Main Street, Griffith

Griffith NSW 2680 (Pop 15 383 and 25 000 for Griffith City area)

Griffith is located 613 km west of Sydney via the Great and Mid Western Hwys in SW NSW. Original inhabitants were the Wiradjuri Aborigines with white settlement beginning in 1817. Once part of two large sheep stations, the dry plains were transformed by Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme (1906) and are today Australia’s richest tract of agricultural country. Like Canberra, Griffith was designed by American architect, Walter Burley Griffin and named after Sir Arthur Griffith, the first NSW Minister of Public Works.  Early Italian migrants introduced their traditions of viticulture and market gardening and today the surrounding wineries produce 80% of the state’s wine grapes and 20% of Australia’s. Rice and citrus fruits are also both important industries. Food and wine festivals include La Festa (Easter) & UnWINEd in the Riverina (June). Festival of Gardens (Oct).

Tourist Attractions & Info:
Hermit’s Cave, Scenic Dr (1920s) built by eccentric Italian, Valerio Recitti who lived there until 1952.  He cleared and decorated the caves moving hundreds of tons of rock and creating massive stone galleries and pathways, cliffside gardens and floral painted rock walls. To remain unseen he worked at night and early in the morning establishing his own private utopia. Pioneer Park Museum, Remembrance Dr  open-air museum of 40 historical buildings in 11 ha of natural bushland. Griffith Regional Art Gallery, Banna Ave.

Nearby:
Cocoparra NP (25 km n-e) 8 358 ha area of cypress pine forests, wattles, orchids and ironbarks. Ladysmith Glen a narrow gorge 33m deep cut into the rock by Jack’s Creek with prolific birdlife and wildlife. Lake Wyangan (10 km n-w) excellent fishing, boating, sailing and plentiful wildlife.

Accommodation:
Griffith has 10 motels, 2 hotels, a B&B, 4 holiday cottages/units, 2 farmstays and two caravan parks. Visitor Information Centre: Cnr Banna & Jondaryan Aves. Tel (02) 6962 4145 or 1800 681 141.  

Airport:
Griffith Airport (GFF) Old Aerodrome Rd. (4 km north of CBD).
 
Hospital:
Griffith Base Hospital, Warrambool St. Tel (02) 6969 5555.