0 $500
t Prompent m Settle unt! o Disc etails r Call fo
d
$$127,500 127, 127 12 7,5000
220 007 07 LLankester aannnkke kestter er C rrtt $1 $$137,500 37,5 37 ,500 0 2007 Crt
$$128,000 128,00 12 8,00 8, 000 E20 2008 08 LLan anke an kesstteerr C rrtt Lankester Crt IS 2008 R T $ 11 1 1 7 7, , ,0 00 0 0 00 0 $117,000 2009 20 2 0 09 0 9 L an a n k ke e st s t ter e er r C rrtt Lankester Crt E ERS
MCoCourt 6S 7 Zellar ZO eellllaar Cou our urt 67
$$1 11111000,,000 000 00 $110,000
220 010 10 LLankester ankes an kest ke ster er C rrtt $$1 135 35,,000000 2010 Crt $135,000
68 Zellar Zeellla lar C Co our urt 68 Court
$$125,000 1225, 5,00000
SOLD SO SOL S OLLD OL D 220 01122 LLankester aannkeeste sstteerr C rrtt $135,000 2012 Crt
69 Zellar Zeellllaar C Ze Co ouurrt 69 Court
SO D SOL SO SOLD $135,000
220 013 13 LLankester aannkkeesstteerr C Cr rt $$135,000 rt 1355,,0000 00 2013 Crt
71 Stanton Sta tannttoonn D rriivvee 71 Drive
$1255,00 $1 ,000000 $125,000
220 01177 LLankester anke an nkes kester ke sterr C st rt $125,000 rt 2017 Crt
22033 Hay Court
SOLD $140,000
72 Stanton Sttaanto ntoonn D nt rivvee ri 72 Drive
$$1130 30,0 ,00000 $130,000
220 02222 S tant ta ntton oonn D rive ri ve $$1 12255,,000000 2022 Stanton Drive $125,000
22034 Hay Court
SOLD $129,000
2035 Hay Court
SOLD $137,000
2036 Hay Court
$135,000
E L B U DO COUNT S I D R YOU $ 5000 22026 20 026 26 Kno K now no wlles es C rtt Knowles Crt
$$132,000 $13 $1 132 32,0 ,000 000
SOLD 2037 Hargraves Rd $135,000
2040 Hargraves Rd $125,000 AW3099184 12329872-KC47-16