Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith is a small city and Local Government Area in south-western New South Wales, Australia. Like the Australian capital, Canberra, Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. Griffith was named after Sir Arthur Griffith the first New South Wales minister of Public Works. Griffith was proclaimed a city in 1987.
The entire area of the City of Griffith has a population of 24,000. Griffith's neighbour, Leeton has a population of 12,000 and these two towns are two of the only towns in New South Wales with a positive growth rate. This shows the uniqueness of the MIA and what growth is expected for the area in the near future.
It can be acessed by road from Sydney and Canberra via Hume Highway and Burley Griffin Way and from Melbourne via the Newell Highway and either by using the Kidman Way or the Irrigation Way.
History
Griffith was established in 1916 as part of the Australian Federal Government's Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) project to supply irrigation from the Murrumbidgee river in western New South Wales to be used for farming. Principally fruit especially citrus and rice farming.
From its earliest days, the MIA was populated by Italian workers some of whom were initially employed by Australian farmers to run steamboats on the Murrumbidgee and Murray River. Approximately 50% of today's Griffith population claim Italian background. These include the initial settlement of Italians from the boat crews and other Italians who came out to Australia in the Depression, or from a second wave of immigrant Italians who came to Griffith in the late 1950s and early 1960s after Australia opened its immigration to Europeans other than the English.
In the 1970's, Griffith was often associated with drug distribution (particularly marijuana) and organized crime. However, Griffith is now associated with good wine and food, primarily as a result of the large Italian population. Griffith's multi-cultural population is now absorbing new national groups, including a significant Sikh Indian community and large Tongan community. Only a small proportion (approximately 25%) claims Anglo-Saxon ancestory. The city is sister city with the Italian town of Treviso in the Veneto area. Many Italians in Griffith are from the Veneto region or the Calabria region of Italy.
Griffith is the cathedral city of the Anglican Diocese of Riverina. The foundation stone of the Parish Church of St Alban the Martyr was dedicated in 1954. It was proclaimed as a cathedral in 1984.
Commerce
Griffith is the regional service centre for the vast Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area - the most productive agricultural and agribusiness region in New South Wales, if not Australia. Thanks to irrigation Griffith is rich in agriculture and it is only appropriate that the city is known as Australia's "Wine and Food Country". Fine wines, international standard restaurants, an incredible range of fresh produce and opportunities to visit farms are only a small part of the varied experiences available.
Attractions
Griffith has attractions such as Pioneer Park, a 510 seat Regional Theatre with a soft sculptured curtain, the Italian museum celebrating the contribution made by the Italian community of Griffith, the Griffith Regional Art Gallery, and craft and antique shops. Many of the Griffith wineries also have wine tasting at the cellar door, notably De Bortoli Wines http://www.debortoli.com.au, McWilliams http://www.mcwilliams.com.au, West End Wines http://www.westendestate.com, Miranda Wines http://www.mirandawines.com.au and Riverina Wines http://www.riverinaestate.com. Griffith is famous for its botrytis including Debortoli's Noble One and its fortified wine such as McWilliams' Hanwood Port. Ecotourism is also available in Griffith. Scenic Hill - and its resident kangaroos - has walking trails, lookouts and is home to the Hermit's Cave. Nericon Swamp is one of only 40 world listed habitats for migratory birds. Nearby Cocoparra National Park offers walking trails and there are opportunities to explore along the Murrumbidgee River and Lake Wyangan. It is the home of the World's Largest Barrel. There is also a big aeroplane down the main street (Banna Ave.). Griffith is now getting a 2000 sq. metre Roxy cinema complex. A monument on the Banna Ave. has just been demolished and is apparently being replaced with a new one. The old one was to commemerate 50 years of Griffith. Griffith, however, has often been criticised for accepting retail development too quickly for it's population. Some say that Griffith is going to experience urban decay once too much retail has been built in the town as Griffith does not have the population to support it.
Griffith is a cathedral city, St Alban's Cathedral being the seat of the Anglican bishop of Riverina.