Finley, New South Wales

Finley is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest town in the Berrigan Shire local government area. At the 2016 census, Finley had a population of 2,519 people. The town is located approximately 140 km west of Albury on the intersection of the Newell Highway and Riverina Highways.

Settlement
Europeans first settled the area around Finley in the early 1840s, with wheat becoming the main crop.

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.

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.

The Finley Agricultural & Pastoral Association was formed in 1912 and held its first show on 17 September 1913. The same agricultural show is still held annually on the first Sunday in September (Father's Day).

Heritage
The Finley Railway Precinct is listed as a heritage site due to its pioneer station group with the building and platform located at ground level (Yass Town being the only such other building). The yard contains much of the original layout and buildings with intact goods shed, gantry crane, lamp room as well a small second station building.

The site represents the then outer limits of railway expansion, the intense competition between states for trade and the change in attitude to railway construction in the outer areas of New South Wales. It was a terminus from 1898 until the line was extended to Tocumwal in 1914.

Education
Finley has two primary schools, St Joseph's School, (Roman Catholic) and Finley Public School. Finley High School attracts students from a wide catchment including the towns of Berrigan, Tocumwal, Jerilderie and Blighty.

Finley is also home to a campus of Riverina TAFE.

Sport
Australian rules football, cricket and netball are all very popular in the town. Sporting teams include the Finley Football Club, which competes in the Murray Football League. The town also offers soccer, touch football, basketball, tennis and a Pony Club.

The Finley Rodeo Committee holds an annual rodeo every January and Finley Apex Club hosts a tractor pull every February.

Finley has an 18-hole green grass golf course and two bowling green locations.

Finley formerly had a rugby league team, the Finley Tigers, which competed in the Group 17 and Goulburn Murray competitions. The Tigers won the Group 17 Reserve Grade premiership in 1975 and the Goulburn Murray First Grade title in 2002.

Notable residents

 * Jack Hawkins - Former Geelong Australian rules footballer
 * Tom Hawkins - Current Geelong Australian rules footballer
 * Allan Jeans - Former St Kilda and Hawthorn coach of Australian rules football
 * Shane Crawford - Former Hawthorn Australian rules footballer and 1999 Brownlow Medallist, 2019 I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here contestant
 * Mark Whiley - Former GWS Giants & Carlton Blues Australian rules footballer
 * Kram, Damian Whitty and Janet English - members of rock band Spiderbait
 * Pamela Bone - Journalist and human rights advocate
 * Craig Giles - musician
 * David Murphy