For close to two years, I have had the absolute privilege of being Seymour’s local reporter.
Before, Seymour was merely a place of transit for me.
As a Wangaratta local, it was always the just-over-halfway point on the way to the city.
Trains would stop at the historic station for 10 minutes or more, and I’d look out to the heritage-lined Station St seeing nothing more than a marker of how far I’d come — how far I had yet to go.
Now, Station St is a bustling district filled with faces I’ve photographed and people I’ve written about.
It’s home to The Brewer’s Table, which has become the café where I’ve conducted at least 80 per cent of my interviews from — a result of the closure of the Telegraph’s office and Brewer’s exceptional coffee.
Along the strip are fabulous organisations such as Goulburn Options, community-minded cafés like Gaffney’s Pie Kitchen and businesses integral to the town’s growth.
To me, Seymour is now home to some of the most inspiring, hardworking and dedicated people I’ve ever met.
Working at the Telegraph for the past — almost — two years, I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with the volunteers, community groups and organisations that make the town run.
By far, forming connections with these important local people has been the best part of my job.
I walked into my role at the Telegraph as a fresh uni graduate, having only published one piece of work for a student newspaper.
Now, I have hundreds of articles under my byline.
I’ve written about outstanding community events, exceptional local students, dedicated volunteers and couples whose marriages have stood the test of time.
I’ve written about the Longwood fires and the stories of resilience that emerged after disaster, and about minor flooding events that were a reminder of the devastating October 2022 floods.
I’ve written about local history, politics, veterans, and so much more that doesn’t even fit into a box.
And through it all, I’ve come out with the knowledge that everyone, truly, has an important story to tell.
It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to have had the opportunity to tell these stories from this vibrant, driven and connected community.
Thank you, Seymour, for embracing me as your own.
No matter where I am in life, I will never forget my time at the Telegraph and the stories of this community.
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