BEECHWORTH

town, northeastern Victoria, Australia, at the foot of the Victorian Alps. The original settlement (c. 1839), called Mayday Hills, was renamed for a place in England. During the mid-19th century it was a centre of the Ovens Valley goldfields; it was the site of some of the earliest hospital and mental health care facilities in Victoria. The valley now produces timber, hops, grapes, tobacco, and livestock. Alluvial deposits of precious and semiprecious gems occur in the vicinity. A rail line leads to Melbourne, 140 mi (225 km) to the southwest. Beechworth has a mild climate, is a resort for anglers and hikers, and provides access to winter snow areas of the upper valley. It was proclaimed a town in 1856, a borough in 1863, and a shire in 1865. Pop. (1981) 3,154.