What a bloody disgrace! How in God’s name this Sam Lawson character (Salmore Developments) got his grubby little hands on one of Australia’s best known Heritage icons is beyond me. But that’s not all folks; he picks it up for a best mate’s rate of just $1.7 mill. Now anyone who checks out property values in the township of Beechworth will know that $1.7 mill will buy us mere mortals about four medium priced homes and not necessarily of Heritage ranking. He somehow picks up half of Beechworth for the same bloody price. You don’t have to be Elliot Ness to know that someone’s done an Al Capone with some indifferent bugger in the Victorian Government.

The small township of Beechworth in Victoria’s north east is recognized as being one of the most well preserved historic towns of the Victorian era. Over many years it’s taken a lot of hard work and commitment on the part of the Indigo Shire Council and it’s electorate to keep it this way for the benefit of all Australians, and now this disgrace happens.

The old Beechworth Gaol sits on a rise at the top of the main street and overlooks the town and the well maintained historic precinct. In 1860 it was completed at a cost of 40,000 pounds. In today’s money that would be about $9 mill for the building alone. Not a bad little deal when you consider the real-estate thrown in as well for Mr. Lawson for just $1.7 mill. It has definitely enforced that little saying; It’s not what you know but WHO!!

The old gaol over the years has held many inmates including Ned Kelly, Jim Kelly, Dan Kelly, their mother Ellen, Steve Hart, Joe Byrne, the Lloyds, Wild Wright, the innocent sympathisers and countless others from our historical past. So why has such a place with such historical value been sold off by the Victorian Government to a developer who wants to use it as the centre for a bloody building estate?

Let’s take a peek at what old Lawson’s got in mind for this historical site.

The Governor’s house looks like it’s going to end up as three housing units. There’s also 1400 sq mtrs of dirt set aside within the Gaol’s wall that nobody seems to know what the hell he’ll do with it. There are also about 19 blocks of around 400 sq mtrs around the Gaol he intends to use for housing. But to soften his outrageous building plan he’s decided to go environmentally friendly. What a double standard. Have a gander at his Residential Design Guidelines;

1. Consideration of view points to/from gaol features (are you serious?)
2. Integration with public spaces
3. Streetscape lighting of low energy consumption.
4. The future residents are to be aware of their responsibilities and the benefits as the future use of the gaols compound is to be a tourist facility incorporating high level accommodation. What a bloody joke. (I know one bloke who won’t be staying there.)

I don’t know if I’m reading it right, but I think Mr. Lawson wants the body corporate to put their hands in their pockets to help pay for some of the gaols maintenance fees.

The design committee set up for these dwellings is governed by three groups. Sunjoule Design Wodonga, Salmore Developments of course, and Environmental Design Management Wodonga. I wonder if they’re also owned by Mr. Lawson?

I believe these guys are going to set a covenant on this so called estate, but we all know just how much a covenant is worth don’t we? Absolutely nothing. Even if they do stick to it, can you just imagine these 21st century historic eye sores scattered amongst the surroundings of an original Victorian heritage icon?

It’s a shame that such things are allowed to happen. For a bloke who is so caring of this historic landmark, why is he allowing it to decay in front of our very eyes until he gets what he wants? No Mr. Lawson, you don’t give a rat’s arse about heritage or the environment, just the almighty dollar. Well you haven’t got what you want yet and I hope you never bloody will. To the people of Beechworth and its council; Keep the bugger at bay!