Leeton

History

Prior to European colonisation, the area was inhabited by the Wiradjuri people. The town is named after Charles Alfred Lee, a Minister for Public Works in New South Wales from 1904 to 1910. In 1912 a water tower was built to supply water to the town. Leeton Post Office opened on 6 September 1912. When the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission of New South Wales was formed on 1 January 1913, Leeton was a canvas town, with the only houses being on farms built by settlers or the Commission-built homes for officers. On 22 January 1913, under the provisions of the [https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/act-1884-35a Crown Lands Act of 1884], Leeton was declared a town by the Department of Lands, Sydney. The first block of land was sold in the town April 3, 1913. In1913, a Kurrajong tree (later known as Pioneers' Tree), was planted as a central feature on the eponymous Kurrajong Avenue, and a butter factory was established in the town. In August of the same year, Walter Burley Griffin visited the town to complete its design. In 1914, World War I broke out; of the town's population of 2,000 people, 200 men were serving in the military. During 1914 and 1915 an abattoir and canning factory were established in the town. During 1920, the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission of New South Wales began to pressure the Government for relief for being responsible for providing civic and local government services with the Commission stating "revenue which comes mainly from rents and water charges, having remained unchanged, is insufficient to cover the cost of local government services now that the weekly wage is more than double the figure paid when the settlement started". The Commission chose and appointed an advisory board which was made up of pioneer…

Most-observed species

• Pacific Black Duck

  Anas superciliosa J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  896
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  881
• koala

  Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss, 1817) · Mammalia
  877
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  777
• Crested Pigeon

  Ocyphaps lophotes (Temminck, 1822) · Aves
  733
• White-faced Heron

  Egretta novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  677
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  674
• Gray Teal

  Anas gracilis Buller, 1869 · Aves
  642

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2002-03-04
  2 km W of West Wyalong, Australia