By Tanya Steele
The Dandenong Ranges are beginning to see glimmers of change on the horizon for an iconic landmark of the area, as grant money delivered by the Victorian government bolsters a huge local project.
The exciting new redevelopment of Burnham Beeches in Sherbrooke was given a boost by the State Government officially last week and the developers are happy about the assist.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos announced the successful recipients of the government’s regional tourism investment funds for 2024 on Tuesday 15 April.
“Victoria has always been a great place to visit and explore – these grants will make regional Victoria even more enticing, which is great for local jobs and the economy,” he said.
A grant for stage one of the Burnham Beeches Mansion and Village Square, by Burnham Beeches Investments Pty Ltd, was one of many who received funds across Victoria.
Trenerry Property Group will be undertaking the redevelopment for Burnham Beeches and Managing Director Robert Dicintio said the development consortium is excited to be a recipient.
“Burnham Beeches is such a special and historic project,” he said.
“The mansion holds almost 100 years of history and given it has sat idle for almost 40 years now, the restoration works required to breathe new life into the Art Deco building are complex and significant.”
Local member for Monbulk, Daniela De Martino congratulated the group which aim to deliver a luxury wellness retreat and hospitality precinct at Sherbrooke in the Dandenong Ranges.
“Burnham Beeches is a historical treasure, but it had fallen into disrepair over many years,” she said.
“This project will revitalise this beautiful example of Art Deco architecture and provide not only a great tourist drawcard for the Dandenong Ranges, but local jobs as well.”
CEO of Yarra Ranges Tourism, Simon O’Callaghan, said Yarra Ranges Tourism also fully supports the redevelopment of Burnham Beeches as a transformational project for the Dandenong Ranges.
“The plans for heritage restoration, premium accommodation, and vibrant visitor experiences present a rare opportunity to breathe new life into an iconic site,” he said.
“Burnham Beeches has the potential to become an exemplar of sustainable tourism and wellness-led development—exactly the kind of investment encouraged by the State Government’s Experience Victoria 2033 strategy,” said Mr O’Callaghan.
The State Government funding announcement was made at Sovereign Hill, and the grants of between $100,000 and $5 million will support 22 new and 13 improved accommodation options across Victoria.
Burnham Beeches and other tourism infrastructure projects will hopefully attract more visitors across Victoria and aim to encourage day trippers to stay overnight, boosting local businesses at the same time.
Mr O’Callaghan said that more commercial accommodation is critical to lifting the Yarra Ranges tourism region visitor economy.
“By converting more day-trippers into overnight guests, we can increase local spend, stimulate new business opportunities, and support more local jobs for our community,” he said.
“This project directly aligns with our destination management plan, which highlights the urgent need for quality accommodation and product renewal in the region.
Burnham Beeches was originally built for the Nicholas family, founders of the Aspro brand in 1933 and has evolved through several uses from a holiday home, children’s hospital, science research facility and hotel.
Ahead of current plans, the site was even a short-term art gallery in 2019, painted by street artist Rone aka Tyrone Wright, which saw the walls painted and the famous mansion open to the public.
The State grants have also helped fund five new mountain bike trails to be built at Mt Buller.
Alpine Resorts Victoria plans to deliver nearly 10km of new single-track mountain bike trails that will improve connectivity through the Mt Buller and Mt Stirling trail network.
The Victorian government grants are part of a $170 million regional tourism and events fund – designed to create more jobs, support important tourism businesses and attract more visitors across regional Victoria and are part of a larger strategic plan for tourism.
Trenerry Consortium received the go-ahead for the $120m landmark redevelopment in mid-2023, and after some processes around permits with Yarra Ranges and Heritage Victoria, the construction seems green lit to go ahead.
Mr Dicintio said the group is committed to doing the Burnham Beeches special site justice, bringing the mansion and historic grounds back to life for another generation to enjoy.
“This grant will go a long way towards supporting the conversation and restoration works in preparation for the site’s new iteration as a mixed-use, eco-accommodation destination,” he said.
For now, Burnham Beeches remains trapped in time, sitting behind a fence for curious bushwalkers visiting Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens to ponder, but change seems to be just around the corner.
