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About the Area
Leeton’s history predates back to the early 1900’s when the rich Irish landowner, Sir Samuel McCaughey demonstrated that irrigation was possible in this relatively arid area of the State. His success led Government to begin the construction of a giant irrigation scheme in 1906 and on 13th July 1912, the "Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA)" was officially opened.
The town of Leeton was named after Charles Alfred Lee, the NSW minister for Public Works, when the irrigation scheme was being developed.
Leeton was the first of the irrigation towns and on 3rd April 1913, the first town allotments where made available.
The town was designed by the renowned American architect, Walter Burley Griffin, who also designed Griffith and later, the national capital, Canberra.
In the 1950’s the expansion of the Letona Fruit Cannery and the emergence of the Ricegrowers’ Co-operative were important events for the area.
Today Leeton Shire boasts an impressive range of recreation facilities including an indoor stadium, 3 pools, a skate park, sporting fields, tennis and squash courts, lawn bowls, bird watching, excellent bicycle and walking tracks, ski beach, trotting track and jockey club.
