Traditional Owners

The original inhabitants of the Leeton area were the Wiradjuri Aboriginal people.

Settlement history

European settlement dates from the late 1830s, with land used mainly for grazing. Population was minimal until the 1910s, when irrigation made land cultivation possible, with the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area opened in 1912. The township of Leeton was established in 1913, with residential and industrial growth through to the mid 1900s. Expansion continued during the post-war years, with the population of the Shire increasing from about 9,000 in 1947 to 11,000 in 1971. The population was relatively stable from the 1970s through to the 1990s. The population increased marginally during the 1990s, rising from about 10,800 in 1991 to 11,400 in 2001, and then declined slightly to 11,200 in 2006.

Land use

Leeton Shire is a predominantly rural area, with settlement based in the township of Leeton, and several smaller townships. The Shire encompasses a total land area of about 1,100 square kilometres. Rural land is used largely for agriculture, horticulture and viticulture, particularly rice, citrus fruit, grape, wheat and vegetable growing, with some sheep and cattle grazing.

Transport

The Shire is served by the Sturt Highway and the Griffith Xplorer train.

Major features

• Major features of the Shire include Berri Juice Factory,
• Koonadan Historic Site,
• Leeton Museum,
• Powerhouse Museum,
• Roxy Theatre,
• SunRice Centre,
• Whitton Court House & Historical Museum,
• Lillypilly Estate Wines,
• Toorak Winery,
• Leeton Soldiers Golf Club & 18 Hole Golf Course,
• Brobenah Speedway,
• Leeton Racecourse,
• Leeton Showground,
• Brobenah Aerodrome,
• Leeton Pool,
• Whitton Pool,
• Leeton District Hospital,
• Murrumbidgee Rural Studies Centre,
• TAFE NSW Riverina Institute (Leeton Campus),
• Riverina Community College (Leeton Centre),
• Yanco Agricultural Institute,
• Fivebough Swamp,
• Tuckerbil Swamp,
• Gogeldrie Weir,
• Yanco Weir,
• The Murrumbidgee River and several state forests.

Included areas