Leeton, New South Wales

Leeton
New South Wales
Leeton War Memorial
Leeton is located in New South Wales
Leeton
Leeton
Coordinates34°34′0″S 146°24′0″E / 34.56667°S 146.40000°E / -34.56667; 146.40000
Population6,931 (2016 census)[1]
Established2 April 1913
Postcode(s)2705
Elevation138.3 m (454 ft)
Location
LGA(s)Leeton Shire
CountyCooper
ParishWillimbong
State electorate(s)Murray
Federal division(s)Farrer
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
23.0 °C
73 °F		 10.3 °C
51 °F		 432.0 mm
17 in

Leeton is a town in the Riverina region of southern New South Wales, Australia. It is about 550 km West of Sydney and 450 km North of Melbourne in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area,[2] Leeton town population in 2016 was 6,931.[1] Leeton is in one of the most productive farming regions in the state, the town was designed by Walter Burley Griffin and purpose-built for the irrigation schemes announced by the New South Wales government in the early 1900s.[2][3][4] Citrus, rice, cotton, grapes, walnuts and wheat farms can all be found throughout the Leeton Shire. Leeton is called Australia's Rice Capital and as The Heart of SunRice Country, as it is home to the SunRice headquarters.[5][6] Other industry includes the Arnott’s Group (previously Freedom Foods),[7] the Daily Drinks Co., JBS Australia, Webster Limited (walnuts and cotton)[8] and Murrumbidgee Irrigation Limited.

History

Prior to European settlement, the area was inhabited by the Wiradjuri people. The town is named after Charles Alfred Lee, a Government Minister for Public Works in New South Wales from 1904 to 1910.[9]

Single Burley Griffin Water Tower in 1912/1913

Historic Hydro Motor Inn

The Hydro Hotel was constructed in 1919. It was built so that the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission managers had somewhere to stay when in Leeton. It was only licensed to sell alcohol in 1924, after the alcohol prohibition in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area was stopped.[10]

Historic Hydro Hotel

Roxy Theatre

The Roxy Community Theatre was built in 1929 and opened in April 1930. [11]

Roxy Community Theatre

Climate

Leeton has hot dry summers and cool winters.[12]

Transport

Leeton has passenger trains to and from Sydney.[13]

Notable citizens

Australian poet and writer Henry Lawson lived in Leeton for two years, from 1916 to 1917. Lawson was hired to write about the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area to attract people to move to the area.[14][15]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Leeton". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 24 January 2021. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Leeton, NSW". "Aussie Towns". Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  3. ↑ "About the Shire". Leeton Shire Council. Archived from the original on 21 February 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "History". Leeton Shire Council. Archived from the original on 8 June 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  5. ↑ "Fine Food & Wine". Riverina Regional Tourism. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  6. ↑ "The Irrigator" (PDF). Fairfax Media. Riverina Media Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
  7. ↑ "Freedom Foods completes sale of Cereal and Snacks to The Arnott's Group, reports 3Q results". Convenience & Impulse Retailing Magazine. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  8. ↑ "Webster Annual Report 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  9. ↑ "Place names". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 13 May 1964. p. 61. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  10. ↑ "Hydro Hotel - History". thehydro.com.au. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  11. ↑ "Roxy Theatre". thehydro.com.au. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "Climate zone map: New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory". Australian Building Codes Board. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  13. ↑ Transport for NSW, Customer Experience Division. "Leeton Station". transportnsw.info. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  14. ↑ "Images of Henry Lawson". University of Sydney Library. 26 May 2011. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  15. ↑ "Henry Lawson". Leeton Shire Council. Retrieved 21 May 2021.

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