Dareton is a town in the far west of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located on the Silver City Highway, 1,025 kilometres west of the state capital, Sydney 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 at the 2021 census. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point, Merbein and Red ...

, across the border in Victoria. Part of the

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

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 federated state, state, province, division (politica ...

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

Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray; Ngarrindjeri language, Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta language, Yorta Yorta: ''Dhungala'' or ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is List of rivers of Australia, Aust ...

, 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 Aus ...

Test cricket Test cricket is a Forms of cricket, format of the sport of cricket, considered the game’s most prestigious and traditional form. Often referred to as the "ultimate test" of a cricketer's skill, endurance, and temperament, it is a format of i ...

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

History

Dareton had its genesis in 1922 with the recommendation to establish

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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, 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.

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 New South Wales soldier settlements 1922 establishments in Australia Wentworth Shire