
Seymour () is a historic railway township located in the Southern end of the
Goulburn Valley in the Shire of Mitchell,
Victoria,
Australia and is located north of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
. At the , Seymour had a population of 6,569.
The township services the surrounding agricultural industries (primarily
equine,
cattle,
sheep and
wine) as well as the nearby military base of
Puckapunyal (population 1,176
), which is an important training centre for the
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
. Other important sectors of employment in Seymour include retail, light engineering, agricultural services support, medical services, and education.
History
The
Taungurung people are the traditional owners and inhabitants of the area Seymour now occupies. Specifically, it is the land of the Buthera Balug clan who occupied the area when Europeans first settled the region in the early 1800s.
In 1824, Hume and Hovell on their return from Port Phillip, camped by the
Goulburn River not far upstream of Seymour. In 1836
Major Thomas Mitchell crossed the Goulburn at
Mitchellstown and soon afterwards overlanders and other early settlers began to use this crossing place on the
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
–
Sydney route (now known as the
Hume Highway). The mail service between Melbourne and Sydney had been operating for just a year when it was found that a better route was available using the "New Crossing Place".
The Robert Burns Inn was operating there by the end of 1839. In 1841 the Government decided that the new crossing place was the likely spot for a town. Plans were laid before the Executive Council of NSW and Mitchell proposed the name Seymour which was approved on 21 December 1843. The town was named after Lord Seymour, the son of the 11th Duke of Somerset.
The Post Office opened on 1 July 1844.
The railway arrived in 1872 along with substantial infrastructure to support it, establishing the town as an important rail hub for the
Goulburn Valley, the
Melbourne–Sydney railway and North Eastern Victoria. It was one of the first Victorian examples of the
railway town phenomenon, in the heyday of the railway it employed 400 men and along with their families comprised one-third of the town, or 1500 people.
In 1871 the Shire of Seymour was established which also included the towns and localities of
Avenel,
Mangalore,
Tallarook, Whiteheads Creek,
Trawool
Trawool is a valley and town in central Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The area lies on the middle reaches of the Goulburn River and on the Goulburn Valley Highway, north of the state capital, Melbourne.
Originally named ''Traawool ...
, Hilldene and
Northwood .It was proclaimed The
Rural City of Seymour in 1993, in 1994 The Rural City of Seymour was abolished and incorporated into the Shire of Mitchell.
Puckapunyal Army base
The
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
first established a large training camp east of the township during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the eastern camp diminished in importance and a substantially larger and more permanent military township was established to the west at
Puckapunyal.
[Dennis et al. (eds.), ''The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History'', p. 435] Puckapunyal is the centre for the Australian Army's Land Warfare Development Centre (LWDC)
and Headquarters
Combined Arms Training Centre (HQ CATC),
with three of the Army's five Schools located on site. Additionally, there are smaller training centres and facilities as well as the Road Transport Wing of the
Army Logistic Training Centre
The Army Logistic Training Centre (ALTC) is an Australian Army training establishment that is part of Forces Command. Established on 1 December 1995, through the amalgamation of nine separate logistic, health and personnel services schools and ...
's Army School of Transport based in Puckapunyal.
[ The base is also home to the .
]
Wine
Seymour is located at the southern end of the Goulburn Valley wine region. The main influencing factors in the Goulburn Valley wine region are the hills of the Great Dividing Range and the Goulburn River which mitigates lengthy and warm summers.
Top varieties: Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Marsanne
Soil types: sandy clay loams, clay loams and gritty, gravelly quartzose sands
There are several wineries in and near the township which include Wine x Sam, Tahbilk, Mitchelton Winery, Fowles Wines, Kensington Wines and several other boutique vineyards Box Grove vineyard, Brave Goose vineyard, Somerset Crossing vineyard, Vitto Oles Wines and Traawool Valley wines.
Each year ''Tastes of the Goulburn'' food and wine festival is hosted in Seymour, showcasing the best local produce from the Goulburn Valley. Seymour also hosts the Victorian Wine Show.
Education
Seymour College
(I will grow by serving)
, established = 1922
, type = Independent, single-sex, day & boarding
, denomination = Uniting Churchpreviously Presbyterian Church of Australia
, slogan ...
is the government school, providing classes from Prep to Year 12. The college was created in 2010 through a merger of Seymour Technical High School (STHS), Seymour Primary School (SPS) Seymour East Primary School (SEPS) and Seymour Special School (SSS) located in Loco Street.
St Mary's College is a Prep to Year 10 Catholic school located in High Street.
The Seymour campus of the Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, opened in 1998, provides a variety of short courses and vocational education and training.
Transport
Seymour is located adjacent to the junction of the Hume
Hume most commonly refers to:
* David Hume (1711–1776), Scottish philosopher
Hume may also refer to:
People
* Hume (surname)
* Hume (given name)
* James Hume Nisbet (1849–1923), Scottish-born novelist and artist
In fiction
* Hume, the ...
and Goulburn Valley Highway
Goulburn Valley Highway is a highway located in Victoria, Australia. The section north of the Hume Freeway is part of the Melbourne to Brisbane National Highway (together with Hume Freeway) and is the main link between these two cities as well ...
. The Hume Highway crossed the Goulburn River and diverted all Melbourne-Sydney bound traffic though the township for over 100 years until a freeway bypass was opened routing all non-local and interstate traffic around the township in 1982.
Seymour station is served by regular V/Line
V/Line is a statutory authority that operates regional passenger train and coach services in Victoria, Australia. It provides passenger train services on five commuter lines and eight long-distance routes from its major hub at Southern Cross ...
hourly services to and from Melbourne Southern Cross station
Southern Cross railway station (until 2005 known as Spencer Street station) is a major railway station in Docklands, Victoria, Docklands, Melbourne. It is on Spencer Street, Melbourne, Spencer Street, between Collins Street, Melbourne, Collins ...
as well as services on the Albury
Albury () is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of the Murray River. Albury is the seat of local government for the council area which also bears the city's name – the ...
and Shepparton
Shepparton () ( Yortayorta: ''Kanny-goopna'') is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in northern Victoria, Australia, approximately north-northeast of Melbourne. As of the 2021 census, the estimated population of Sheppart ...
lines. The station was once a major freight marshalling location and the home of a significant locomotive depot.
Victoria's electronic ticketing system, Myki
Myki ( ), stylised as myki, is a reloadable ISO/IEC 7810, credit card-sized contactless smart card Automated fare collection, ticketing system used for electronic payment of fares on most public transport services in Melbourne and regional ...
, was implemented on rail services between Seymour and Melbourne on 24 June 2013.
Community
Seymour is host to many community and service groups includin
Freemasonry
(established in Seymour in 1883), Rotary, the Lions Club
The International Association of Lions Clubs, more commonly known as Lions Clubs International, is an international non-political service organization established originally in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, by Melvin Jones. It is now headquarte ...
, Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth Social movement, movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hik ...
, Apex Clubs of Australia
The Association of Apex Clubs of Australia is an Australia-wide association of autonomous clubs dedicated to fellowship, self-improvement, and community service, similar to other service clubs such as Lions International but with a younger mem ...
and Probus. In addition, local advocacy groups include The Seymour We Want, locally based offices of statewide organisations including Berry Street and Closing The Health Gap (amongst others).
Sport
Seymour is well equipped with sporting facilities that include an indoor multi-purpose sports and aquatic centre, outdoor pool as well as a number of large playing fields for athletics, cricket and football. Seymour has a number of successful and well resourced sporting clubs including Cricket, Tennis, Football, Lawn Bowls, Kick Boxing, Basketball and Netball.
Seymour Cricket Club (est. 1859) has its club rooms and main ground located at Chittick Park, competes in the Seymour and District Cricket Association fielding 2 senior and 1 junior teams in the 2022/23 season
Eastern Hill Cricket Club whose home ground is at Kings Park, compete in the Seymour and District Cricket Association fielding 3 senior and 3 junior teams.
Seymour Football Club
The Seymour Football Netball Club, nicknamed the ''Lions'', is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the historic railway township of Seymour, Victoria.
Seymour first competed in the North East Football Association (NEFA) i ...
compete in the Goulburn Valley Football League
The Goulburn Valley Football Netball League is an Australian rules football and netball competition based in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia. It is a member of the Victorian Country Football League and has won the Victorian ...
.
Seymour has a horse racing club, the Seymour Racing Club, which schedules around twenty race meetings a year including the Seymour Cup meeting in October.
Golfers play at the course of the Seymour Golf Club on Yea Road.
Media
Print
* Seymour Telegraph
* North Central Review
* The Situation
Radio
FM
* 103.9 FM – Seymour-FM (Community Radio for Northern Mitchell Shire & Strathbogie Shire)
* 88.9 FM – UGFM Upper Goulburn / Murrindindi Radio (Yea translator/repeater)
* 87.6 FM – HIT RADIO (Youth / Top 40 / Dance / Features)
Shepparton radio heard in Seymour
* 93.7 FM – STAR FM (Flowerdale/Seymour Re-Transmission Site)
* 94.5 FM – ABC Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...
* 95.3 FM – 3SR FM (3SSR) (Classic Hits – commercial radio)
* 96.1 FM – ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic, formerly ABC-FM (also ABC Fine Music), and then ABC Classic FM, is an Australian classical music radio station available in Australia and internationally. Its website features classical music news, features and listening guides. I ...
* 96.9 FM – Star FM (Contemporary Hits commercial radio)
* 97.7 FM – ABC Local Radio (relay of 774 Melbourne)
* 98.5 FM – ONE FM Community Radio (Poor reception in Seymour)
* 1260 AM – Sport 927
RSN Racing & Sport (ACMA callsign: 3UZ) is an Australian radio station in Australia. Owned and operated by thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing bodies of Victoria, it broadcasts a sports radio format to Melbourne, and to much of Victor ...
(Relay of 927 AM Melbourne – Racing)
Melbourne radio heard in Seymour
* 621 AM – ABC Radio National
* 693 AM – 3AW (Talkback / Sport)
* 774 AM – ABC Metropolitan Radio
* 927 AM – Sport 927 (Racing)
Television
Local Free-to-Air TV channels in Seymour are available from Shepparton and broadcast from a relay transmitter located south of Seymour on West Falls Road at Meadows Hill. Viewers located on the outskirts of Seymour and nearby towns can receive reception from the Mount Major transmitter east of Shepparton or Bendigo via the Mount Alexander transmitter.
* ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
(plus ABC HD, ABC TV Plus
ABC TV Plus (formerly ABC2 and ABC Comedy) is an Australian free-to-air television channel owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and part of its ABC Television network. The channel broadcasts a range of general entertainment prog ...
, ABC Kids, ABC Me
ABC Me (stylised as ABC ME) is an Australian English language children's free-to-air television channel owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It was officially launched by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on 4 December 2009 as ABC3.
Hist ...
& ABC News
ABC News is the journalism, news division of the American broadcast network American Broadcasting Company, ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other progra ...
)
* SBS (plus SBS HD
SBS is a national public television network in Australia. Launched on 24 October 1980, it is the responsibility of SBS's television division, and is available nationally. In 2018, SBS had a 7.7% audience share.
As of 2022, SBS is the lowest ...
, SBS Viceland
SBS Viceland (stylised as SBS VICELAND) is an Australian free-to-air television channel owned by the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). It began as SBS TWO on 1 June 2009, and was branded as SBS 2 between 2013 and 2016. On 8 April 2017, SBS ...
, SBS World Movies
SBS World Movies is an Australian free-to-air television channel showing international movies. The channel features foreign language films, documentaries, independent and mainstream cinema and interviews with international movie stars. It w ...
, SBS Food
SBS Food is an Australian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). The channel airs programs about food and cooking, from cultures around the world.
History
SBS first revealed it would launc ...
& NITV
National Indigenous Television (NITV) is an Australian free-to-air television channel that broadcasts programming produced and presented largely by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It includes the half-hourly nightly ''NITV News'' ...
)
* Prime7
Prime7, formerly Prime Television and other names, was an Australian television network. Prime Television launched on 17 March 1962 as ''CBN-8'' in Orange, and later expanded to cover regional New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capi ...
(plus 7HD
7HD is an Australian television channel, owned by Seven West Media, originally launched on 15 October 2007 featuring unique breakaway programming from 10 December 2007 to 4 October 2009 and a HD simulcast of Seven until 25 September 2010. The ...
, 7TWO, 7mate
7mate is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010. The channel contains sport and regular programs aimed primarily to a male audience, with programming drawn from a ...
& 7flix
7flix is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 28 February 2016.
7flix targets a variety of viewers and offers drama, comedy, reality, docusoap, and movies.
History
On 18 Decembe ...
)
* WIN
Win or WIN may refer to:
* A victory
Arts and entertainment Film
* '' Win!'', a 2016 American film
Literature
* ''Win'' (Coben novel), a 2121 novel by Harlan Coben
* WIN (pacifist magazine), published by the War Resisters League
* WIN (wrest ...
(plus 9HD
9HD is an Australian television channel owned by Nine Entertainment, originally launched on 17 March 2008 featuring unique "breakaway" programming until 2009 and a high-definition simulcast of the Nine Network from 2009 to 2010 and again s ...
, 9Gem
9Gem is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel, launched by the Nine Network in September 2010. The channel provides general entertainment and movie programming, from which the original name "GEM" is derived.
History
Nine N ...
, 9Go!
9Go! is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel, which was launched by the Nine Network on 9 August 2009, replacing Nine Guide. It is a youthful channel that offers a mix of comedy, reality, general entertainment, movies, ani ...
& 9Life
9Life is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel owned by Nine Entertainment. The channel airs mostly foreign lifestyle and reality programs, with the channel having a licensing agreement with Discovery Inc. (previously Scr ...
)
* Southern Cross 10
10 Regional is an Australian Television broadcasting in Australia, television network owned by Southern Cross Austereo that is broadcast in Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Aus ...
(plus 10 HD
10 HD is an Australian free-to-air television channel that was originally launched on 16 December 2007 on channel 1. The channel was available to high definition digital television viewers through Network 10 owned-and-operated stations. The m ...
, 10 Bold
10 Bold is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel owned by Network 10. It originally launched on 26 March 2009 as One HD with a focus on broadcasting sports-based programming and events, but rebranded to One in April 2011 to ...
, 10 Peach
10 Peach is an Australian free-to-air television channel operated by Network 10. It was launched on 11 January 2011 as Eleven. It is owned by ElevenCo, which was established as a joint venture between Ten Network Holdings and CBS Studios Inter ...
& 10 Shake
10 Shake is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel owned by Network 10. It launched on 27 September 2020 at 6am.
The channel includes a mix of shows for people aged forty and under. It broadcasts programming for children fro ...
)
References
Further reading
*
External links
Seymour Local Government Tourism Website
Seymour Visitor Information Website
{{authority control
Towns in Victoria (Australia)
Towns in Lower Hume
Shire of Mitchell
Hume Highway