AGY-1137 | Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust

Full description

The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Act, 1910 (No.42 1910) commenced on 28 December 1910 and constituted the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust to undertake the development work for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust consisted of the Secretary for Public Works, the Secretary of Lands, and the Minister for Agriculture. The first meeting of the Trust was held on 13 January 1911. Mr L.A.B Wade, Chief Engineer for the Irrigation and Drainage Branch of the Department of Public Works, was temporarily appointed to the position of Executive Officer and Secretary to the Trust. At the end of 1911 Mr Wade was permanently appointed to this position although he continued to carry the title Chief Engineer for Irrigation, Department of Public Works, and acted in a consultative role for that Department when required. (1) The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust acquired land under the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area Resumption Act, 1910, (Act No.13 1910) either by purchase or resumption and decided on a policy of concentrated irrigation of the most suitable lands. The irrigation areas were to have distributary channels (lateral and minor) and appropriate access roads. With the exception of the "buying officer in Sydney" all Public Works and Trust staff connected with the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area were transferred to the local office at Leeton by the end of June 1912. From July 1 1912 these officers worked as a separate unit responsible to the Minister for Public Works as Chairman of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust. (2) Townships were established at Mirrool and Yanco with the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust responsible for the construction of streets, sewerage systems, and the water supply. (3) The Trust appointed a Special Land Board on 15 May 1912 to deal with applications for portions of the first subdivision which were made available on 29 May. The Land Board was established under section 29 of the Crown Lands Amendment Act, 1912 (Act No. 6 1912), A series of conditions for perpetual leases of irrigation farms were also developed. (4) Assistance to settlers involved the erection of houses, supply of building materials, fencing posts, ploughing and grading of 10 acres, and head ditching, with repayments over a ten year term, plus supply of fencing posts, lucerne seed, horticultural stock for cash at cost price. The lessee or purchaser was provided with a contour plan of the farm and implements could be rented. A small nursery at Yanco experimental farm was established with a larger nursery at Leeton prepared for construction. Agricultural research encompassed fodder grass, fruit growing, and trees for timber. (5) FOOTNOTES (1) Report of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Trust for the eighteen months ended 30 June 1912 in the Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales 1912 Vol. 3 page 8. (2) Loc cit. page 8. (3) Annual Report of the Department of Public Works for the year ended 30 June 1911 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly Third Session 1911-12 Vol. 3 page 505. (4) Op cit. page 13. (5) Op. cit. pp. 14-15.