MILDURA.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18725, 23 June 1926, Page 18

MILDURA.

IRRIGATION ROMANCE. DEATH OF PIONEER, (iboh ora own coaasaroHUßNT.) SYDNEY, June 17. With the recent death of Mr W. B. Chaffey at Milduia, the Victorian irrigation township on the River Murray, Australia, has lost one of her greatest pioneers. Mildura is now a household word ■• in Australia, for in that, district are grown most of the dried fruits used on Australian tables, and probably it is as widely known in New Zealand. With his brother George, irlr W. B. Chaffey, who was Canadian born, came, to Australia from California in 1886 to answer a, call to found irrigation settlements. To his wise vision and lion-hearted courage Australia owes ite first and most prosperous irrigation settlement. It was, too, the successful development of Mildura, through his faith in and devotion to the practices of irrigation and dry-farming that set an example and stimulus in their practice throughout Australia. To him might be given the title of "father of Australian irrigation." •, The story of the success of this vigorous Canadian's devotion to his fulfilment of a dream of prosperity in his adopted country reads like a romance. Forty years ago the country round Mildura was unproductive, rabbit-in-fested land, with a six-inch rainfall, worth but 2s Gd a square mile. Today it is not far from fulfilling' the prophecy of Mr Chaffey himself—that it will be one of the world's most productive centres. To-day £6O an acre is the average value of the 42,000 cultivated acres at Mildura, which produce annually well over £1,000,000 worth of fruit. They support a population of 10,000 people, and produced last year 10,000 tons of dried fruits, as well as 6000 tons of grapes for wineries, 900 tons of canned fruit, and 150,000 cases of fresh. fruit.

Steadfast Faith. That this great adventure survived the fierce struggle of development was primarily due to the men who sponsored and matured it. They were Messrs W. B. and George Chaffey, and they had seen what the marriage or land and water had done for California. They made it do the same for Australia. The Victorian Government granted'the Chaffeys 50,000 acres on the lower Murray, and the right to. purchase 200,000 adjoining acres at h\ per aero. In return the Chaffeys were to develop an irrigation settlement and all necessary works to the amount of £300.000 within 20 years. At the end of sis years 3500 people were settled at Mildura/and the Chaffeys had spent £350.000. Then through increasing production came adversity because marketing arrangements were inadequate. Defections among the settlers became common. At the time of stress-the. encouragement and active assistance which the Chaffeys .deserved was not given by either the Government or the people. George Chaffey returned to the United States, but in Mildnra's blackest days, when the Chaffeys were reviled by settlers as the authors of their misfortunes, \\.«. held on. studying the market problem as he had the cultural. ' ely with others he founded at' tor low-grade fruits and fruit- '>ca by rain. This gave growers an increase of £6 on the £ll 10s per ton they had been receiving in Melbourne. From then on the tide turned. 'Hie faith of "W B " had been tried, and not found wanting. Ho was almost, financiallv ruined in the process, and later when production again • became too great'for marketing capacity, Wvtf. Chaffey founded the Australian Cried Fruits' Association . Mr Chaffev continued to take an active interest in the affairs of MiJdura until four,years ago. wuen „ n lt health broke down. 8 nf age at the time of his death. Mr 'Chaffey to the last took a keen interest in the child of. his happy, not only because the settlement had returned some of his lost wealth, but also.because he had made the desert blossom.