GRIFFITH

Griffith is a remarkable city that even the likes of Australia's most famous grazie, Sir Sidney Kidman, would have been inspired by.

Set amongst a fertile backdrop of vinyards, orchards and goldenfields, its hard to believe that the Griffith region was dismissed by the explorer John Oxley in 1817 as been "uninhabitable and useless to civalised man".

Now a veritable oasis, thanks to the development of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme in the early 1900's, the region hosts an abundance of agricultural, horticultural and processing industries. Prior to the white settlement of the region the land was home to the wiradjuri people.

Griffith's rich blend of cultures and traditions results in a vibrant, cosmopolitan lifestyle. The cities unmistakable Italian heritage lives on in its passion and food and wine. The main street is a bustling retail district punctuated by street cafes and delicatessens that offer a wide selection of locally made produce. Griffith also boasts a fun-packed calendar of events that encompasses everything from food and wine festivals to world music and dance!

Named after Auther Griffith, the New South Wales Minister for Public Works from 1910 -1915, the city was designed by Walter Burley Griffin, renowned American architect who also designed Canberra and the neighboring town Leeton. The city and the surrounding region were largely developed by soldier-settlers and Italian immigrants.