An ambitious plan promoted by Federation Council administrator Mike Eden to buy the weatherboard Melbourne home and incorporate it into a comedy museum has come to naught.

Instead, like a good movie, there was a twist in the plot when the house was auctioned.

Beechworth emerged as the new backdrop for the structure which was at the heart of the 1997 film about a family home being compulsorily acquired for an airport expansion.

George Fendyk and Geoff Lucas, who bought the former Mayday Hills asylum at Beechworth in 2013 for $1.5 million, paid $40,000 for The Castle house.

They plan to install it as a manager’s quarters in a yet-to-approved caravan park at the old asylum property which also houses Indigo Council’s chambers.

“This will be a really great magnet, it will be a tourist attraction,” Mr Fendyk said.

Indigo mayor Jenny O’Connor welcomed the move, suggesting it would add to the serenity of the shire’s best-known heritage town.

Certainly it will provide another aspect to a place that has relied on bushranger Ned Kelly for much of its recognition.

Visitors will be able to say they went to Darryl Kerrigan’s house and Kelly’s cell.

Not many country towns would be in a position to lay claim to two more dinky-di characters.

Beechworth’s Murray Breweries might look to add its existing range of soft drink names that include titles such as Red Ned and Outlaw Orange.

Would you fancy a Pool Room portello, a Jousting Sticks jade or Castle cola?

Of course the legend of the Kerrigan’s High Court fight is not quite the same as the trial of Kelly at the old Beechworth court house.

There was a different vibe you could say.

But nevertheless there is underdog appeal to both the Kerrigan and Kelly tales and that is why they have found traction with Australians.

Whether the Kerrigan capers are still being talked about in 130 years is another story.

But it is worth moving a few Camiras out of the way to fit the house into Beechworth, although some at Corowa might whisper “suffer in your jocks”.