The Trust advocacy team recently undertook an inspection of the state heritage-listed Former Mayday Hills Asylum at Beechworth in north-east Victoria. The site is being sold by La Trobe University to private developers, and the Indigo Shire planning scheme amendment seeks to re-zone the site and install appropriate development controls to preserve the character of the grounds.

With much of the significant building fabric already documented and protected by Heritage Victoria, the Trust’s focus was on the cultural landscape and significant trees at the site, and how they can best be protected at a local government level. Volunteers from the Beechworth Treescape Group gave a guided tour of the grounds, demonstrating that the former asylum is home to one of the most significant tree collections in Victoria.

Equipped with extensive research provided by the Beechworth Treescape Group, the National Trust is now working with Indigo Shire Council to ensure that significant trees on the site will be protected by Indigo Shire Planning Scheme Amendment C64.  Public consultation on the Amendment closed on 20 January 2014.  The National Trust Committee for the Register of Significant Trees has assessed almost 170 nominations to our Register, of which a high proportion will be ratified on the Register by March.

Mayday Hills is poised to be a showcase example of the National Trust can collaborate with local experts to advocate to Shire planners for appropriate protection of heritage places.

Click here to read the Gardens classification report…