Leeton Art Deco Weekend 2024

30 July 2024 / Words Rod Nicholas, Photos Rod Nicholas, Jo Blackburn, Michelle Ducat

Last year, we joined the Illawarra Chapter for a fun run to Leeton to experience some of the Leeton Art Deco Festival. It was something I thought our Chapter would enjoy, so I started planning. As it turned out, I was quicker than the festival committee, but I was assuming the festival would go ahead even if there were delays in working out the program.

No one seemed worried—I had a full list of takers withing a week or two or advertising the run, and we were going to explore Leeton’s environs even if the festival didn’t happen.

And so it was, that on a grey and chilly morning a bunch of MX-5s (and one lone Golf R)—12 cars and 22 members—lined up in a carpark at Hall ready for starter’s orders.

Forsaking the dreaded Hume Boreway, we shot off through Yass and travelled a twisty little track through Rye Park to Boorowa for a quick recaffeination stop. Then more rural roads to Young, wonderfully empty of other users, although not far out of Young the road looked like a scene from the Three Little Pigs—there was straw and hay blown all over the place. We soon rounded up a moving haystack—the truckload of stockfeed remarkably intact—and passed in quick order (the lurking menace of the Golf R showed it has plenty of ‘up an at ‘em’ when called upon).

Onwards to our lunch stop at Temora, at the White Rose Café. The super-friendly staff were well-prepared for an invasion of MX-5ers, and they took our orders promptly and fed us with zero fuss. The tucker was good, and we all agreed the cafe should feature in any return run.

Temora to Leeton was more good rural roads, marred only by the driver of a large SUV towing a van who seemed oblivious to the line of sports cars behind him. The long straight stretches of road allowed for safe and speedy overtaking manoeuvres by all, but it was disappointing to observe that the huge mirrors on the SUV did not appear to work.

On arrival in Leeton our group split up to book into the accommodation for the next two nights, the Hydro Hotel and the Motel Riverina, both well-located just a short stroll from the town centre. And the Soldiers Club where we dined that night. The Hydro is a beautiful old place, opened in 1919, originally built to house executives of the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission who were supervising construction associated with the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme. (Leeton itself is a creation of the MIS, and its first buildings were erected in 1911 and 1912, and business and town development over the next three decades gifted the Leeton Shire a legacy of beautiful Art Deco buildings.)

Saturday was devoted to attending a variety of events of the Art Deco Festival. Our group dominated the Art Deco Walking Tour. Our heritage specialist guide revealed wonders of a by-gone era all around the town centre—from the gorgeous Roxy Theatre (built in 1929 and being sympathetically refurbished to reflect its history) to the Walter Burley-Griffin designed Chelmsford Place and the Water Towers, to pubs, shops and government buildings (some cruelly damaged in the name of progress and commerce). There were cabarets, smokehouse dinners, dance workshops, afternoon teas and art deco crockery, cocktail making classes and whiskey tastings—something for everyone. High rollers celebrating period-style entertainment with play-money gambling, jazz, flappers, and speakeasies. And among it all, folks from all over Australia dressed in their finest dapper suits, fancy frocks and art-deco-era clothes. Our own John Brown, and Mike & Cathy Phillips looked a treat!

Our Sunday route home was a bit of a meander, designed to take us past several water-tank and silo artworks. The timetable was tight if we were to see them all as planned, but plans are … subject to change. The first stop was Narrandera, and the artwork did not disappoint. From there to Lockhart for a somewhat smaller, but still impressive work. A journey around town led us to several impressive scrap-metal structures, well worth seeing, and an impromptu comfort stop. This in turn led to a mini mutiny as some of the assembled demanded (in the nicest possible way) a stop for coffee.

Now, we were in Lockhart, population about 800. It was Sunday morning. It was VERY quiet.

Scouring the main street revealed a sausage sizzle set up to feed folks attending some sort of rummage … sorry, antiques, sale but no coffee. A few doors down, the café was open, and I tried to usher our mob into it. Some came, others split off to the pub, which also offered coffee (or something approaching it). Sometime later, with the mutineers caffeine-starved mob back at their cars, I declared that a short-cut was necessary if we were to get to the designated lunch spot. Fearing the evil glint in my eye, they all agreed with the new plan and off we went.

Lunch at The Mock Orange Café in Lake Albert proved to be just what we needed; a good feed and more than decent coffee. I offered alternatives for the route home; head back towards Gundagai via the Stuart Highway, or follow me on a more interesting run along the Oura and Nangus Roads. Worried about a repeat of my stink-eye, they all fell in line behind me. A jolly good move, as it turned out to be a great deal of fun. Nice winding roads, good surface, little traffic and a good clear day. Just what the Convenor ordered. Unfortunately, we all then had to endure 90-odd minutes of the Hume to get home, but so it goes.

Our trip to Leeton was a great success, heartily enjoyed by all. The Festival is worth a peek and may be subject to a repeat visit, if I can find some suitably retro clothes to wear.

If you are interested, the map links are:
Day 1 – Canberra to Leeton: Google map Day 1
Day 3 – Leeton to Canberra (with artworks): Google map Day 3 - with artwork