LEETON • YANCO • WHITTON

Historical Guide

L E E T O N• YANCO •WHITTON

Leeton • Yanco • Whitton

Leeton’s Aboriginal HeritageFivebough & Tuckerbil Wetlands

Leeton is located in the country of the Wiradjuri nation. The Wiradjuri people were known as the people of the three rivers: the Wambool (now known as the Macquarie River), the Kalari (the Lachlan River) and the Murrumbidjeri (the Murrumbidgee River).

Fivebough and Tuckerbil Wetlands have always been important to the local Wiradjuri people, particularly due to the abundance of edible plant and animal species present throughout the year. The wetlands were historically used as stopovers when journeying between the Murrumbidgee River and the nearby mountains. Travelling from the river to the mountains each spring, Wiradjuri people would gather the eggs and nestlings of swans, ducks and other

waterbirds, along with yabbies, mussels and various plant species. The return journey in the autumn months would often see the addition of emu eggs and young to this diet of wetland species.

An important aspect of these food gathering practices was that only enough food for the next meal was taken at any one time and breeding stock was usually left unharmed. Such sustainable practices ensured that impacts on population numbers of food species were negligible and loss of a particular species through over-hunting was unlikely. Such sustainable practices are only now being adopted by the wider community, with modern society learning from the example of the past.

Budyaan Baamirra Centre

Historical Guide

For more information about the historical and cultural significance of Fivebough, Tuckerbil and Koonadan, please contact the Leeton and District Local Aboriginal Land Council or see their website ldlalc.com.au.

Many historical food species, both plant and animal, still thrive in the wetlands to this day. Some of the plants used are; Ruby Salt Bush, Old Man Salt Bush, Spiny Salt Bush and Hills Indigo just to name a few. These plants are of spiritual and cultural significance.

Tuckerbil wetland is part of the Koonadan Aboriginal Site. Koonadan is a significant site due to the presence of skeletal material which establishes the sand hills as an ancient Wiradjuri burial ground. Evidence of early occupation can still be found and includes a thin scatter of stone tools with pieces of grinding dishes over the whole area, and ground ovens.

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Fivebough

Fivebough

Due to the need to preserve the area, Tuckerbil and Koonadan are generally not open to the public, however Fivebough Wetland is open all year round. It is a RAMSAR accredited bird watching area and can be found only 2km from the Leeton CBD.


LeetonLeeton, unlike most country towns, did not develop around a local pub, supply store or railway station. It was purposely built as part of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme. The first buildings to be erected here in 1911/12 were the offices of the employees of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust (control was later transferred to the Water Conservation & Irrigation Commission). These were followed by other buildings such as a hospital, accommodation house and Officers

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Club. Meanwhile, labourer’s camps were being established such as Alexander’s Camp and Crusher Camp.

Most early WC & IC staff and labourers lived in tents, either with bare dirt floors or wooden floor boards. These tents were arranged in rows or streets and many had little garden plots around them. By July 1912 approximately 500 plots of land were made available for settlement for

Married Officers’ QuartersChannel building

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Leeton from Water Tower 1926


You can obtain a guide to the Art Deco buildings found in Leeton at the Leeton Visitor’s Information Centre.

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which the Trust had received 470 applications. New businesses quickly emerged such as cafes, newsagents, horse yards, stables, general stores, and a boarding house. Mr A T McKay, Builder and Contractor boasted he “will build a house a day – a street a week”.

Early planning errors and the onset of WWI slowed down this fast pace, however the influx of Soldier Settlers after the war brought a renewed effort in the development of the town. Many businesses were created during the 1920’s and 30’s which has left us with a legacy of many beautiful Art Deco style buildings.

After World War II there was an increase in Italian immigration to Australia. Many of the newcomers were experienced farmers so were drawn to the Leeton area. Those that prospered were able to sponsor family and friends to migrate so that Leeton now has a high population of people with Italian Heritage.

Accommodation House

First Bakery, 1912

Crusher Camp

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Leeton Visitor’s Information - 10 Yanco Avenue

Amongst the first buildings to be erected in Leeton were the residences of the officers of the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission. Completed in 1913, 10 Yanco Avenue was to become the home of the Chief Engineer Mr F M Smith but later became known as the WC & IC Manager’s Residence.

It was described as a “large bungalow-type dwelling” in the Federation style. It is a timber framed building with weatherboard external

sheeting and corrugated iron roof. In 1991 the Water Commission proposed that the building should be sold and it approached Leeton Shire Council as a potential purchaser. The Council was subsequently assisted in the purchase of the residence by a contribution from the Leeton Soldiers Club. In 1992 it was proposed to locate the Visitors Information Centre within the Managers Residence and the new centre was opened on 14th September 1997.

See www.leetontourism.com.au

WC &IC Manager’s residence completed in 1913 converted to the Leeton Visitor Information Centre in 1997

Visitor Information Centre


During the construction of residences for the senior officers of the WCIC, there were concerns that settler’s homes were taking too long to build and were made with poorer quality materials. To “even the score”, the ornate door which was to be fitted to the Commissioner’s house disappeared one night, never to be seen again.

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Next door to the Chief Engineer’s residence was the home of the Commissioner of the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission (WCIC).

It was a large 2 story residence in brick and wood with a “deep arched portico and a magnificent balcony”. In 1926 it was leased out as a private hospital called “Allynbrook”. This hospital was the birth place of many local residents, however due to difficulties with moving stretchers up and down the staircase, it was closed in 1940.

By 1940 the building was acquired by the Returned Serviceman’s League to be used as the War Memorial and Soldiers Club. Renovations and improvements to the building were completed 2nd June 1945 and the new library wing was officially opened that afternoon. During the early hours the next morning the building was destroyed in a fire. Our current Leeton Soldiers Club was built on the site in stages from 1949 to 1964. It contains a memorial shrine commemorating the service of the 1025 men and women who enlisted from Leeton and district in World War II.

For information see leetonsoldiers.com.au.

Chief Engineer’s Residence 1912

Corner of Kurrajong and Acacia Avenues

Allynbrook

Leeton Methodist Church(now known as Leeton Uniting Church)

- 42 Church Street

The Methodist Church was one of the first churches established in Leeton. A Mr J R Lee arrived in Leeton early in 1912 and pitched a tent in what was then called 2nd Street. Mr Lee held services in various locations, including Crusher Camp, Yanco & Brobenah. Due to Mr Lee’s efforts, the Methodists were the first to open a church building in Leeton constructed of wood and fibro. It was situated where the present Uniting Church building now stands but in 1937, it was moved on rollers to the rear of the block to enable the newer brick church to be built.

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Baptist Church- 55 Church Street

The Baptist Church was the first denomination to appoint a minister of religion to the settlement. Pastor Richard Dobbinson commenced duties in October 1911 and served the interests of all Protestant denominations until in turn Methodist, Anglican and other churches became established. Services were held in a large tent until a new church building was opened in 1913. This building was later moved to the corner of Grevillia Street and Wade Avenue.

Baptist and Methodist Churches


St Joseph’s Catholic Church – 38 Church StreetMass services in Leeton were first held in the school building in Crusher Camp in Palm Avenue from about 1912. A visiting priest Father Gray of Narrandera would bring a portable altar with him for this purpose. Later when the school was moved to what is now Mountford Park, services would be held there. Father Gray would often lend his altar to the visiting Narrandera Church of England clergyman whose services would always follow the mass. The foundation stone for the Catholic Church building was laid in August of 1914 on the corner of Church and Ash Streets. It was one of the first brick buildings in Leeton. In 1951 Council approved the construction of a larger church building on the corner of Wade Avenue and Church Streets. The Wagga Wagga diocese purchased the Yanco Brickworks which produced 440,000 for the church alone. The building was completed in 1955. The old church building was renovated and is now in use as classrooms for St Josephs Primary School.

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St Joseph’s Church

Church of England

The first services of the Church of England in the settlement were held in a workshop in Yanco where an anvil was used as a pulpit. Later they were also held in the new school building in Crusher Camp. When the school building was moved to the Mountford Park area, services continued to be held there. Nearby on the corner of Oak and Church Sts the new church building was being completed. The original building was made of mud bricks and was officially opened in May 1913. There were concerns about the safety of the building from the start and after several repairs it was decided to erect a new building in 1973. The older building was eventually condemned and demolished in 1996.

Church of England

Historical Guide

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Leeton Court House

Plans for the Court House were drawn up by Government Architect Mr George McRae and the contract was awarded to builder W C Hanson in 1922. Prior to the official opening in 1924, Births, Deaths and Marriages for the Leeton district were all registered at Narrandera Court House.

Court House 1927

“Perhaps the good old afternoon band concerts of Spanish towns may be revived here where environment and temperament of the people are so well situated.” W B Griffin.

Water Towers– Chelmsford Place

The 2 smaller water towers at the northern end of Chelmsford Place were designed by Walter Burley Griffin to act as “a high portal to the new town square”. They were in fact the first Griffin design to be built in Australia and include a “perforated Enrichment” on top of both towers. Griffin had a view of the Chelmsford Place area being the cultural and entertainment centre of town. His design included a fountain and ornamental pools and native trees were to be a feature of the new plaza.

Water Tower No. 1 in 1915

Historic Hydro Hotel– Chelmsford Place

During the early years of settlement there was a need for a better style of accommodation for visitors to the region. Arguments ensued as to whether a coffee palace or state hotel would be appropriate. The MIA was already a designated Prohibition area, so a state hotel would be run on the Gothenburg Principle where alcohol could only be served with a meal. The developing Sly Grog trade was causing concern and so the WCIC commenced building the “Hotel


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Hydro Hotel prior to addition of South Wing

Hydro” in 1917. When it finally opened in 1919 it did not have a liquor license at all.

There was a great deal of criticism of the WCIC for the amount of money it was spending on such buildings. The railway had not yet been built from Yanco to Leeton and the expense of carting bricks and other building materials to the building site inflated the costs.

But as one visiting reporter exclaimed

“The view from the balcony, which runs nearly all round it, is remarkably fine. One can see countless thousands of fruit trees stretching out as far as the eye can reach,

their green foliage looking remarkably effective against the background of dry, sunburnt hills.”

In February 1924 the Hydro Hotel was sold to Daniel McLeish who added a bar and south wing. At the same time the Hydro Public Bar was erected nearby, on the corner of Sycamore Street and Chelmsford Place. A liquor license was applied for and granted 30th April 1924 and covered both the Hydro Hotel and the new Hydro Public Bar.

On 7th May 1924 headlines read “Drought Breaks - Irrigation Area Joyful” as the first pub in Leeton opened and the locals enjoyed free beer all day and “a general celebration”.Sadly the public bar, later known as the Hydro Tavern was destroyed by fire in July 2011. The Historic Hydro Hotel however is still standing and still provides comfortable accommodation to visitors to the Leeton area.

See www.hydromotorinn.com.au

Hydro Hotel from Water Tower

Historical Guide

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Roxy Theatre – 114 Pine Avenue

In 1927 Mr George Conson, who was already running the Enterprise Hall and Globe Theatre, saw a need for a larger indoor theatre so purchased the block on the corner of Pine & Wade Avenues. Tenders were called and the winning architects were Kaberry and Chard who were specialists in theatre design. Building was commenced in 1929 and the 1091 seat theatre was named “The Roxy” after the largest picture theatre in the world, The Roxy Theatre in New York. Mr Conson installed state of the art sound and projection equipment costing £5,000. The first movie shown on the 7th April 1930 was “The Black Watch” starring Victor McLaglen and Myrna Loy.

In 1931 a fire was deliberately lit in the Confectionary shop within the Roxy. Fortunately the building was saved by the attending fire brigade.

In July 1933 the large red neon lighted letters on top of the building were switched on for the first time. In October of that year a stage was added to enable concerts and ANZAC day services to be held indoors. To mark its official opening, soprano singer Miss Gladys Moncrieff was engaged to sing

for 6 nights from the 9th October 1933.

The Theatre is one of a very small number of two level c inemas in the State. The T h e a t r e i s l is ted by the N S W S t a t e Heritage Office and has been classified by the National Trust and, in its present role, is a multi-function centre combining concerts, live theatre, films and community events with a capacity of 700 seats. Currently screening days are Fridays and Saturdays, with special Matinees held during school holidays.

The Theatre is available for tours on request. Further details can be obtained by contacting Roxy Manager 02 6953 2074.

See www.roxyleeton.com.au

The Roxy Theatre

Poster of the Movie

The Black Watch


Leeton District Hospital– Corner Wade and Palm Avenues

The first hospital in Leeton was a temporary structure of wood and canvas, situated in what is now the Gralee area. A more substantial structure was built in 1912 on the same site. At the same time a committee was formed to administer the hospital and to bring about the construction

of a larger permanent public hospital. The site chosen for this was a block bounded by Wade & Palm Avenues and Myall Street. Due to World War 1, fund raising was slow and the new hospital was not built until 1918. It was constructed of weatherboard and fibro-cement sheets.

The new public hospital was built just in time for the influx of patients suffering from the world wide epidemic of Spanish Influenza. Even so, tents and volunteer carers were needed to deal with the high number of people requiring care and isolation.

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As Leeton grew, so did the need to build an even larger public hospital. In 1941 a foundation stone was laid on the same block for the construction of a new modern two storeyed brick building which incorporated a 28 bed public ward for men and a 30 bed public ward for women. The new hospital was opened in 1942 and the old hospital became a maternity ward and a children’s ward. In 1952 a third storey was added to the main hospital to create the familiar building we see today.

Early Hospital in the Gralee area

Nurse outside Tent Hospital

Beginnings of Leeton District Hospital

Leeton District Hospital 1942

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Over the years Leeton also had a number of private hospitals which mostly dealt with obstetric patients. These include:

Allynbrook - which became the Leeton Soldiers Club but was lost to fire in 1945.

Merungle Private Hospital - later the Wade Club and now a private residence.

The Haven – now a private residence.


Leeton Public School/Mountford Park Avenues

Leeton’s first school was a single room, one teacher school built at Crusher Camp and located on Palm Avenue. The first teacher was Mr C Bagust who started on 7th May 1912. In 1913 a new school site was chosen on the corner of Church Street and Wade Avenue. New Classrooms were built there and the original building from Crusher Camp was moved to the new site. Not long after, this same building was blown down in a wind storm but was re-erected.

In November 1924, disaster struck when 2 boys trespassing on the school grounds, set fire to one of the buildings, destroying 4 classrooms. A result of this was that rather than rebuild on the same site, a large block of land consisting of over 22 acres was obtained and the school was moved there. This included the original building which had been moved from Crusher Camp. In 1926 the new school was opened which included a double storey brick building. Over time this public school has become the Leeton Public School and Leeton High School.

In September 1928 it was suggested that the former school grounds be converted to a public park. This was approved by council and during the 1930’s thanks to the work of numerous volunteers the pathways and garden beds were established and the area officially became “Mountford Park”. A WWII memorial Rose Garden was constructed in 1946 and playground equipment added in the 1950’s. In 1956 the large water reservoir was added which increased the water storage capacity for the town.

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Mountford Park School Buildings

First school Leeton Public School

Historical Guide

Henry Lawson’s Cottage – Daalbata Road

Henry Lawson was one of Australia’s most famous poets and story writers. He began writing around 1887 and by the early 1900’s was considered a celebrity in Australia. Unfortunately Lawson suffered from depression and alcoholism and spent many years in and out of prison and asylums. His wife Bertha applied for legal separation in 1903 and took their children with her. From then Lawson spent much of his time in poverty, relying on the generosity of friends and supporters to survive.

In about 1915 those same friends assisted him to obtain a position of Publicist for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, with a view to attracting settlers to the area. Leeton was well chosen as it was a Prohibition area. It should have been difficult for Henry to obtain any type of liquor in town but of course the reality was that sly grog was readily available and with regular train services to Narrandera, locals would often catch the train on Saturday afternoon and return drunk on Sunday. Lawson made friends easily and his new friends would assist him to travel to Whitton or Narrandera which remained outside the prohibition zone.

Henry Lawson arrived in Leeton in January 1916 with his friend and housekeeper Mrs Byers. She was also a poet and had for many

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years cared for Lawson, ensuring he had both food and shelter. They were provided with a cottage at Farm 418, Daalbata Road. Henry informed “The Irrigator” newspaper at the time that due to ill health “he was sentenced to six months on the area. His first impressions were that he would be pleased to extend the sentence to life and settle down on a little farm”.

Despite the availability of liquor, Lawson’s health did improve a little and his time in Leeton was quite productive. He was able to renew his friendship with poet Jim Grahame and meet again with writer Dame Mary Gilmore with whom he had once been close. He produced around 30 poems and 10 prose sketches and also revised his earlier works for an important “Selected Works” which was published in 1918. “A Letter From Leeton” was credited by a government report as having “inestimable value” in attracting settlers to the M.I.A after World War I.

Lawson’s position as publicist was to have been for 6 months but stretched to 18 months. He returned to Sydney in August 1917 and died at Mrs Byers home in Abbotsford in 1922. Henry Lawson’s former home in Daalbata Road has now been restored and is used to house medical students working in the area.

Leeton TownWe lie at rest when the day is lateOn stretchers set on verandahs wide, With a clear canal at our garden gateAnd fruit trees growing on either side. With native saplings that seem to lookTo a future grand with a faith that’s blind, Where a channel runs like an English brookWith a rustic bridge to the lane behind, And the pine trees run by a long red roadStraight to the rim where the sun goes downAnd we, for a season, have dropped each loadOf care and sorrow by Leeton town

Henry Lawson


YancoAlthough part of NSW, the Riverina area had closer trading ties to Melbourne during the 1800s. Sydney politicians realised that they needed to improve access to Sydney markets for local goods, so the idea of extending the New South Wales railway system to the Riverina was born. The town of Yanco came into being when this railway line was extended from Narrandera to Hay.The railway arrived in the area in 1881 and on the 3rd of March the “Yanko Siding” railway station was opened.

The purpose of the station was to service the North Yanko Sheep Station which at that time was owned by the Douglas family. The station master and a few railway fettlers were the only inhabitants.

It wasn’t until the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme was proposed that the town began to take shape. The Yanco Experiment farm was developed in 1908 to show settlers what could be grown in the area. Government workshops were established in 1910 consisting of a sawmill, timber yard, joinery, tank making workshop and a Government Store.

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Main Street Yanco

Yanco Post Office

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Yanco AgHigh School

Entrance2km

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An application was received in 1908 for a school to be built but nothing was done until Sir Samuel McCaughey endorsed the plan and offered the use of a shed for a temporary school house. He then donated the school building which was transported from Gobba Goula school near Narrandera to Yanco. Furniture came from the disused Uroly school. In the early years of settlement, life for the teachers was difficult because no accommodation was provided and they had to live in tents. The boarding house at Yanco was too expensive for a teacher’s salary.

With the increase in population came the need for a larger school and the Gobba Goula building was again moved to the new school site and converted to a weather shed. A new 2 room building was erected and opened as a school in 1913.

In 1936 a new Principal was about to take over the school when disaster struck and the school building including the old weather shed were destroyed by fire and three room brick building was built in its place. Further buildings have been added over the years including the old “Morundah” school building which was transported to the site in 1979.

Yanco Government Workshop 1913

First School Building Yanco 1913

Yanco School

Sir Samuel McCaughey

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Yanco Agricultural High School– Sir Samuel McCaughey’s Homestead

When Samuel McCaughey arrived in Australia in the 1850’s, the son of an Irish linen merchant, he already had some business experience. Nevertheless, at his uncle Charles Wilson’s property near Horsham Victoria, he started working as a station hand to learn the business from the bottom up. With assistance from his relatives, he acquired the property Coonong near Urana N.S.W. in 1860 and by 1864 was the sole owner. He improved the property by building dams and deepening the Yanko Creek. This brought him an increase in wealth which enabled him to purchase further properties of Singorimba, Goolgumbla, Coree, Toorale and Dunlop. At various times McCaughey owned or shared in twelve stations in New South Wales and three in Queensland with a total area of about 3,250,000 acres (1,315,242 ha). His successful experiments in sheep breeding brought him great renown here and overseas.

McCaughey lived at Coonong for almost 40 years and at various times had been involved in disputes with his downstream neighbours over his dam building. He was an astute business man and when plans were put forward for building irrigation canals off

the Murrumbidgee, he went ahead and purchased the property North Yanko in 1899.

As with his other properties he started making improvements to water access. A complex series of channels were built, using 2 steam engines to pump water from the Murrumbidgee. McCaughey used the success of this system and his political connections as a member of the Legislative Council to convince the government that widespread irrigation was vital to the success of the country.

The government agreed and the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme was born. Building of Burrinjuck (Barren Jack) dam commenced and 70,000 acres of the North Yanko property were resumed by the government, leaving Sir Samuel a life tenancy in the remaining portion. This portion included the North Yanko homestead, which had been built in 1899 by Sir Samuel.

Although he was a bachelor, North Yanco homestead was a grand double storey brick building, suitable for entertaining visiting dignitaries and their wives in style. He lived in the homestead until his death in

Sir Samuel McCaughey’s HomesteadSir Samuel McCaughey


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1919. Due to a new land tax law introduced in 1910, Sir Samuel had sold off all his properties. So at the time of his death, he owned no land whatsoever but his estate was worth £1,600,000. After personal bequests to his family, much of his funds went to orphanages, schools, universities, hospitals and charities to assist the families of deceased soldiers.

After McCaughey’s death, the building was resumed by the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission and was offered to the NSW Education Department as a school to train future farmers.

The first principal of the Yanco Agricultural High School arrived 18th January 1922. The building and grounds had been deserted for 3 years and there was no power or water connected. A bush fire had recently raged through the area which now looked barren and uninviting. On a 45°C day the first students, teachers and staff arrived. Hurricane lamps were used at night and the boys had to bathe in the river until McCaughey’s old water pump was fixed. Sadly a student drowned in the river a month after the school opened.

Over the years the schools fortunes have varied depending on how the agricultural industry itself was faring.

Many improvements have been made including a dairy, stable, new class blocks, sportsground, dormitories, hall and hospital block. In 1959 a swimming pool was added which meant students no longer had to swim in the Murrumbidgee river.

Sir Samuel McCaughey’s former home can be visited during school hours.Phone 02 6951 1500.www.yancoag-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

McCaughey Park

McCaughey Park is the site of a natural spring-fed waterhole. This waterhole was used to water sheep as they awaited shearing at the nearby North Yanco woolshed. It is now a haven for swans, geese, ducks and other waterbirds. It is also the site of a statue erected in 2013 in memory of Sir Samuel McCaughey and his contribution to creating the M u r r u m b i d g e e Irrigation Area.

Yanco Agricultural High School Opening 1922

McCaughey Statue

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Yanco Power Station

The Yanco Power Station was built in 1913 to supply power to the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, when power was required for general lighting and for the Leeton Butter Factory. The site on which it was constructed was chosen as it was close to the Yanco railway line for obtaining coal and close to a water source which would be used for condensing water. Initially a 75Kw generator was installed however by 1936 4 further turbines had been installed

giving 4,750Kw capacity. At its peak 800kms of wires radiated from the power house to Leeton and Griffith. 10,000 tonnes of coal were required to run the station each year.The Power Station ceased operation in 1958 and was purchased from the Electricity Commission in 1967 by the Yanco & District Pioneers and Historical Association in 1972 and later turned into the Yanco Powerhouse Museum.

The museum is open from 10am to 4pm on the last Sunday of the month or by appointment. Phone 02 6955 7765. When running, the Yanco Miniature Railway Club Inc. will also have miniature train rides available and the Yanco markets are also held in the Yanco Hall on the same day.

Yanco Power Station Yanco Powerhouse Museum


Murrumbidgee Rural Studies Centre

The MRSC complex was established in 1908 as the Yanco Experiment Farm. Its purpose was to experiment with potential crops for the recently commissioned Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme as well as provide settlers with vines and seedlings and agricultural training. Sir Samuel McCaughey sold a portion of his North Yanco property to the Dept of Agriculture and helped with the supply of equipment and water.

Results from various crops grown at the Experiment Farm were widely advertised in journals, pamphlets, magazines and newspaper articles, although a Royal Commission in 1915 found that the farm had been of minimal assistance to the local settlers. Just some of the produce grown there were cabbages, silver beet, lucerne, pears, peaches, apricots, olives and tobacco. There were also herds of dairy cattle,

ostriches, horses and mules. 1922 saw the introduction of Californian rice varieties which became the foundation of commercial rice production in the MIA.

In 1928 financial constraints saw the Experiment Farm transferred to the Dept of Education and it was reborn as the Riverina Welfare Farm. It was to be a training facility for delinquent boys up to the age of 18. Along with other buildings a 3 cell gaol was built plus a solitary confinement cell at the rear for the worst offenders.

The first Superintendant was Major Parsonage. The Major did not believe in his staff carrying canes to punish boys but instead introduced a system of awards rather than punishment. Unfortunately when punishments did occur they generally involved boys being forced to take part in boxing matches with other boys and resulted in many being severely beaten.

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Yanco Experiment Farm Entrance

Historical Guide

Another punishment had boys exercising continuously or they had to complete a number of laps around a field. Witnesses claimed that these punishments could go on for hours. After the death of an inmate an inquiry was held in 1934 and Major Parsonage was removed from his position.

Mr Harry Saxby became Superintendant in 1936 and over the following 4 years was responsible for a series of reforms and innovations which made the Riverina Welfare Farm one of the most successful in the country.

With the onset of World War II, the Riverina Welfare Farm became the site of a Prisoner of War camp. It was known as POW Camp 15 and held up to 774 Italian prisoners of war. As with the Welfare Farm the POW Camp remained a commercial enterprise. Italian prisoners were required to work producing vegetables for processing at the Leeton

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cannery which would then feed the overseas troops. There were also orchards, cereal crops and livestock.

After the war the farm was returned to the Department of Agriculture and again became the Yanco Experiment Farm then later the Yanco Agricultural College and Research Station. It is now known as the Murrumbidgee Rural Studies Centre and provides a wide range of training courses for primary producers, owners of small farms, new entrants to agriculture and horticulture, and to those thinking of investing in a rural enterprise.

Accommodation is available at the centre including motel style or bunkhouse. Details can be found at www.mrsc.nsw.edu.au or phone 1800 628 422.

POW Italian Workers

POW Camp

Experiment Farm


WhittonThe township of Whitton was established as a direct result of the extension of the South West Railway from Narrandera to Hay. The railway station became the nucleus of the town after it opened in 1881. Prior to this however the area was well known to bullock teamsters travelling the Victoria-Queensland stock route from the 1850’s onwards. “Hulong” as it was known then (for the Hulong Pastoral Holding) became a campsite for teamsters waiting for the Murrumbidgee river levels to drop so that they could cross in safety. Later bullock teams were used to cart goods from outlying areas to the railway station. It was common to see as many as 200 bullock teams camped out at Whitton, either held up by bad weather or waiting for supplies to come by train.

In 1883 township blocks were offered for sale and that year the Railway Department changed Hulong to Whitton in honour of the Chief Engineer for railways, Mr John Whitton. This name was adopted by mid 1883 and the township grew rapidly with hotels and schools being established.

In the 1890’s Whitton was a thriving town, it boasted 4 hotels, numerous stores, banks, churches, blacksmith, barber shop, butcher, coach builders, school and a sawmill.

The new century saw the town devastated by drought, dust storms and fire. A rabbit preserving company was forced to close down due to a lack of rabbits!

A disastrous fire in 1922 saw a number of the buildings in the main street destroyed which is why many of the buildings in Benerembah Street have “Art Deco” style features.

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Whitton Post Office

Albion Hotel Whitton

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Stephenson Street

Gogeldrie Street

Benerembah Street

Kooba Street

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Brunell StreetRailway Reserve

Museum

McGaw Presbyterian Church

The McGaw Presbyterian Church was established in 1895. Mrs Newson and her daughter donated land towards creation of a Church while Mrs Sarah McGaw of “Marinella” and “Kooba” Stations donated 1000 guineas through the Centenary of Thanksgiving Fund to construct a church in memory of her late husband William McGaw (1834-1894) who with his brother owned Kooba Station. Tenders were called in July 1901 and construction of the uniquely styled church was undertaken.

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McGaw Church

Former Australian Joint Stock Bank(now a private residence)

The AJS bank arrived in Whitton in 1890 with the construction of the building in Melburgen Street. The two front rooms were for banking and the remaining rooms and a detached kitchen were used as a residence. Trading was suspended for several months during the Australian banking crisis of 1893 but the Whitton branch continued on through various bank amalgamations until finally closing its doors in 1933.

AJS Bank


Former Railway Station

St John the Evangelist Anglican Church

Historical Guide

St John’s Church was established in 1883 and served from Narrandera. The first resident minister was the Rev GFR Nobbs. Rev Nobbs was born at Norfolk Island and was a descendant of Fletcher Christian of “Mutiny on the Bounty” fame. He was even more notorious however in his former parish in Queensland where he was accused of defrauding a number of his parishioners. The Whitton parish covered a wide area and the Reverend sometimes had to conduct services in places that were more than 100kms away, travelling by horse and cart.

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St John the Evangelist

Whitton Railway Station

Whitton Railway Station

The timber railway station was constructed in Brunell Street for the Department of Public Works by Mr A H Scouller and opened on 1 September 1881. The former railway station building consisted of Waiting, Station Masters, Porter’s, Kitchen and Lamp rooms. In 1892 records show 4,000 bales of wool were despatched and 200 passengers conveyed monthly from the Whitton Railway Station. The present station building was in use by the Railways up until its closure in 1974 and it was saved from demolition by the historical society in 1977. It was relocated to its current position in 1983 and the museum was officially opened in 1988.


Former Courthouse

The first Court of Petty Sessions was held in 1890 in a lock up that stood to the right of the Anglican Church in Melbergen Street. In December 1898 tenders were called for the erection of a Courthouse and Lock-up in Gogeldrie Street with living quarters for the Lock-up keeper.

The Courthouse was last used as a Court of Petty Sessions in 1974. The courthouse and surrounding land and buildings were

obtained by the Whitton Historical and Cultural Society in 1977 with the intention of creating a museum. A settlers hut, was received in 1981 and the Railway Station was moved to the site in 1985. Soon after the local butcher’s shop was relocated to the museum as well. The Whitton Museum is open each Saturday and Sunday between 1pm and 4pm, or by appointment.Ph: 02 6955 2691.

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Whitton Courthouse

In 1911 Whitton was involved in a notorious murder. Two boys named Reg Clare and William Millar murdered Mrs Sarah Warby and Miss Amy Warby at Billenbah Station. After the murder Reg Clare panicked and ran to a neighbouring property where he reported what had happened to Miss Jessie Bornhalt. Jessie drove Clare by sulky to Whitton where they informed Constable Mullins. Jessie later gave evidence at the murder inquest, recounting what Clare had confessed to her on the journey into town. Jessie was later the inspiration for the Bryce Courtenay novel “Jessica” although the story varies considerably.

Whitton Courthouse

Leeton Vistor’s Information Centre would like to thankthe following for supplying many of the photos used:

Leeton Family & Local History Society Inc.

Murrumbidgee Irrigation

Whitton Court House and Historical Museum

Copyright: Leeton Shire Council 2014Compiled by Leeton Shire Council in conjunction with the Heritage Committee and the Leeton Family & Local History Society.

Published by Specialty Press, Albury.Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the details appearing in this publication are correct at the time of printing.

The publisher does not accept any responsibility for inaccuracy.

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LEETON • YANCO • WHITTON