A love of Beechworth keeping town among best

Preservation of Beechworth’s heritage for future generations as well as ongoing promotion of the town as a tourist destination are key points for a longtime local business executive, after the town was named as one of the best tourist destinations in the country. Beechworth took out the number 10 position in Australian Traveller’s magazine's ‘Best Towns to Travel to’ rankings, with Victoria scoring 20 out of 100 of the top titles named earlier this month. The town also ranked second nationally in the country town category, praised for its heritage streets, standout food and access to wineries and hikes. Beechworth Bakery’s managing director Marty Matassoni said it’s a big thing for people who have worked so hard in making Beechworth a tourist attraction for more than 40 years. Mr Matassoni said Beechworth Bakery founder Tom O’Toole had been one of many people who helped turn Beechworth from a government, rundown town into preserving what it is today. “They had a vision back in the 1980s for Beechworth as a tourist town and invited people to see what the town offered,” he said. “Tom was always promoting Beechworth as a town to come and see.” Mr Matassoni said his family moved to Beechworth from Myrtleford in the early 1970s to sell shoes. “They saw Beechworth as an opportunity back then and wanted to dedicate themselves to the town,” he said. “People have changed but our culture and heritage remain, and we have preserved Beechworth. “We should be all proud but need to keep protecting and preserving the town for the next generation. “I’ve travelled and love living here, and we all need to keep promoting Beechworth. “We spent a year travelling Australia to work out where we wanted to be as a family, and coming back to Beechworth, we realised how great Beechworth is, and also how good the North East is as well. “We're living in the luckiest part of Australia and it’s a great community. “We have so many people visiting Beechworth now and soon as they get here, they love it." Mr Matassoni said a new generation of people have moved to Beechworth over the years as well. “They've visited Beechworth, and have felt the same thing that we felt many years ago when we moved to the town," he said. With Beechworth steeped in rich history, Mr Matassoni said protecting the town as previous generations have done is vital for its heritage. “They protected what we have today, and preservation includes building colours, the signage and streetscapes,” he said. “It’s why people love coming to Beechworth, because there's nothing else like Beechworth in Australia with our historic buildings and heritage. “Beechworth is also a great tourism destination for outdoor adventure such as cycling and walking trails as well as having great food and wine options within the area.”

A love of Beechworth keeping town among best

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