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Riverina

The Riverina in southern New South Wales extends from the foothills of the Great Dividing Range to the flat and dry inland plains. Exact boundaries are flexible and different authorities define boundaries to suit their purposes. Biogeographers, meteorologists, local government and tourism bodies each have their definition of the Riverina. Here, the region is bounded on the south by the Murray River Valley, on the west by the Western Division plains, on the east by the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, on the north-east by the Southern Tablelands, and on the north by central New South Wales. Most accounts define Wagga Wagga, Griffiths, Leeton, Hay, Narrandera, Jerilderie, Deniliquin, Gundagai, Hillston, Temora and Junee as Riverina towns with Wagga Wagga accepted as the "capital". The foothills of the Great Dividing Range with their rolling hills and valleys form the eastern part of the Riverina. Elevation of 250 to 300 metres is common here with some hills higher and river valleys lower; elevation reduces as the traveller moves west and inland. These inland slopes of the Great Dividing Range were originally covered in eucalyptus woodlands but most of that has been cleared for cropping and grazing with a few remnants of the original vegetation. From the foothills of the Great Dividing Range the land trends gently downward towards the west onto and across the Riverina Plains becoming flatter and drier as it does so. By the western edge of the Riverina the land has sloped down to an elevation of 60 metres around the junction of the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers west of Hay. Climate varies from east to west across the region. January is the hottest month of the year in Hay and Gundagai at opposite ends of the Riverina, and July is the coolest in both (Gundagai has a mean maximum temp of 12.8° in July while Hay has 15.1° for the same month). June is the wettest month in both places but Hay averages 35.9 mm of rain in June while Gundagai averages 69.4 mm - nearly twice as much. Monthly figures reflect annual rainfall of 616 mm in Gundagai at an elevation of 250 metres in the foothills and 128 mm a year in Hay at an elevation of 93 metres in the middle of the wide-open Hay Plain. These difference reflect climate types in the region; east of a line north-south through Narrandera is classified as a sub-humid climate with hot summers and no dry season; West of Naranderra is dry semi-arid climate also with hot summers but more sporadic rainfall often relying on occasional, and unpredictable, thunderstorms. The foothills of the Great Dividing Range are a geologically complex mixture of sedimentary and volcanic rocks with faults trending north to north west; lines of hills have formed along more resistant rock with softer rock in valleys. Granite outcrops are common, sometimes as high blocky plateau features with rock outcrops and tors. Towards the western edge of the foothills, wide river valleys filled with alluvium are common. Mallee gum dominates areas of soil derived from granite while red ironbark communities occupy sandy soil derived from sedimentary rock. Other common communities include grey box woodlands, with yellow box, white cypress pine and belah occupying lower areas. West of Naranderra the Riverine Plains are formed of alluvial deposits from ancient rivers and the vegetation changes. Here the edges of watercourses subject to regular flooding are lined with river red gum communities edged by black-box woodlands. Further back from the water, where flooding is less likely, yellow box, grey box and cypress pine are found. Out on the open treeless plains, far from watercourses, saltbush and native grasses are dominant. Patches of sandy soil marking former levees, dunes and lunettes carry stands of white cypress. The Riverina from the foothills to the Newell Highway has been cleared of the original woodland and is now devoted to cropping and grazing sheep and cattle. In the central Riverina three irrigation areas have been established on flat terrain. The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area around Grafton and Leeton is devoted mainly to rice, grapes, citrus and fruit and draws its water from the Murrumbidgee at Berembed Weir. The Leeton Rice Centre describes the rice industry in southern New South Wales for visitors. Colleambally Irrigation Area, between Jerilderie and Griffith, is a newer irrigation area drawing water from the Murrumbidgee at Gogeldrie Weir. The third major irrigation project in the Riverina is the northern portion of the Murray Valley Irrigation Area where rice is grown around Deniliquin, Jerilderie and Moulamein. This large irrigation area draws water from the Murray River at Mulwala. Downstream of Narranderra individual weirs across the Murrumbidgee River retain water to supply local irrigation areas; Hay Weir is typical providing water for extensive vegetable farms supplying wholesale markets in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and major chains such as McDonalds, Coles and Woolworths. Fruit growing parts of the irrigation areas are included in a Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone with rigid rules about moving fruit and vegetables. When travelling in the area it is prudent to be familiar with these rules. The saltbush plains of the western Riverina have been sheep country for many years. In the late 1850s the area was used very profitably to fatten sheep for the Melbourne markets then one of the more successful sheep families, the Peppins, at Wanganella north of Deniliquin, turned their attention to wool. Working with Thomas Shaw they concentrated on breeding a Merino with a larger body and long legs making it an efficient forager in dry inland regions and producing a heavier fleece of long-fibre wool with high wool grease content protecting the wool and giving it a creamy colour. To achieve this goal they controlled and recorded all mating and lambing and ruthlessly culled unsuitable lambs. The Peppin bloodline is said to be present in up to 70 per cent of Australian Merinos today and is prevalent on the slopes and plains of New South Wales. The Peppin Heritage Centre in Deniliquin and Shear Outback in Hay inform and commemorate different segments of the Riverina wool industry. The Peppin Centre effectively describes the development of the Peppin Merino at Wanganella while Shear Outback concentrates on the shearer's craft and equipment. The Riverina can be summarised as being in three sections. In the east the foothills of the ranges have reasonable rainfall on river valleys and surrounding hills; the original eucalyptus woodland has been cleared for cropping and grazing. The second area is the irrigation developments of flatter land west of the ranges; there is lower rainfall here where farmers rely on water from the Murrumbidgee and Murray rivers to grow rice, citrus, grapes and vegetables. The third Riverina section is the flat, dry, saltbush and bluebush country of the western Riverina based on the Hay Plains; this was once the heart of a thriving sheep industry but cattle are increasingly being grazed here.

Information. ¶   Department of Meteorology website at http://www.bom.gov.au/climate ¶   NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change - Riverina Bioregion at http://www.environment.com.au ¶   NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change - South Western Slopes Bioregion at http://www.environment.com.au ¶   Australian Wool Innovation Limited at http://www.Woolinnovation.com.au/Education

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