Burke Museum Exhibitions
From recreated streetscapes and historic shopfronts to contemporary community stories, the Burke Museum's exhibitions offer multiple ways to explore Beechworth's past and present.
Main Hall
The Main Hall has been at the heart of the Burke Museum since the building first opened as the Beechworth Athenaeum in 1857. Surrounded by original nineteenth-century display cabinets, visitors can explore a fascinating collection of birds, animals, shells, gemstones and historic publications that reflect the curiosity and scientific interests of the Victorian era.
From natural history specimens gathered from across Australia and beyond to bound editions of The Argus, the Main Hall offers a glimpse into how museums once inspired learning, discovery and wonder.
Street of Shops
Step into the bustle of Gold Rush-era Beechworth through the museum's recreated Street of Shops. Featuring authentic artefacts, recreated shopfronts and business displays, this immersive exhibition brings to life the people, trades and enterprises that helped shape a thriving goldfields town.
Explore familiar names and fascinating spaces, from the Star Theatre and Gold Diggers Arms Hotel to the wonderfully named Hirsutic & Tonsorial Temple, and discover what life and commerce looked like during Beechworth's boom years.
People of Beechworth
History isn't just something that happened in the past. The award-winning People of Beechworth exhibition connects historical themes with the lives of contemporary community members, revealing the stories that continue to shape the town today.
Through themes including food and culture, volunteering, sport, Chinese history and the pursuit of gender equality, the exhibition explores how Beechworth's story continues to evolve. By bringing together past and present, People of Beechworth invites visitors to consider their own place in the ongoing story of community.
Ready to explore?
Discover these exhibitions and more at the Burke Museum, open daily in the heart of the Beechworth Historic Precinct.