The Great Flood washed over the town in 1870. Pictured is a depiction of Emily St, Seymour, submerged in floodwaters.
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Over the centuries, flooding has been considered a common natural event in Seymour.
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The first of the town’s flooding records date back to the 1840s, and, in what was dubbed ‘The Great Flood’, the town was completely immersed in floodwaters in 1870.
Floodwaters spread through Station St and Wallis St in 1916.
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A boy still finds time to ‘walk’ his dog through Tallarook St outside the police station during the floods of 1952.
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The most significant flood event took pace in 1916, with levels estimated to have reached 8.2 metres high.
In its local flood guide for Seymour, VicSES attributes the frequent flooding to factors such as proximity to the Goulburn River, Sunday Creek and Whiteheads Creek, as well as heavy rain around town, which often causes flash flooding along Whiteheads Creek and other low-lying areas.
Mary and Sandy Clyesdale sandbagged the front of their store on Emily St during the floods of 1952.
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A gas holder near Victoria St was lifted up by the force of the flood in 1973.
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The guide states that, around Seymour, Goulburn River flooding usually lasts one to three days, and affected areas include low-lying farms and parkland, and areas to the south and north of the town such as Kings Park, Eliza St, Station St and Ekberg Rd.
The most recent flood event occurred in January 2024, which followed the significant flooding of October 2022.
St Mary’s rises over the floodwaters of 1973.
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A man inspects the remains of a house in Mentor St following the 1973 floods.
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The Seymour and District Historical Society has supplied The Telegraph with imagery of the flooding in Seymour from the 1870s to 1973.
If you find a particular piece of Seymour’s history interesting and wish to see it in a coming edition of The Telegraph, email editor@seymourtelegraph.com.au
High St was closed due to floods in January 2024.
Tallarook St was completely washed out by the October 2022 floods.
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Seymour Telegraph
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