General News
11 February, 2025
Fantasy, romance and nostalgia: historic station platform for photoshoot
Historic railway station the backdrop for Steampunk photoshoot.
Feathers, bustles, hats, corsets and stilts mixed with a touch of whimsy converged on the Serviceton Railway Station on Sunday, February 9, for the official 2025 Wimmera Steampunk Festival photoshoot, themed the Carnival of Peculiarities.
Steampunk is a design style inspired by Victorian-era industrialism, a style of fantasy fiction, a genre of its own, that features Victorian technology powered by steam, and on April 13, you can climb aboard and join in the romance and nostalgia of the Seymour Heritage Centre carriage bound for High Tea at the historic building.
Probably Guilty will provide entertainment at the High Tea.
The media was invited to give the public a sneak peek of what can be expected in April, but the official photos by Matthew Dooling will be on show shortly.
Michelle Ellis, the Community Development and Tourism Project officer for West Wimmera Shire Council, hopes the event will attract state funding to preserve the historic building for future generations.
"The Serviceton Station is a VicTrack assett; we hope High Tea will draw attention to the station and funding will become available for the maintenance.
"The Sermour Heritage Centre has been amazing in arranging the trains for the festival weekend so we are very excited about this year's event, " she said.
Steampunk festivities have historically been centred around Dimboola, but this year, Master of Ceremonies Chan Ouy, Deputy mayor of Hindmarsh and co-owner of the Dimboola Imaginarium has planned the program to embrace the Wimmera with the opening night at Warracknabeal.
Saturday's popular main event, the promenade, entertainment, and street food market at Dimboola, will attract a vast crowd, and the festival will end with the piece de resistance of High Tea at Serviceton on Sunday.
Thousands of people are expected to head to the Wimmera to enjoy the liberated feeling of dressing up for young and young at heart.
"We want people to come and enjoy the Wimmera, and we encourage all our communities to get on board and steampunk their town." Mr Ouy said.
"Dressing in theme is not compulsory to attend,d but I encourage people to do so."
Set in the 19th-century railway town of Dimboola, the Wimmera Steampunk Festival blends Victoriana and Imagination, celebrating the weird and wonderful.
This year's festival will feature street performers, stilt walkers, and fantastic mechanical contraptions, with escapism and imagination as key components.
The theme for Wimmera Steampunk 2025, Carnival of Peculiarities, celebrates your uniqueness and creativity.
There will be three stages at this year's event with bands, performers and illusionists, food and drink vendors, exhibitions, and ribbon acrobatics.
A children's lantern procession will open the event.
A second train ride is planned, with details and the entire program on the website. - https://www.wimmerasteampunkfestival.com.au/
Tickets for the High Tea are available on the Wimmera Steampunk Festival website.