Designed by Walter Burley Griffin, the architect who designed Canberra, Griffith is situated in the heart of the rich farming land created by the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme.There are many market gardens and a strong mediterranean look and feel to the town with half the population of 15 000 being of Italian extraction. There are close to 20 wineries in the area where you can taste the local produce.
Citrus orchards line the way into GRIFFITH, with a range of low hills in the background. The major centre of the MIA, it’s known for its large Italian population and their enduring cultural life, despite the fact that some of the families arrived here around the time of World War I. More came in the 1920s, having already tried mining in Broken Hill, and the area attracted post-World War II Italian immigrants as well. Needless to say, a string of excellent Italian cafés and restaurants line the tree-filled main street of Banna Avenue, and the majority of wineries are run by Italian families. Designed by Walter Burley Griffin, the landscape architect from Chicago who was responsible for Canberra, the city has since grown beyond his plan.For free maps and information, head for the Griffith Visitors Centre, on the corner of Jondaryan and Banna avenues (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 9am–3pm, Sun 10am–2pm; tel 02/6962 4145). During the week, they can arrange for you to hop on a school bus-run (7–9am & 3.30–5pm) to see the surrounding district, its rice paddies, citrus and stonefruit orchards and vineyards, for around a dollar.
An even better way to get an overview of the area is to head for Scenic Hill, the escarpment that forms the northern boundary of the city. The Sir Dudley de Chair’s Lookout gives a panoramic view of the horticultural enterprises below. Immediately beneath this rocky outcrop, is the Hermit’s Cave where Valerio Recetti, an Italian immigrant, lived alone and quite undetected for ten years until an accident in 1935. Working only at night and early in the morning, he made a home in the caves he found in the cliff, and created cliffside gardens. One cave contained a small shrine where you can still see a painted cross. During World War II he was interned in Hay (around 150km to the west of Griffith) – as were most of the local Italians – and in 1952 he returned to Italy, where he died.
Pioneer Park, in an extensive bushland setting 1.5km west of the lookout and 2km from the city centre (daily 8.30am–5pm; $5), has 36 buildings re-creating the era of the early MIA. The most interesting part is “Bagtown”, a reconstruction of an early makeshift town built in 1910 to meet the needs of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area canal workers and pioneer farmers, and so-called because the homes were made of hessian cement bags with corrugated iron roofs.
There are sixteen wineries, many Italian-run, in the area surrounding Griffith. Nine are open to the public, and detailed in the Griffith Visitors’ Guide booklet available from the visitors centre. The very first winery, McWilliam’s, was established in 1913 and holds tastings in a building resembling a wine barrel (Mon–Sat 9am–5pm); there are barbecues in the grounds. Several other wineries have been around for more than fifty years, dating from the post-World War I influx of Italian immigrants. One of these is Rossetto Wines on Rossetto Road, off Leeton Road (Mon–Sat 8.30am–5.30pm). Still run by the same family, it’s a down-to-earth, friendly concern known for its muscats and ports.
For accommodation, the popular Victoria Hotel, 384 Banna St, has basic rooms, but there’s a TV lounge with tea and coffee provided, a cool covered courtyard, counter lunches downstairs, and a bistro Thursday and Friday nights. You could also try the central Crown Hotel on Kooyoo Street, which has air-conditioned rooms.
There’s no shortage of good Italian places to eat and drink on Banna Avenue, with the pavement tables of the Bassano Café (Mon–Thurs 8am–6pm, Fri–Sun 8am–10pm) a good place to sample excellent coffee and delicious focaccia; you can also get pasta, homemade gelati, pastries and biscuits. The much cheaper cafeteria-style Bertoldo’s Pasticerria has budget-priced and filling pasta dishes. Casual meals are served at the Belvedere Restaurant and Pizza, 494 Banna Ave, while La Scala, at no. 455 (Tues–Sun 6pm–midnight), is a more upmarket (licensed) and expensive choice. Romeo & Giulietta, 40 Mackay Ave, uses a wood-fired oven for its delicious pizzas.
Around Griffith
There are two caravan parks, both 2km southeast: the Leeton Caravan Park and the Gilgal Family Holiday Centre, on Corbie Hill Road. The last one caters more for tourists with a better range of facilities. The large, tree-filled property at Gilgal is also a great spot to pitch a tent, with cheap rates for pickers. Despite the Italian population, Leeton feels less cosmopolitan than Griffith, but you can nevertheless enjoy an Italian meal at the MIA Social Club on Racecourse Road (daily from 3pm; tel 02/6953 4357).
Cocoparra National Park
Much further away, on the flat plains 185km northwest of Griffith, is Willandra National Park, reached via Hillston (64km from Griffith) on the unsealed Hillston–Mossgiel Road. The park was created in 1971 from a section of the vast Big Willandra pastoral station, a famous stud Merino property which had operated since the 1860s, and now has several temporary wetland areas. As well as enabling you to experience the semi-arid riverine plains country at close quarters, a visit to the 1918 homestead gives an insight into station life and the wool industry. Wet weather makes all the roads to Willandra impassable, so check first with the park office in Hillston (tel 02/6967 9159; this is also the number for accommodation bookings, with shared rooms available in shearers’ quarters up to $18) – and take extra supplies in case you get rained in.
Events
- Griffith Food and Wine Festival (Easter)
For more information on Griffith, go to: