Ned Kelly still brings in dollars
Brad Worrall
March 3, 2007
source: The Border Mail

BEECHWORTH’S Ned Kelly weekend generated more than a $1 million for the town, says an Indigo Council report. The summary to be tabled at a meeting on Tuesday night also details the spin-off from The Great Victorian Bike Ride which, while attracting similar numbers, made less than a quarter of that money. And while the bike ride cost the council $9000, the bushranger weekend delivered a profit of almost $15,000.

The council report recommends undertaking both events again but suggests the Ned Kelly weekend be held two-yearly. More than 4200 people are said to have visited Beechworth during the Kelly celebration in August. It was 3000 more than visited the historic town on the corresponding weekend in 2005. Visitors are said to have spent $655,000 in the town during the weekend that featured a debate on the hero status of the famous bushranger who was hanged in 1880. The economic impact for the town was estimated at $1,048,320.

But the report blames November’s heat for a much reduced spend by cyclists on The Great Victorian Bike Ride. While 4000 people were said to have visited the town, their spend was much less than the Ned Kelly tourists. The report says the visitor spend during the cyclists overnight stay was $144,000 and the spin-off about $230,000. Both events also attracted significant interest from national media with exposure on WIN’s Today Show and national daily newspapers for the Ned Kelly debate estimated to be worth $1.2 million.

Council officers also suggest that four out of five cyclists on The Great Victorian Bike Ride would return to take advantage of the Murray to Mountains rail trail. The report also lists the downsides of both events. The Ned Kelly weekend required significant out-of-hours work for council staff and created high expectations. Community groups involved in the bike ride did not get the returns.