behind the site and small quantities of gold were being discovered at the bed of the creek. Battista owned all the land from 6th street to 7th street and down to the creek.

Discovering gold in the area dramatically increased its population and in 1889, after the death of B. Borsa, his wife Ellen W Borsa took in guests who were keen to 'take the waters', starting a guest house tradition continued by her three daughters after Ellen’s death. The guest house was named "Bellinzona", after Battista Borsa’s town of birth.

The original 'Bellinzona' building was destroyed by bushfire in 1906, and was rebuilt by the Borsa’s eldest daughter, Blanch and her husband Ernest Zelman. The grand Edwardian design, featuring spacious verandahs, was built to Zelman’s design.

By the height of the 1920s tourist boom "Bellinzona" was one of the largest guest houses in the district accommodating over 100 visitors. At this time 'Bellinzona' boasted croquet lawns and a tennis court. The Zelman’s were still running the guest house during the early 1940s, at which time advertisements showed it had a 40 room guesthouse with extensive grounds, tennis court, hot baths, complete sewerage system and a luxurious touring car for hire!

Between the early 1940s and 1995, 'Bellinzona' changed hands two times before being purchased by the Grange Group in September 1995. The name of the guest house was maintained and Grange continued to develop the venue. 'Bellinzona' was once again destroyed by fire for the second time in November 2003, believed to have started by a discarded cigarette at the front of the property.

After the fire, the Grange group, wholly owned by the Balcam family was determined to restore Bellinzona to its former glory. Within a week work in progress meetings and plans where being held and by May 2004, rebuilding commenced. In just over a year, in April 2005, the phoenix once again raised from its ashes. Today it houses 43 elegant guest suites with modern bathrooms attached, state of the art facilities while maintaining the charm, beauty and designs of the Zelmans.