History

In the late 19th Century, Sir Samuel McCaughey proved how irrigation could change agricultural landscapes through irrigation works on his North Yanco property and demonstrated the capacity of the Riverina plains for intensive farming and opportunities for diversified crops and livestock. McCaughey used his position as a Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly (Upper House) to promote a large scale government funded irrigation scheme in the area and received encouragement from the findings of the Lynne Royal Commission into the conservation of water which handed down findings in 1885, 1886 and 1887.

 

The cause gained momentum in the early 1900’s when engineer Hugh McKenny noted the similarities of the area to the Punjab region of India. A Water Conservation & Irrigation Conference chaired by the Minister for Public Works Charles Alfred Lee (for whom the town is named), paved the way for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area scheme, with Barren Jack (now Burrinjuck) Dam and the Murrumbidgee Canals Construction Act of 1906 providing the initial frame work.

 

Nation building schemes gained new impetus in 1910 when the Labor Party won power at Federal level in April and also at state level in October. The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Act 1910 provided for the handing over and vesting of the completed works, to the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust. The Minister for Public Works Arthur Hill Griffith was appointed inaugural Trust Chairman in 1911.

 

The Irrigation Act 1912 saw control for all water and irrigation works passed to a Commisioner for Water Conservation & Irrigation. The first commissioner, Leslie Augustus Burton Wade was appointed January 1st 1913. Wade was a civil engineer at the height of his career with a grand vision to create an oasis of prosperous farms operated by energetic families recruited from a worldwide campaign.

 

Wades vision went beyond farming with new railways, businesses to handle and market produce, processing facilities and power generation all priorities. The crowning glory would be the new cities and towns that would be constructed.

 

News that a young and gifted architect from Chicago had won the International design competition for Canberra was closely monitored by Leslie Wade. In August 1913 Walter Burley Griffin arrived in Australia and Wade saw an opportunity to put his vision into practice.

 

Two urban designs were required. The town of Leeton, located on a part of the North Yanco property had already seen buildings erected and 140 town allotments sold on April 3rd 1913. There were also more ambitious plans for a city of 30,000 further west named Griffith.

 

Wade met Griffin in Sydney during his visit and communicated his desire for the architect to undertake some urban design work prior to his departure. Griffin was appointed Federal Capital Director of Design & Construction on October 18th 1913 and arrived back in Australia on May 9th 1914. Griffin was however inundated with the works in Canberra but continued to submit designs to Wade. Wade included in his annual report for 1914 that Griffins designs had been incorporated into the ornamental parapet of the Leeton water tower.

 

Fate dashed Griffins hope of implementing his plans for the Riverina plains. Leslie Wade suddenly took ill and died on January 12th 1915 aged 50. With his chief promoter gone and with the start of World War 1, enthusiasm for the grand scheme waned. Leeton got its circular street patterns and water towers with classic Griffin features. Griffins road pattern was adopted for Griffith which was proclaimed in 1916 but these were merely the start of what Griffin and Wade had envisaged.