A $200,000 offer to have Beechworth's historic carriage collection housed at Mayday Hills has been rejected by the National Trust.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The approach was made by past Beechworth and District Chamber of Commerce secretary Greg Clydesdale after he was led to believe the collection was not wanted at its current home.
The 21 cars have been displayed in a shed at Billson's Brewery since the mid-1980s as part of a lease arrangement.
Mr Clydesdale said a visit to the brewery last winter created an impression the collection was not wanted there and after speaking to Mayday Hills owner George Fendyk he made an offer to the National Trust.
It would have involved a building being constructed at the old asylum site to house the horse-drawn vehicles.
National Trust cultural engagement officer Martin Green said there were concerns over the detail of the offer.
"This figure of $200,000 there was no breakdown of how that figure came to be calculated," Mr Green said.
"It was not capital, it was purely in-kind labour and housing."
Billson's Brewery owner Nathan Cowan said the existing three-year agreement to host the carriages was about 18 months old.
"We're more than happy to continue housing them as long as needed," Mr Cowan said.
"They're obviously beautiful and historic significantly and they're open to the public seven days a week.
"In the long term we just want what is best for the collection and for them to be showcased as best they can."
Mr Green said other sites for the carriages may be examined, but he suggested a move to Mayday Hills could end free access and central Beechworth was preferable.
"There's no sense of urgency, but we are looking at working more closely in Beechworth and if another option arose and it was suitable we would look at it," he said.
Mr Fendyk said his offer was genuine and made on the basis the collection, owned by the trust since the 1980s, could leave town.
"Greg mentioned some concerns and some exciting prospects to (Mayday Hills partner) Geoff Lucas and we were quickly able to come up with a proposal to assist," Mr Fendyk said.
