Dareton is a town in the far west of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The town is located on the

Silver City Highway Silver City Highway is a highway that links Buronga, New South Wales to the Queensland border via Wentworth, Broken Hill, and Tibooburra, in the arid Far West region of New South Wales; a short branch also connects to Calder Highway on the V ...

, 1,025 kilometres west of the state capital,

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

and 20 kilometres from the regional centre,

Mildura Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 in 2021. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point and Merbein are included, the area had ...

, across the border in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. Part of the

Wentworth Shire Wentworth Shire is a local government area in the far south-west Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. This Shire is located adjacent to the Murray and Darling Rivers. The Shire's major roads are the Sturt and the Silver City Highwa ...

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

, at the , Dareton had a population of 516. Located on the

Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest r ...

, the town is at the heart of the Coomealla Irrigation Area. Dareton was once home to an Aboriginal mission, which is now a residential area for Aboriginal people.

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

Test cricket Test cricket is a form of first-class cricket played at international level between teams representing full member countries of the International Cricket Council (ICC). A match consists of four innings (two per team) and is scheduled to last fo ...

captain Mark Taylor spent part of his early life in Dareton.

History

Rushton 4cyl oil-diesel engine, Dareton NSW

Dareton had its genesis in 1922 with the recommendation to establish

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...

in the area. Pioneering settlers moved to the district soon after, but it was not until after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and the establishment of soldier settler farms that Dareton began to prosper. Dareton is named for the then Water Conservation and Irrigation Commissioner

Henry Dare Henry may refer to: People * Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portuga ...

, who was a strong advocate for the irrigation scheme.Wentworth Shire Council
- Official website.

Today

Dareton today is a producer of grapes and dried fruit. It boasts a championship golf course and is a popular location for fishing and camping. A major local entity is the Coomealla Memorial Sporting Club. It operates a large gambling and social facility, plus various sporting facilities (including a golf course). The club was immensely popular with South Australians and Victorians looking for a pokies venue when they were unavailable in those states. Schools include Dareton Public School, Coomealla High School and the Coomealla Campus of the

Riverina Institute TAFE NSW is an Australian vocational education and training provider. Annually, the network trains over 500,000 students in campus, workplace, online, or distance education methods of education. It was established as an independent statutory bod ...

References

External links

Wentworth Shire Council
- Official website
Visit Mildura
- Dareton tourist site {{authority control Towns in New South Wales Populated places on the Murray River Australian soldier settlements 1922 establishments in Australia Wentworth Shire