Kerferd Oration

The Kerferd Oration is a free community event sponsored by Indigo Shire Council, La Trobe University and WAW Credit Union. It is named after one of Beechworth's most influential characters, George Briscoe Kerferd.

The 2011 George Briscoe Kerferd Orator was the Hon. Justice David Harper AM of the Supreme Court of Victoria (pictured). The Oration: Sentencing: public perceptions, the reality and their social implications. More than 200 people attended the Oration at the Kerferd Conference Centre at the La Trobe Beechworth campus on Sunday 31 July.

What is special about the Kerferd Oration?

The oration is organised by the community for the community. The sponsors are Indigo Shire Council, La Trobe University (as part of the La Trobe Public Lecture Series) and the corporate sponsor is WAW Credit Union.

A unique feature, since 2006, is a series of discussion meetings relevant to the topic for the year, which are held in the weeks leading up to the Oration.

A number of community initiatives have resulted from the Orations, such as the formation of Beechworth Sustainability (now Beechworth Urban Landcare and Sustainability), Indigo University of the Third Age and Indigo Fireflies- a pilot project to build resilience and strengthen women, and thereby families and communities, for emergencies such as bushfires.

Community Insights

An unique feature of this year's Kerferd Oration was the lead-in events which gave insight to the topic. There were four Community Insights in Beechworth in June and July. More than 180 people in total attended the four Insights.

 Community Insight 1

What is the impact of imprisonment on prisoners during both imprisonment and post release?

 Community Insight 2

Beechworth a Prison Town - what are the implications?

Community Insight 3

Sentencing: The effects on police and police prosecutors

Community Insight 4

The Old and the New - where to from here?

The Kerferd Oration - previous Orators

The George Briscoe Kerferd Oration was first held in 2003 to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the naming of Beechworth. The Oration is part of La Trobe University's Public Lecture series and is held at the now closed Beechworth campus of La Trobe.

The Oration brings an eminent speaker to our regional community to discuss an emerging issue in the context of social justice in rural areas. The Oration honours George Briscoe Kerferd (1831 - 1889), an energetic community leader, Premier of Victoria and a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

The honour roll of Kerferd Orators reads:

George Briscoe Kerferd

George Briscoe Kerferd (1831-1889) was a purposeful, energetic community leader who gave many years of great service to Beechworth and the state of Victoria.

Upon arriving in Victoria in April 1853 from his birthplace of Liverpool England, Kerferd tried his hand at mining in Bendigo before establishing a successful wine and spirit business (1854) and later a brewery (1856) in Beechworth.

Kerferd laid the foundations of his political and legal careers in Beechworth. First elected to the Municipal Council of the Borough of Beechworth in May 1857, he was Chairman for three terms between 1858 and 1864. During his time in local government, he was actively involved in the establishment of the Beechworth Public Library and Athenaeum, the Burke Museum and the Ovens District Hospital and Benevolent Asylum. He was largely responsible for the design and implementation of Beechworth's water delivery and storage system, known as Lake Kerferd, which is still in use today. He was also instrumental in linking Beechworth to Melbourne by train. The train line is now part of the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail.

Kerferd was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 1864 and represented the Ovens District passionately for the following 22 years. On moving to Melbourne, he pursued his youthful ambition of studying law and was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1867. His legal training served him well as a government minister, Attorney-General and Premier of Victoria. It was during these years that he established his reputation as a fine public policy debater and formulator of laws. The culmination of his distinguished career was his appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria in December 1885. He served in this capacity until his death in 1889.

To find out more about George Briscoe Kerferd, please click on the link below.

More about George Briscoe Kerferd