What is the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area?
The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area is a large irrigated farming district in the Riverina of New South Wales, centered on Griffith and Leeton. It was established in the early 1900s using water from Burrinjuck Dam.
The scheme was one of the first major irrigation projects in Australia. Water from the Murrumbidgee River is diverted through channels to farms across a wide area of previously dry plains.
Construction of Burrinjuck Dam began in 1907, and the first water was supplied to farms in 1912. The towns of Leeton and Griffith were planned as part of the scheme, with layouts influenced by Walter Burley Griffin, the designer of Canberra.
Farming and settlement
After World War I, many returned soldiers took up small farms in the area. Later, Italian immigrants arrived in large numbers and developed horticulture and wine industries that remain important today.
The area produces rice, citrus, wine grapes, vegetables, nuts and other crops. It is managed today by Murrumbidgee Irrigation, a company owned by local landholders.
The irrigation area has helped make the Riverina one of Australia's most important food-producing regions. However, water use has also raised concerns about river health and the balance between farming and the environment.
Did You Know?
Leeton is often called the rice capital of Australia because of the SunRice mill based in the town.