Tourism Clare Burnett Fri 13 Nov 26
The scheme to broaden the Victorian manufacturing site’s appeal beyond beers includes new stays and visitor experiences...
Australia’s oldest surviving tower brewery could become a multi-day tourism destination under plans to add guest accommodation, hospitality venues and restored heritage buildings to the historic Beechworth site.
The proposal is now before the Department of Tranport and Planning through the Development Faciliation Program.
Billson’s Brewery was established in 1865 and the site at Beechworth, 285km north-east of the Melbourne CBD, was acquired in 1872 for a brewery due to the purity of nearby spring water.
The owners built a tower brewery—all raw materials are inputted at the top of the building and moved down through the brewing process on the site, introducing a method that had only recently been adopted in the UK at the time.
This site, now spanning 29 Last Street and 32-36 Wood Street in the Victorian High Country town, has expanded in the 154 years since the brewery was established.
Later development included a cordial factory, cooperage and stables for the brewery’s horse teams. It operated under multiple names throughout the 20th century and expanded into soft drinks, health tonics, jams, liqueurs and whisky.
The site is one of the biggest economic drivers and tourist destinations in the region, the planning report said.
The Billson’s brand was acquired in 2024 by the Coca-Cola Company, and was rebranded to Last Street Brewery in 2025.
Now, the brewery has put forward a masterplan to diversify its landmark Beechworth site.
It would expand on the brewery operations, deliver an expanded hospitality site with new food and drink premises, sales, short-term accommodation, and functions and tourism opportunities.
The Last Street Brewery masterplan would retain the existing brewery and distiller on site to supports production facility.
But it seeks to upscale and revamp the 9000sq m site, 500m from Beechworth town centre.
The historic Brewer’s Cottage at 31 Last Street, now used for accommodation, would be renovated and augmented with four cabins for guests, a new cottage and an extension to the caretaker’s cottage to add further capacity. Room for 26 guests across nine units would be added.
The accommodation would allow for extended and “lived-in experiences” for guests that Last Street believes would foster multi-day trips to Beechworth and the surrounding area.
Minor work would be undertaken on the brewery and distillery, including additional back-of-house facilities, and similar upgrades would be carried out on the taphouse.
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage production will be under a 5000L per day limit.
The brewery said the plans would increase tourist attraction to the region and generate further employment in the Indigo Shire.
“The adaptive reuse and restoration of key buildings will ensure their long-term conservation and ongoing use,” Last Street’s planning report said.
The proposal “celebrates and breathes new life” into an operational and successful tourist facility, it said.
Explore more: Development Applications , Heritage Protection , Planning & Approvals , Regional Victoria , Tourism
