131-700: Rankins Springs is a village in the Riverina region of New South Wales , Australia in Carrathool Shire and on the Mid-Western Highway . At the 2011 census , Rankins Springs had a population of 299 residents living in 145 private dwellings. This dropped to 174 in 2016, but rebounded to 208 in 2021. The settlement is strung out along the Mid-Western Highway and adjacent railway line. The main agricultural activities of
262-756: A break-of-gauge in 1883, and the Melbourne-Shepparton line was extended to Tocumwal in 1908. The number of cross border railways expanded with the passing of the 1922 Border Railways Act , with the Benalla – Yarrawonga branch line extended to Oaklands in 1938, both lines meeting standard gauge lines that were subsequently closed. Victorian Railways commenced construction of a railway from Robinvale to Koorakee and Lette in New South Wales in 1924 (the Lette railway line ), but this railway
393-526: A monsoon depression became an extratropical low and swept across Australia's interior and on to the south-east in mid- to late March. An extremely severe drought occurred in the later year of 1991, which intensified in 1994 and 1995 to become the worst on record in Queensland . This drought was influenced by a strong El Niño weather pattern and associated with high temperatures in July and August 1995,
524-681: A $ 500 million drought stimulus package, including an additional $ 2 million in loans under the Regional Investment Corporation under a reconfigured payment schedule, an extension to the existing Drought Communities Program which provides money to regional Councils, and supplementary payments under the Roads to Recovery program to assist with job creation in drought-affected areas. The plan also provided $ 100 million for South Australia to turn on its Adelaide Desalination Plant to significantly ramp up production of water to supply
655-609: A branch line was completed from Junee to Narrandera in 1881 and extended to Hay by 1882. Another branch pushed south from Narrandera toward the Victorian border reaching Jerilderie in 1884 and the Murray at Tocumwal in 1898. Transport links assisted the development of the Riverina economy, at the same time areas of the region found themselves under threat from robbery and murder by various bushrangers . Between 1862 and 1865,
786-641: A brief respite, and 1940 was one of the driest years of the century over most of southern Australia, emptying the Nepean Dam in New South Wales and imposing water restrictions in Brisbane. Perth had its driest year of the 20th century. Heavy rain in the southeastern States in November 1940 and January 1941 slightly eased the situation and 1942 was a year of good general rain, but an even worse 1944 resulted when dearth of winter–spring rains led to failure of
917-524: A decline in the diversity of native flora and fauna in the area. Aboriginal people are thought to have inhabited the Riverina for at least 40,000 years. The Wiradjuri people were the original inhabitants of much of south western New South Wales including much of the Riverina region along the Murrumbidgee and Lachlan rivers. Other groups living along the Murrumbidgee included the Nari-Nari on
1048-804: A diverse range of backgrounds and nationalities. In particular, the Italian community prospered in the Area, owning nearly half of all the farms around Griffith by 1954. Later, further irrigation was developed for areas in the Murray valley starting with the Wakool Irrigation District in 1932, then the Deniboota and Denimein Irrigation Districts in 1938, the Berriquin Irrigation District in 1939 and
1179-675: A flurry of snow was reported in Hay , which at just 90 metres (300 ft) above sea level would make it the lowest altitude that snow has ever been observed to in New South Wales. In Narrandera it last snowed in June 1908, July 1901 and August 1899. The most recent occurrence of snow in the Riverina proper was at Junee in August 2019 – excluding the mountainous parts of the South West Slopes . One method of classification of boundaries for
1310-572: A geophysical pattern which is linked to fauna and flora ecosystems . The Riverina bioregion is an area of land that comprises part of the larger Riverina area but also extends into Victoria. It has been defined by the New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service as extending from Ivanhoe in the Murray Darling Depression Bioregion south to Bendigo , and from Narrandera in the east to Balranald in
1441-574: A leading role in the lifestyle of the Aboriginal people, acting as a source of food and a means of communication and trade. Murray cod and shellfish were gathered for food and bark canoes were used for travel along the rivers. Scars on many trees alongside the rivers are evidence of this extensive use of canoes. In the summer it is likely that the Bangerang and Wiradjuri joined the Monaro groups in
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#17328009652271572-585: A major loss of production. The town of Warwick was particularly affected. From 1996 to 2010, south-eastern Australia experienced prolonged dry conditions with rainfall persistently well below average, particularly during the cooler months from April to October. The most acute period of the so-called 'Millennium drought' was between 2001 and 2009. The drought finished with the arrival of wet La Niña conditions during 2010 and 2011, with particularly heavy summer rainfall. Dry conditions began to emerge in south-eastern Australia during late 1996 and intensified during
1703-449: A member of the bank staff and returned to Victoria £2,000 richer. The close geographic and cultural ties between the Riverina and northern Victoria, combined with continuing frustration with inter colonial tariffs, made the Riverina a fertile area for ideas for uniting the various colonies in an Australian federation . This would see the southern Riverina in particular take a leading role in bringing about federation. Prior to federation,
1834-474: A new Woolshed was constructed, only 10 stands were being used. The Estate of D & W Gibb sold "Cocketgedong in 1972. Moulamein , in the western Riverina, appears to make legitimate claims as the oldest town in the Riverina, and indeed to being older than Melbourne . The settlers often came into conflict with the indigenous inhabitants. In the Narrandera district, a battle took place between settlers and
1965-474: A prolonged period of negative SAM ( Southern Annular Mode ) during October and November. Exacerbating the effects of diminished rainfall in this drought has been a record breaking run of above average monthly temperatures, lasting 36 months to October 2019. As of December 2019 the drought was continuing – including the driest November across Australia on record – but the Bureau of Meteorology reported that
2096-502: A salt-tolerant grass, saltbush and daisy understorey. Yellow Box ( Eucalyptus melliodora ) and Grey Box ( Eucalyptus microcarpa ) occur along with Cypress Pine ( Callitris glaucophylla ) on areas rarely subjected to flooding. The area away from the rivers often consists of treeless plains, consisting of various saltbush ( Atriplex ) species, Cotton Bush ( Maireana aphylla ) and varieties of Danthonia and Austrostipa native grasslands. Significant mammals endemic to forests in
2227-606: A series of conventions and elections and finally, the inauguration of a federal constitution on 1 January 1901. Large scale irrigation commenced with the establishment of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) in 1912 which diverted water from the Murrumbidgee River near Narrandera. The River Murray Waters Agreement of 1915 allowed 26 weirs to be constructed with locks to provide permanent riverboat access to Echuca. When riverboat transport
2358-567: A severe drought was experienced by Queensland , New South Wales , South Australia , Northern Territory (Darwin-Daly Waters area and central Australia), Western Australia (Fortescue area), Victoria, and Tasmania . During World War II frequent dry spells from 1937 to 1945 extended over New South Wales, Victoria, much of Queensland and parts of Western Australia, with more breaks than the Federation and Millennium droughts, but more periods of intense dryness. Parts of New South Wales, notably
2489-416: A year, from April 1902 to May 1903. There was concern about Sydney 's water supply . By 1902, Australia's sheep population dropped from its 1891 level of 106 million to fewer than 54 million. Cattle numbers fell by more than 40 per cent. Sheep numbers did not return to 100 million until 1925. In the 1911–1915 period, Australia suffered a major drought , which failed the 1914 wheat crop. From 1918 to 1920,
2620-425: Is a refuge of natural habitat for many native species within the region. A total of 123 mallee and woodland birds have been recorded within the reserve, although there have been significant declines of some species attributed to the small size of the reserve, its isolation within mostly cleared land and predation by cats and foxes. The reserve's emblematic species, the malleefowl, was last observed there in
2751-423: Is an agricultural region of southwestern New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation . This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop into one of the most productive and agriculturally diverse areas of Australia. Bordered on the south by the state of Victoria and on
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#17328009652272882-877: Is home to a campus of Charles Sturt University and two major Australian Defence Force establishments. La Trobe University has a campus in Albury–Wodonga , located just across the state border in Wodonga , Victoria . The delineation of the Riverina region varies by government agency or body. Common official boundaries include the Australian Bureau of Statistics ' Statistical Area Level 4 Riverina region, Australian Electoral Commission 's Federal Election Boundary called Riverina, Natural Resource Management Regions Riverina region, Regional Development Australia's Riverina region and Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia's Riverina region. In common usage
3013-409: Is projected to decrease (high confidence), but increases are projected for Tasmania in winter (medium confidence), while in eastern and northern Australia in the near future (to 2030), natural variability is anticipated to predominate over trends due to greenhouse gas emissions. However even if climate change does not result in decreased rainfall in eastern and northern Australia over the period to 2030,
3144-579: Is within the Lachlan Plains subregion of the extensive Cobar Peneplain Bioregion (comprising 9.2 percent of New South Wales). Rankins Springs and the surrounding district has an abundance of native fauna, with birdlife being particularly conspicuous and varied. Amongst the parrot species found in the area are the glossy black cockatoo , superb parrot and Major Mitchell's cockatoo . Threatened native bird species that can be found in
3275-647: The Bogong moth feasts in the alpine country to the east. The first European explorer in the Riverina was John Oxley in 1817 following the Lachlan River to what is now the town of Booligal . Oxley was followed by Charles Sturt , who followed the Murrumbidgee downstream to Lake Alexandrina in South Australia between 1828 and 1831 and Major Thomas Mitchell in 1836 on his way to the Wimmera and
3406-560: The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), states that on account of projected future climate change, hot days will become more frequent and hotter (very high confidence), extreme rainfall events will become more intense (high confidence), and the time in drought is projected to increase over southern Australia (high confidence). Seasonal-average rainfall changes will vary across Australia: in southern mainland Australia, winter and spring rainfall
3537-521: The Edward River , an anabranch of the Murray. Much of the water carried by these streams is diverted. In 2001–2002, 52% of the Murray and Murrumbidgee water runoff was diverted, 77% of which was used for irrigation . The Bureau of Meteorology classifies the Riverina in the Hot Dry Zone (with cooler winters) climatic zone. Places in this zone can be very hot in the summer months while in
3668-646: The Western District . Pastoral settlement followed soon after, with grazing runs established along the Murray and Murrumbidgee as far west as Hay by 1839. At the time, the area was known as the Murrumbidgee District . "Cocketgedong" Station, between Jerilderie and Urana, was established in the 1840s by Messrs Brock & Hardie. A map, dated 1864, held by the State Library of Victoria shows them still in possession. At that time, there
3799-592: The confluence of the Murray and Murrumbidgee is the beginning of the more arid Far West region. In general, the Riverina is an alluvial plain formed by deposition carried from the Great Dividing Range by streams between 30,000 and 15,000 years ago. The terrain includes rolling hills to the east but then becomes flatter to the west with most of that plain reaching less than 200 metres (660 ft) above sea level. The western Riverina consists largely of featureless saltbush plain. The geology of
3930-793: The 1860s show that a 'severe' drought has occurred in Australia, on average, once every 18 years. State Governments are responsible for declaring a region drought affected and the declaration will take into account factors other than rainfall. Australia has experienced a marked decrease in precipitation levels since 1994. Deficiencies in northern Australia increased in 2013–14, leading to an extended drought period in certain parts of Queensland. Between 2017 and 2019, severe drought developed once more across much of eastern and inland Australia including Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, also extending into parts of South and Western Australia. Since 1860, when adequate meteorological recording commenced,
4061-579: The 1980s and “is now considered to be locally extinct”. A subspecies of the rosemary grevillea has the common name of the Rankins Springs grevillea ( Grevillea rosmarinifolia subsp. glabella ). The plant, which grows in mallee or shrub associations in sandy soils, is endemic to the Rankins Springs district extending to the region around Griffith. [REDACTED] Media related to Rankins Springs at Wikimedia Commons Riverina The Riverina ( / ˌ r ɪ v ə ˈ r iː n ə / )
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4192-460: The 20th century, the development of major irrigation areas in the Murray and Murrumbidgee valleys has led to the introduction of crops such as rice and wine grapes . The Riverina has strong cultural ties to Victoria, and the region was the source of much of the impetus behind the federation of Australian colonies. Major population and service centres in the Riverina include the cities of Wagga Wagga , Leeton , Griffith and Albury . Wagga Wagga
4323-695: The Adelaide metropolitan area, to allow farmers affected by drought to access more water from the Murray River upstream. This followed the release of a $ 170 million Drought Stimulus Package by the New South Wales State Government in June. Dry conditions in September 2019 contributed to several small to mid-range fires in north eastern New South Wales. By November of that year, continuing heat and lack of rain had desiccated
4454-677: The February average. Flooding was extensive, including areas such as Lake Conjola , that had been devastated by bushfires about 6 weeks earlier. About 28500 people were affected by this drought. In March 2021, above average rainfall led to serious and destructive flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment and on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. In November 2013 the Australian Government released
4585-645: The Federation Drought, the WWII drought and the Millennium drought in terms of its severity through the MDB". In October 2019, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology stated that drier and warmer and drier than average conditions were expected to persist at least until the end of the year with no relief in sight for most of the drought affected areas, influenced at least in part by a positive Indian Ocean Dipole and
4716-622: The Leeton and Yanco district in 1924, expanding to Wakool during World War II , the Denimein and Deniboota Irrigation Areas in the 1950s and Coleambally and Finley in the 1960s. In recent years, rice is also grown in the Hay, Carrathool and Hillston areas. Historically, well over one million tonnes of Australian rice has been produced each year and exported to over 70 countries, generating A$ 500 million in export income and supporting 63 towns in
4847-534: The Murray River. The Riverina region is one of the most prosperous grape growing regions in Australia (particularly in Griffith), along with the Barossa Valley in South Australia . The region grows 55% of wine grapes in New South Wales and 15% of the total grape production within Australia and 80% of wine/grape production of New South Wales; the region is Australia's largest producer of wine. Over 50% of
4978-549: The NSW Government carried out massive cut-backs in country rail services which included the cessation of the train passenger service to Rankins Springs. In December 1982, in the midst of a major drought, the Canberra Times published an article representing Rankins Springs as “a township that is hanging on to life”. The village was described as a “service town for the graziers around and its main features are
5109-431: The New South Wales government sought to encourage closer settlement in the inland regions. By the late 1860s the large pastoral runs held by leasehold were beginning to be broken up under legislation that allowed “ free selection before survey” of crown land. The location of Rankin's Springs at the convergence of district roads and its proximity to a supply of water, provided an opportunity to provide amenities to
5240-535: The Peppin-developed sheep. The Riverina is home to many Merino studs and the saltbush plains are regarded as one of Australia's best wool growing regions. The Riverina produces the vast majority of rice grown in Australia, particularly in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA), but also around the Finley , Coleambally and Deniliquin areas. The first commercial rice crops in the Riverina were grown in
5371-529: The Riverina and northern Victoria. More recently, drought has drastically reduced this quantity to less than 30,000 tonnes with resultant economic effects. Recent rains however will see this volume increase. The headquarters of Ricegrowers Limited , who trade under the SunRice name, is located in Leeton, Australia's rice capital. Major rice mills are located in Leeton , Coleambally and the largest rice mill in
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5502-687: The Riverina comprises several troughs and sedimentary basins . The western Riverina is presumed to be a continuation of the Ballarat and Bendigo geological zone while eastern sections are underlain by western portions of the Lachlan Fold Belt . There is potential for the Riverina to host several mineral deposit types including coal , petroleum , coal seam methane , gypsum , orogenic gold, Cobar style polymetallic systems, heavy mineral sands and possibly diamonds in these fold belt rocks and basins. Riverina soils are generally sandy along
5633-487: The Riverina generally comprises the agricultural and pastoral areas of New South Wales, west of the Great Dividing Range and in the drainage basin of the snow-fed Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers . The northern boundary beyond the Riverina is determined by the Lachlan River catchment area and is referred to as the Central West . Along the Murray to the south, the Riverina borders the state of Victoria . West of
5764-623: The Riverina is the Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia that defines the bioregion as an area comprising 9,704,469 hectares (23,980,270 acres), with biogeographic sub-regions covering each of the Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Murray Fans, Victorian Riverina, Robinvale Plains and Murray Scroll Belt. The NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service has divided New South Wales into 17 distinct bioregions. Bioregions are quite large areas of land that capture
5895-691: The Riverina often includes parts of the Murray SA4 region, as of 2016 the population of Murray was 115,803, 3.4% of the population were indigenous and 17.7% were born outside of Australia. The Riverina includes two cities; Wagga Wagga and Griffith . Other large towns include Leeton , Finley , Deniliquin , Cootamundra , West Wyalong , Narrandera , Junee and Temora . Wagga Wagga is the largest inland city in New South Wales with an estimated resident population of 56,675 people in 2019 and serves as an important employment, educational, cultural, social and entertainment centre for surrounding towns throughout
6026-535: The Riverina region. In early 1892 there was a fire at the Rankins Springs Hotel “which destroyed the premises”. In an advertisement for a future lease of the hotel the owner (Alex. Smith of Roto) stated he intended “to erect new and suitable premises (consisting of stone hotel and kitchen, also store and post office of stone, three detached bedrooms, of timber, also commodious stable of timber, and necessary out-offices)”. The building of
6157-429: The Riverina's wine production is exported. As a producer of specialist wine grapes, its wine style of international importance is Botrytised Semillon and the outstanding speciality made from these grapes is a " sauternes -style" dessert wine . Irrigation made it possible to grow grapes for wine. The first grapes were planted at Hanwood in the spring of 1913 by John McWilliam and his eldest son Jack who had come to
6288-419: The Riverina. Wagga Wagga's facilities are of metropolitan standards with shopping, cafes, recreational facilities and nightlife present within the city. The two largest centres in population in the region after Wagga Wagga are Griffith and Leeton and they provide advanced services to the outlying farming regions. Parts of the Riverina experienced substantial population growth in the late 1990s and early 2000s; in
6419-503: The Tullakool Irrigation Area in 1942. The Coleambally Irrigation Area, established in 1968, was the last of the major government-sponsored irrigation developments in New South Wales. The high soil fertility and abundance of water in the Riverina floodplain has made the Riverina region one of the most productive farming regions in Australia with rice, wheat, maize , canola , citrus and wine grapes being grown in
6550-443: The area. The Riverina contains many irrigation schemes including the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area . 182,000 hectares (450,000 acres) are under irrigation in the region. For the first few decades following the 1830s, European pastoral activity focused in the main on cattle production but by the 1860s sheep were the predominant stock. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the region's agricultural and horticultural production
6681-451: The bioregion include various species of glider, such as Sugar Gliders ( Petaurus breviceps ), Feathertail Gliders ( Acrobates pygmaeus ) and Squirrel Gliders ( Petaurus norfolcensis ) as well as Koalas ( Phascolarctos cinereus ) A wide variety of birdlife makes its home in wetlands in the Riverina, including many migratory species. Competition from introduced species and the effect of clearing, grazing and pasture improvement has led to
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#17328009652276812-519: The bushranger shot dead a policeman in cold blood near Tumbarumba . The reward placed on his head reached £1,000 before, in April 1865, he was shot dead near Wangaratta , Victoria . The infamous Australian bushranger, Ned Kelly , made possibly his most daring raid in the Riverina, at Jerilderie in 1879. After riding overland from north east Victoria, Kelly and his gang in a brazen move captured two local policemen and stole their uniforms. Impersonating
6943-486: The central west, had record-low rainfall and in 1938 severe dry conditions intensified there and in Victoria, eastern South Australia and in southwest Australian grain-growing areas. An extremely dry six-month spell in Victorian forests contributed to the disastrous Black Friday bushfires of January 1939, before heavy rain came in late February 1939 over Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. The rains were only
7074-645: The competitiveness of these towns supplying the Melbourne and Adelaide markets. In addition, crossing the border on the Murray River was a tiresome experience as each border crossing had customs posts inspecting goods and luggage to ensure all duty was paid and to reduce smuggling, a popular activity. Another item of concern was the lack of adequate river crossings. Along the Riverina the Murray was—and remains—part of New South Wales, who had no interest in assisting border residents to access goods and services in Victoria that may otherwise have been sourced from Sydney. In
7205-651: The cotton industry were impacted by the drought. The main areas affected were in New South Wales: Menindee , where the area under production was reduced by 100%, Bourke , area reduced by 99%, Walgett by 95%, the Macquarie River by 74% and Gwydir River by 60%. In Queensland, the worst-affected areas were Biloela , which reduced the area under production by 100%, Dirranbandi , by 91%, Central Highlandsby 82% and Darling Downs by 78%. Bourke has only had adequate water for one cotton crop in
7336-651: The differences between the squatters on one side and the small farmers and townspeople on the other causing its objectives to become obscured by other associated issues such as inter-colonial tariffs and rail links. From 1853, the Riverina was linked to markets through a series of riverboats along the Murray and Murrumbidgee to the river ports of Mannum and Goolwa in South Australia and from 1864, to Echuca connected by rail to Melbourne . Riverboats reached as far upstream as Gundagai and Albury and towns such as Darlington Point , Narrandera and Moulamein became important river ports. The riverboat era peaked in
7467-452: The district around Rankins Springs are the growing of crops such as wheat and oats, and beef-cattle . The history of Rankins Springs is a story of two settlements 10 kilometres (6 miles) apart. The earlier locality was situated near a water source at the junction of several roads and operated essentially as a hotel, store and post-office, with adjoining paddocks on freehold land. The later village of Rankins Springs developed around
7598-483: The district from their winery in Junee. Irrigation was by carting of water until the irrigation channels were opened a few months later. The first grapes were picked in 1916 and sent to Junee for processing. Penfolds established its winery in the region in 1919. At the 2016 census , the population of the Riverina (ABS SA4 Region) was 155,934, 5.4% of whom were indigenous and 18.4% born outside Australia. In common usage
7729-429: The district include malleefowl , Gilbert's whistler , chestnut quail-thrush , shy heathwren and the painted honeyeater . Seven designated birdwatching sites are located in the Rankins Springs area (some of them with hides ), which are strategically located to optimise the experience for birdwatchers. Jimberoo National Park is located eight kilometres north of Rankins Springs. The national park
7860-558: The drought in the south-east. Very wet conditions continued through 2011, resulting in floods in Queensland and northern Victoria. Dairy producers were hit particularly hard by the drought. 2004 was a particularly bleak year in the sector, with revenue in the industry falling by 5.6%. Agricultural production was affected. Water use by the industry fell by 37% between 2000/01 and 2004/05, due mainly to drought. Around 20 cotton communities and 10,000 people directly employed by
7991-522: The dry country between the Lachlan and Murrumbidgee rivers. The location of the springs at the foot of the Conapaira Range is nearby to a break in the hills, an ideal place for stock and vehicles to cross the rocky range. Permanent settlement at the Rankin's Springs locality was established in 1869. This was a period of increased population and consolidation of Riverina townships as
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#17328009652278122-549: The early 1890s, for mainly patriotic reasons, the Australian Natives' Association helped establish the Federation League, a society dedicated to the creation of a federal nation. Following a series of addresses by the future Prime Minister , Edmund Barton to large crowds, some 15 League branches were established in the towns along the southern border. One of these towns, Corowa , was the location for
8253-415: The east by the Great Dividing Range , the Riverina covers those areas of New South Wales in the Murray and Murrumbidgee drainage zones to their confluence in the west. Home to Aboriginal groups including the Wiradjuri people for over 40,000 years, the Riverina was colonised by Europeans in the mid-19th century as a pastoral region providing beef and wool to markets in Australia and beyond. In
8384-410: The eastern Riverina between Wagga Wagga and Albury saw the depredations of Dan "Mad Dog" Morgan . Having previously been convicted of armed robbery, Morgan came to the attention to authorities in the Riverina when he bailed up a police magistrate, Henry Baylis , near Urana in 1863. In 1864, Morgan bailed up Round Hill station , a large sheep farm near Morven , killing a station hand. Later that year,
8515-435: The end of March 2019, rainfall deficiencies in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia's most extensive river system, were the third lowest on record, behind similar length timeframes between 1901 and 1903, and between 1918 and 1920. In July 2019, climatologist David Jones from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology stated that the present drought was now officially the worst on record in the Murray–Darling Basin, and "had now exceeded
8646-430: The estimated resident population of Temora has now expanded to 6307 people. The Riverina is politically conservative and leans towards the National Party on both the federal and state level. Drought in Australia Drought in Australia is defined by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology as rainfall over period greater than three-months being in the lowest decile of what has been recorded for that region in
8777-505: The fifth continuous year of drought in parts of Queensland. According to Primary Industries Minister, Ed Casey, "the drought affected region stretched in a 200 km to 300 km wide strip from Stanthorpe to Charters Towers ". So few wheat and barley crops survived, about half the usual for that year, that grains had to be imported from other states. In June 1994, more than ten towns had lost irrigation systems; and some areas had gone five years without decent rainfall. A part of
8908-416: The first conference of the Australian Federation League in 1893. At this conference, Dr John Quick , a delegate from Bendigo, proposed a resolution calling for the colonial legislatures to pass an act providing for the election of representatives to a convention to develop a federal constitution . This has been seen as the turning point in the push for Federation. The momentum generated from this point lead to
9039-427: The five-year period between 1996 and 2001, Griffith's population increased by 10.8%. Until recently Wagga Wagga's population was declining slowly and ageing with strong growth in age groups 40 and over. This has now changed and Wagga Wagga has become one of Australia's leading examples of the "sponge" city phenomenon, attracting residents from smaller towns in the Riverina such as Urana . In the year ended 30 June 2006,
9170-484: The forests and agricultural land along the Great Dividing range in New South Wales and Queensland. Sydney received less than 2 millimetres (0.079 in) of rain in December 2019, with temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F). Numerous intense bushfires occurred, some of which burnt Gondwanan rainforest remnants that had not experienced fires for millennia. This included Mount Nothofagus National Park and Nightcap National Park . Australia's national science research agency,
9301-412: The growing settlement of Rankins Springs, developing alongside the recently-completed railway terminus, was described in the following terms: A series of meetings of the Hotel Licensing Board were held in 1926 and early 1927 at West Wyalong to determine the status of the license of the Rankins Springs Hotel at the original location (north-east of the developing village at the railway terminus). It
9432-405: The hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csa ) zone, although areas in the southwest of the region would feature the semi-arid ( BSk ) climate and those in the east would have a humid subtropical ( Cfa ) climate, though still with Mediterranean climate tendencies when it comes to the rainfall pattern. Rainfall levels in the Riverina are generally low with the median annual rainfall over most of
9563-535: The land which seemed a desert was actually good fattening country. In the 1860s and 1870s, German settlers from the Barossa Valley travelled upstream to settle in the eastern Riverina. Because of their religious distinctiveness as Lutherans , they preferred to form clustered German settlements . In 1867 and 1868 several land parcels were taken up in the Jindera area. 56 German farmers, in 1869, took six weeks to travel six hundred miles in covered wagons to establish
9694-416: The last five years. Dry conditions again began to develop and be sustained in mid-2013 through much of western Queensland. Although these began easing for western Queensland in early 2014, drought began to develop further east, along the coastal fringe and into the ranges of southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales. Dry conditions continued into 2015 in the east, particularly in Queensland where
9825-410: The leasehold was resumed for Soldier Settlement blocks, leaving "Cocketgedong" with 36,000 acres and "North Urana" 9000 acres divided by several holdings. The latter part was sold in the early 1950s, leaving the approximate area originally taken up by Brock & Hardie, held by the D & W Gibb Estate. The Woolshed constructed in 1910 consisted of 20 stands, although by 1970 when it was demolished after
9956-621: The license was transferred to William Blood, who held it only briefly. In July 1874 the publican's license was transferred to James Graham who held the license during the next fourteen years until June 1888 (apart from a period from March 1881 to October 1882 when the license was transferred to Graham's brother-in-law John King). A post-office was established at Rankins Springs on 1 September 1875 with James Graham as postmaster. Weekly mail services were established linking Rankins Springs post-office with Narrandera (via Barellan ) and with Wollongough (modern Ungarie ). The post-office
10087-511: The local Narrungderra clan at a location now known as Massacre Island, reportedly leaving only one survivor. Cattle raising was the major industry in the 1840s with sheep becoming predominant in the 1860s. At this time many Victorians settled in the Riverina to breed sheep and cattle to feed the miners taking part in the Victorian Gold Rush . The herds were considered inferior at first, but these pastures were good for stock, and
10218-419: The mail bags, pointing the gun at him at the same time”. After the robbery was reported two policemen from Darlington Point and Whitton arrived to investigate the crime. After gathering material and circumstantial evidence the constables arrested John King, a resident of Rankin's Springs and brother-in-law of the publican and postmaster, James Graham. King was taken in custody to Hay. He
10349-539: The monsoon rains were delayed. Queensland had experienced poor wet season rains for three consecutive seasons. Wetter conditions in 2016 eased the effects of drought in eastern Australia, but pockets of south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales remained drier than average. Stock feed becomes scarce and farmers find it difficult to feed cattle and sheep. 2017 was a drier than average year for much of inland Queensland, most of New South Wales, eastern and central Victoria, and all of Tasmania. In 2018, rainfall for
10480-507: The most severe droughts have occurred commonly at intervals of 11 to 14 years. Major droughts that were recorded later in the 19th century include: At the time of Federation, Australia suffered a major drought. There had been a number of years of below average rainfall across most of Australia before the drought. During the drought, the wheat crop was "all but lost", and the Darling River was dry at Bourke, New South Wales , for over
10611-608: The movement strongest in Deniliquin and Albury , Dunmore Lang, squatter and parliamentarian Gideon Lang (unrelated) and other influential pastoralists joined with local newspaper editors, George Mott and David Jones in the campaign. This culminated in presenting petitions to the Governor of New South Wales , Sir John Young and the Colonial Secretary , Edward Cardwell . Soon after the movement fell apart due to
10742-420: The national park. Pulletop Nature Reserve is 22 kilometres south-west of Rankins Springs, consisting of 145 hectares of remnant mallee woodland surrounded by agricultural land. The topography of Pulletop Nature Reserve is flat to gently undulating, with highly permeable sandy loam soils. The shrub and woodland communities are dominated by four species of multi-stemmed mallee eucalypts. The area
10873-809: The past. This definition takes into account that drought is a relative term and rainfall deficiencies need to be compared to typical rainfall patterns including seasonal variations. Specifically, drought in Australia is defined in relation to a rainfall deficiency of pastoral leases and is determined by decile analysis applied to a certain area. Note that this definition uses rainfall only because long-term records are widely available across most of Australia. However, it does not take into account other variables that might be important for establishing surface water balance, such as evaporation and condensation . Historical climatic records are now sufficiently reliable to profile climate variability taking into account expectations for regions. Bureau of Meteorology records since
11004-471: The petrol station, the post-office, the hotel and the caravan park”. It was observed that with improved roads “and the lure of better shopping in Griffith” the township “had been pared back to essential services”. Mrs. Dulcie Wood, who had been Rankins Springs’ post-mistress since 1967, said “the town offered little for young people who had left school”, with many having to leave the area. In 2004
11135-564: The police, they then proceeded to rob the Bank of New South Wales and held the town captive for several days. While in Jerilderie, he sought to have his manifesto published, the famous Jerilderie letter, a rambling 8,000-word condemnation of the colonial administration in Victoria and specifically the treatment of the Irish . Being unable to find the local newspaper editor, he left the letter with
11266-449: The population of Wagga Wagga grew by 1.3%, driven by its role as the regional centre for the Riverina and its hosting of a campus of Charles Sturt University and Australian Defence Force bases. The Local Government Area of Temora experienced a population decline in the early 2000s, dropping from 6288 people in 2001 to a low of 5936 in 2009. Since then the LGA has grown steadily. As of 2019
11397-539: The positive Indian Ocean Dipole had weakened to around 50% of its peak seen in mid October, possibly indicating a future improvement in conditions later in the Australian summer. From 7-10 February 2020, many areas on the east coast of New South Wales received heavy and continuous rain, the heaviest falls for thirty years. 391.6 millimetres (15.42 in) of rain fell over the four days in Sydney, more than three times
11528-531: The railway grain freight service from the village ceased when the Barmedman to Rankins Springs branch line was closed. In 2008 a water treatment plant and reticulation system for the village of Rankins Springs was completed, providing clean drinking water to the community. Residents had previously relied on raw water sources such as rainwater or untreated bore water , supplemented by transported supplies of potable water. The area surrounding Rankins Springs
11659-419: The region between 250–500 millimetres (9.8–19.7 in), rising to between 500–800 mm (20–31 in) on the eastern fringe. Because the region is situated on the upwind side of the Great Dividing Range , winter would receive the most rainfall in the year, with areas in the southern Riverina (around Albury ), having the wettest winters, while in the north rainfall patterns are fairly consistent throughout
11790-424: The river channels, with more saline grey and brown clays found on rarely flooded areas on the perimeter of the floodplain. As the Murrumbidgee passes downstream, the water and soil become more saline. The Riverina is drained by the large Murray-Darling Basin . Rivers and streams in the Riverina generally flow east to west. As well as the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Lachlan, other streams include Billabong Creek and
11921-531: The second half of the year again failed to break continuing drought conditions in the south-east. South-east Australia experienced its second driest year on record in 2006, particularly affecting the major agricultural region of the Murray–Darling basin . 2007 saw record temperatures across the south of Australia, and only patchy rain; promising early year rains contrasted with a very dry July–October period, meaning that drought conditions persisted across much of
12052-487: The second half of the year. Australia's weather pattern transitioned rapidly to a wet La Niña pattern during autumn, resulting in record-breaking rains in the Murray-Darling Basin and well above average rainfall across the south-east. For many locations this was the first year of above-average rainfall since 1996. The rainfall dramatically increased surface water storage and soil moisture, effectively ending
12183-662: The section beyond Murrabit after 1932 and it was closed about 1943. Standard gauge rail services from Sydney came with the extension of the Main Southern line to Cootamundra and Junee in 1878 and the construction of the Murrumbidgee River Railway Bridge in 1881 allowed the line to be extended past Wagga Wagga to Henty and Albury later that year. A branch line was constructed to Temora in 1893 and extended to Barellan in 1908, Griffith in 1916 and Hillston in 1923. Further south,
12314-408: The site of the Rankins Springs Hotel and adjoining land (despite previous expectations that the line would go that way). The Rankins Springs station, where the branch line terminated, was built at a location 10 km (6 mi) to the south-west of the hotel. The new branch line provided transport for the agricultural produce of the surrounding district as well as passenger services. In July 1926
12445-540: The south-east. At this point, the Bureau of Meteorology estimated that south-eastern Australia had missed the equivalent of a full year's rain in the previous 11 years. 2008 and 2009 saw continuing hot and dry conditions in south-eastern Australia, with occasional heavy rainfall failing to break the continuing drought. The effects of the drought were exacerbated by Australia's (then) second hottest year on record in 2009, with record-breaking heatwaves in January, February and
12576-451: The southern States in winter 1945, with a good wheat harvest that year, but in some regions of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales 1946 was the worst year of all, and only in 1947 did significant general rains end the long drought. In 1952 large regions across the North were affected by a failed wet season declared to be the "driest season for 50 years." Its effect on agriculture
12707-607: The southern hemisphere in Deniliquin. The area generally known as "the Riverina" is broader than the area legally defined as the Riverina wine region Australian Geographical Indication (AGI) as registered in the Register of Protected GIs. The Riverina GI is centred on Griffith and is roughly circular with towns on the boundary including Mossgiel , Condobolin , Temora , Junee , Culcairn , Berrigan , Finley , Deniliquin and Moulamein . It does not extend as far south as
12838-408: The stone-built hotel premises was expected to be completed in early 1893. John Hannan took over the license of the newly built Rankins Springs Hotel in 1893 and continued in that role until 1923, occupying the property under a series of tenancy and leasing arrangements. In about 1918-9 John Baxter purchased the hotel and the surrounding pastoral property. In September 1923 the hotel license
12969-531: The story of a typical Australian country town “where city facilities of gas and electricity are not available”, the film depicts “the every day story of life of local residents”. The film was shown in country centres via the Shell Company's mobile film unit and advertised as affording the opportunity “of seeing methods by which modern kerosene burning appliances can provide even the most remote home with city standards of comfort and convenience”. In 1974
13100-406: The strong 1997 El Niño event. Rainfall in 1998, 1999 and 2000 was closer to average, with isolated areas affected by rainfall well below average. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, much of eastern Australia experienced a dry 2001. 2002 was one of Australia's driest and warmest years on record, with 'remarkably widespread' dry conditions, particularly in the eastern half of the country, which
13231-560: The summer of 1944–45. Artist Russell Drysdale undertook 3-week 5000km tour, at the height of WW2, of wind-eroded drought-stricken areas on commission from The Sydney Morning Herald . The articles written by Keith Newman and variously headed "The country in which there are no Bushfires. There is nothing to burn;" "Worst Drought in Australia's History;" and "An Artist's Journey Into Australia's Lost World," were generously illustrated with stark line drawings by Drysdale and appeared on subsequent days 16-19 December 1944. The drought broke in
13362-472: The terminus of a railway branch line completed in 1923. The site of the original township is 10 km (6 mi) north-east of its current location, off the Rankins Springs Road near a narrow gap in the Conapaira Range. The name of the locality probably refers to Arthur Ranken, a pastoralist with extensive holdings in New South Wales, including the “Cunimbla” run south of the Lachlan River (in
13493-449: The top-storey of the main building with the volunteer fire fighters hampered by a “lack of fire-fighting appliances and water”. The damage was partially covered by insurance and in June 1939 the owner John Baxter called for tenders to rebuild the hotel. After the fire the licensee Fred Lucks (or Luks) carried out his business in temporary premises. A new hotel was erected at a cost of £7000 and opened in early 1941. It
13624-638: The town of Walla Walla . Nearby Holbrook was originally named Germantown after these settlers until changing its name in 1914 as a result of tensions caused by World War I . The name "Riverine", coined from the Entre Ríos Province (between two rivers) in Argentina, South America, was in use as early as 1857: a long letter under the caption "Riverine Colony" appeared in the Albury Border Post of 24 January that year. The name
13755-401: The travelling public and residents of the district. In the early 1870s a hotel was constructed at Rankin's Springs. The hotel stood on freehold land comprising 104 acres, excised from the “Naradhan” pastoral run, that was sold in several lots in about 1871 and May 1872. In April 1872 a publican's license was issued to John Dwyer for the Rankins Springs Hotel. In November 1873
13886-416: The twenty years from 1870 to 1890, declining with the coming of the railway and finally ending with the disruption to the workforce caused by World War I. From Melbourne, broad gauge railway lines opened to Deniliquin in 1876 and west to Moulamein and Balranald in 1926. The Moulamein–Balranald section closed in the 1980s. The North East line reached Wodonga in 1873, and was connected to Albury at
14017-472: The upper Darling River system collapsed during this drought. By October 1994, the Condamine River was exhausted, reverting to a series of ponds. Across the state, in more than 13,000 properties, totaling 40% of Queensland, was drought declared. The flow past Goondiwindi was the lowest since 1940. Cotton farms near Moree and Narrabri had been allocated no water for irrigation, which resulted in
14148-423: The various Australian colonies could, and often did, charge tariffs on goods from the other colonies, ostensibly for the protection of their domestic manufacturing industries, mainly based in the larger cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. For a border community such as the southern Riverina, these tariffs were a sore burden, making goods purchased from Melbourne, the closest large city, more expensive and reducing
14279-420: The vicinity of present-day Forbes) which he had occupied by the late 1840s. In common with other Riverina pastoralists, Ranken supplied stock to the Victorian market (a trade that escalated from the mid-1850s as the population increased in the wake of the Victorian gold-rushes). The “Rankin’s Springs” location probably got its name as a place where water could be reliably found on a stock-route across
14410-620: The west. 74.03% of the bioregion is in New South Wales, the remainder in Victoria. In another mapping the World Wildlife Fund has made this area part of the larger Southeast Australia temperate savanna ecoregion that covers the western plains of New South Wales. River channels in the region support River Red Gum ( Eucalyptus camaldulensis ) and River Cooba ( Acacia stenophylla ) communities. Nearby higher areas contain Black Box ( Eucalyptus largiflorens ) woodlands and
14541-842: The western plains where the town of Hay , the Muthi-Muthi along the Lowbidgee, Gurendji and the Yida-Yida of Oxley. Along both sides of the Murray River lived the Yorta Yorta people inhabiting the area of the Riverina as far east as the present day city of Albury and as far north as the Finley and Deniliquin districts. The Murray was also home to other groups such as the Bangerang , Baraba-Baraba , Wemba-Wemba , Wadi-Wadi, Dadi-Dadi and Paarkantji communities. The rivers played
14672-632: The wheat crop and required populations in northern Victoria to cart water. Into 1945, large rivers virtually dried up, with most of the Hunter River ceasing flow and the Hawkesbury drying up at North Richmond . There was no flow in the Murray above Echuca . Adelaide faced water shortages while main Victorian water storages were empty in April 1945 and water restrictions were imposed as far north as Townsville. Dust storms blanketed South Australia, northern Victoria and southern New South Wales through
14803-565: The winter, nights can be considerably cold with cool to mild days. Mean daily maximum temperatures in the Riverina range from 31.0 °C (87.8 °F) in January and 12.4 °C (54.3 °F) in July in Wagga Wagga to 33.2 °C (91.8 °F) in January and 14.8 °C (58.6 °F) in July in Hillston . Under the Köppen climate classification , the region predominantly falls in
14934-694: The year was very low over the southeastern quarter of the Australian mainland, with much of the region experiencing totals in the lowest 10% of historical observations, and was particularly low over the mainland southeast from April onwards. The state of New South Wales was declared to be 100% in drought by August 2018, remaining at 98.6% into May 2019; by May 2019 65.2% of Queensland was also declared to be in drought. Two southern parts of Western Australia were declared "water deficient" by May 2019 after months of drought, with other drought affected areas including central and east Gippsland in Victoria, and parts of eastern South Australia. On one-to-two-year timeframes to
15065-552: The year. Corowa , in the south eastern Riverina has an average rainfall of 539.4 millimetres (21.2 in) per year while mean annual rainfall at Hay is 367.2 millimetres (14.5 in). Drought in 2006 saw the lowest ever recorded rainfall in towns such as Lockhart , Tarcutta and Narrandera . Despite the very low elevation compared to other regions of the state known for colder winters, snow has been recorded on multiple occasions in Albury and Wagga Wagga, and on 24 July 1936
15196-478: Was again affected by El Niño conditions. It was, at the time, Australia's fourth driest year since 1900. The El Niño weather pattern broke down during 2003, but occasional strong rainfall in 2003 and 2004 failed to alleviate the cumulative effect of persistently low rainfall in south-eastern Australia, with some measurement stations having recorded below average rainfall for eight consecutive years. Rainfall in early 2005 remained below average, and better rainfall in
15327-689: Was again greatly affected by drought. Conditions had been dry over the centre of the continent since 1957 but spread elsewhere during the summer of 1964/1965. This drought contributed to the 1967 Tasmanian fires in which 62 people died in one day and 1,400 homes were lost. The drought in 1982–83 is regarded as the worst of the twentieth century for short-term rainfall deficiencies of up to one year and their over-all impact. There were severe dust storms in north-western Victoria and severe bushfires in south-east Australia in February 1983 with 75 people killed. This El Niño-related drought ended in March, when
15458-411: Was built. Its replacement, a two-storey brick structure also called the Rankins Springs Hotel, had taken its place by early 1930 “erected at a cost of many thousands of pounds”. On 31 May 1939 a fire "completely gutted" the Rankins Springs Hotel. The fire had started early in the morning in a billiard room adjacent to the hotel. The flames, fanned by a strong breeze, quickly spread to
15589-478: Was coined by Dunmore Lang who translated it from the Spanish. Dunmore Lang was also involved with the short-lived Riverina secession movement which was active in the 1860s. The movement was inspired by the success of the Victorian and Queensland secession movements and motivated by a desire to draw more public funds to the region and maintain the favourable land tenure the " squatter " pastoralists enjoyed. With
15720-569: Was dedicated as a reserve in 1963. Pulletop was the location of intensive scientific research that began in 1951 into the behaviour and ecology of the malleefowl by Harry Frith , who was based at Griffith and worked for the CSIRO. Frith wrote nine scientific papers on the species as well as an important popular book, The Mallee-Fowl : The Bird That Builds an Incubator (1962), which included guidelines for malleefowl conservation. Isolated and surrounded by cleared farmland, Pulletop Nature Reserve
15851-488: Was eventually decided to transfer the license to a new hotel to be erected on land acquired at Rankins Springs village by the hotel owner, John Baxter. The new hotel, named the Rankins Springs Hotel and described as "an up-to-date two-storey brick building", was completed by September 1928. A police station was opened at Rankins Springs in October 1928. The new Rankins Springs Hotel was destroyed by fire soon after it
15982-768: Was formerly a state forest dedicated in July 1979 (with extensions added in May 1981). Jimberoo National Park was reserved on 1 January 2011 and consists of 1161 hectares. It was established "to protect remaining areas of cypress pine woodlands" within "a heavily cleared agricultural region". Jimberoo National Park is a part of the rocky ridges and foothills that extend through the Cocoparra, Conapaira and Naradhan Ranges. Woodland communities dominated by bimble box ( Eucalyptus populnea ), white cypress pine ( Callitris glaucophylla ), Dwyer's red gum ( E. dwyeri ) and black cypress pine ( C. endlicheri ) are found within
16113-601: Was little fencing and the sheep were brought back to camps each night by the shepherds. The camps named on the map include Stockyard Camp, Mick's Hill Camp, Columba Camp, The Gums Camp, Coonong Camp, and Sydney Gate Camp. Messrs Watt & Thomson, the owners of an adjoining property, "North Urana", subsequently purchased "Cocketgedong" from Brock & Hardie, giving them a total area of approximately 65,000 acres. In 1904 D & W Gibb, Wool Brokers in Melbourne, purchased "Cocketgedong" which comprised 45,000 acres freehold and approximately 20,000 acres Crown Leasehold. After World War I,
16244-463: Was located in a separate building that functioned as a store. On 12 February 1887 the mail coach travelling from Cudgelligo (Lake Cargelligo) to Whitton stopped at Rankins Springs to collect mail, before proceeding on its way. Soon after leaving Rankins Springs the driver “pulled up to open the gate at the Four Mile” when “a masked man appeared with a rifle, stuck him up, and asked him for
16375-424: Was never completed. The Murray River bridge between Robinvale and Euston was instead converted to a road bridge, which will be demolished when the new road bridge currently under construction is completed. The Stony Crossing railway line was built from Kerang to Murrabit in 1924 and Stony Crossing (originally called Poonboon) in 1928 under an agreement with New South Wales. No passenger services were carried on
16506-617: Was no longer significant, the weirs supported irrigation. Irrigation in the region continued to develop with the construction of the Hume Dam between 1919 and 1931, the Burrinjuck Dam built in 1928 and Blowering Dam built in 1968. Development and promotion of the MIA led to large scale settlement on land described by Oxley 100 years earlier as "country which, for barrenness and desolation, can I think, have no equal." Settlers came from
16637-488: Was profound, with millions of cattle dying, many because the stock routes south were too dry to sustain their journey. Artist Sidney Nolan , on commission from the Brisbane Courier-Mail , produced a series of photographs of their dried carcasses, but the results were judged by editors to be too confronting and the article carried his drawings from the pictures instead. From 1965–1968, eastern Australia
16768-514: Was transferred to William Campbell under the terms of a ten-year lease. In 1926 the Rankins Springs Hotel was described in the following terms by Sergeant Sykes, Licensing Inspector for the Licensing District of Hillston: In January 1923 a railway line was opened connecting Rankins Springs region with Barmedman, a station on the central western railway connecting Lake Cargelligo to Cootamundra. The new railway line by-passed
16899-499: Was tried at the Hay Quarter Sessions in March where he was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to “ten years penal servitude”. In June 1888 the publican's license for the Rankins Springs Hotel was transferred to Alfred Marshall, who held the license for the next five years. The “permanent spring of fresh water” on the freehold land adjoining the hotel maintained its flow during the 1888-9 drought that devastated
17030-558: Was worth more than A$ 1 billion. The region produces: In 1991–92 sheep and lamb numbers in the region were close to seven million and there were 500,000 meat cattle. The Riverina is also a significant almond growing region. Much of the dryland areas of the Riverina contain large sheep stations , producing medium class wool . The Peppin Merino sheep was first bred in the area around Wanganella . As many as 70 percent of today's Australian Merinos are said to be directly descended from
17161-552: Was “a two storey building, containing 17 bedrooms, two parlors, two lounge rooms, several bathrooms”, with “hot water connected throughout”. The new hotel, named the Conapaira Hotel, boasted a “new and modern bar which has an excellent refrigeration service” provided by a £700 “electric plant”. In 1951 a film titled Rankins Springs is West was released by the Shell Company of Australia to promote “modern kerosene burning appliances for country folk”. Described as
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