History

The Lucas family has sourced a fascinating collection of historic photos and memorabilia that hangs in the hotel’s Dining Room.

Origins of Beechworth
Known as the “Carramgurmungee Run”, this land was first taken up by overlanders from New South Wales from 1835 and from about 1845 David Reid occupied the run in the May Day Hills.  Whilst gold had been seen on the run in earlier years, it was officially discovered in 1852 with a miners camp soon being established on Spring Creek.  This early settlement consisted mainly of tents with very few buildings.  In 1853 the settlement was surveyed and named Beechworth.  By 1856 the township had populated to 10,000!

A hotel for Beechworth
In January 1857 William Corbert Jones Parry acquired land in Camp Street and built a single storey premises that opened to the public as The Hotel Alliance on August 13.  Over the next 80 years the hotel had many owners and lessees and with the coming of the Great Northern Railway to Beechworth in the early 1870’s, the name was changed to The Railway Hotel.   In August 1931 the hotel was purchased by Walter John Nicholas and in 1935 a second storey was added and the name changed again – this time to The Hotel Nicholas.    

Chronological history prepared by Stanley Kevin Clarke
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