Whitton, New South Wales: Travel guide and things to do

Located 626 km south-west of Sydney via the Hume and Sturt Highways and 24 km west of Leeton, Whitton, first settled in the mid-nineteenth century, is the oldest town in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. In the early days the settlement was called 'Hulong'. It developed on one of the main routes used by teamsters who were moving people and goods into the south-west of the state. In 1881 a railway arrived and the town became a railhead. Four years later it was gazetted as Whitton after the first engineer of NSW Railways.

Today Whitton is a tiny town of 400 people with huge rice and grain storage facilities for the surrounding area.

Things to see

Courthouse and Gaol Museum
The Courthouse and Gaol Museum is in Gogeldrie St. The courthouse building dates from 1890 and houses early farming and irrigation equipment, photographs and other exhibits of local history. There is a lovely old steam-driven traction engine out the front. It is open 10-1 on Tuesdays and 1-4 on weekends or by appointment (02-6955 2691).

Historic Buildings
Other buildings of historical interest are the post office, which has its original counters and safes, the McGaw Presbyterian Church (1900) and St John's Anglican Church (early 1890s).

Gogeldrie Weir
14 km to the south-east is Gogeldrie Weir, a pleasant picnic spot with barbecue and toilet facilities.