Seymour

Understand

History The Taungurung (Daung wurrung) 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–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.

Climate The climate of Seymour is usually around 10-20 all year around, but can get to the high 30s in summer and negatives in the winter

Getting there

By train There are three V/line train lines that run to Seymour, with one being the Seymour line itself, and the other two being the Albury line and the Shepparton line. Bookings are not required for trains from Melbourne, where myki cards are valid. On the Albury Line, it is likely that all seats will be reserved in advance, meaning you will have to stand the entire journey from Melbourne. You cannot reserve a seat if you're leaving the service at Seymour.

By car Seymour is about a two hour drive from Melbourne via the M31 Hume Fwy and a 1.5 hour drive from Albury. It's a full freeway road to get here though.

See

1 Seymour Railway Heritage Centre, 32 Victoria St, ☏ +61 3 5799 0515. (updated Nov 2021) Wineries

Do

Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk. A war memorial walk in memory of those that served in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. (updated Nov 2021)

Eat

1 Caffeine Bistro, 100 Station St, ☏ +61 3 5799 0591. M-F 6AM–3:30PM, Su 7AM–3:30PM. (updated Nov 2021)

Drink & nightlife

1 Wine by Sam, 69 Anzac Ave, ☏ +61 3 5799 0437. F-Su 10AM-4PM. (updated Oct 2021)

Sleep

1 New Crossing Place Motel, 53 Emily St, ☏ +61 3 5792 2800. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. (updated Oct 2021)