NSWFarming
Leeton
An irrigation experiment that became a town.
1912Irrigation water arrives · town takes shape
WHAT STARTED IT
Leeton was established as a centre for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. Its purpose was practical: house the scheme’s staff and provide services for newly irrigated farms.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
Early Leeton was partly a canvas settlement. Planning, irrigation administration, rail freight and produce processing turned it into a permanent town; its later growth left a distinctive Art Deco centre.
TURNING POINTS
1912Water reaches the Yanco irrigation area.
1913The first town blocks go to auction.
1922Leeton railway station opens.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
An agricultural and food-processing town, especially associated with rice and irrigated crops. The irrigation scheme still explains both its location and its daily work.