Centenary of Finley - Wheels of ProsperityPrint Page

The "Wheels of Prosperity" commemorates the centenary of the settlement of Finley in 1993. 

The memorial consists of three Dethridge Wheels which represent three major operations of the Berrigun Irrigation District and highlight the importance of irrigation with the district. 

The first permanent residence in the town was built in 1878. The post office opened on 1 January 1881 but was known as Murray Hut until 1893. Europeans first settled the area around Finley in the early 1840s, with wheat becoming the main crop.

The Finley Agricultural & Pastoral Association was formed in 1912 and held its first show on 17 September 1913. The agricultural show is still held annually on the first Sunday in September .

Periods of severe drought, combined with the Great Depression of the early 1930s, forced many farmers to abandon their holdings. In 1935, construction on the Mulwala Canal began in order to provide employment and bring water to the area’s rich farmland, with irrigation reaching the area in 1939, celebrated with a 'Back-To-Finley' event. This enabled the region to prosper with beef and dairy cattle, sheep, wheat, rice, barley, maize and canola.

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