On Friday, May 20, the steam train will take off from Seymour Station for Go Seymour’s special networking event, before leaving on Saturday for western Victoria for the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre’s (SHRC) much anticipated Wimmera Weekender trip.
Go Seymour president Stuart Locke said the networking trip was a great opportunity to bring members together.
“All things going well, it should be an event that's going to be talked about for quite a while,” Mr Locke said.
Run in partnership with the SHRC, the name of the train echoes Mr Locke’s vision and hopes for the town.
“Some people don't like growth. I know there's one or two in my street who like it the way it is,” he said.
“Well, sorry, but I just think we need to grow, otherwise someone else will grow and then we’ll be left in the background.”
Mr Locke is also keen to use the members-only event to highlight the important role the industry body plays in town.
“It's about letting people know what we're doing in Go Seymour,” he said.
“A lot of members pay up and become members, which is fantastic because they need a chamber of commerce in their town so that we can talk to council, state and the feds.
“You can be a private citizen, you can be a business, you can be a service club, or a sporting club, you could be a school body — we don't close any doors to anybody. But for us to function and to be effective, we need funds behind us and and we need numbers.”
By hosting events such as the Spirit of Progress networking trip, Mr Locke is hoping to change perceptions of Seymour.
“Most people think we're a little bit of a transient town, but we're not,” he said.
“I just really want that to come to the surface by something like Go Seymour. There are lots of long-term residents, my vintage, that are here that want to help. They just need the means to do it.”
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