leeton is a town in the riverina region of southern new south wales, australia. it is about 550 km west of sydney and 450 km north of melbourne in the murrumbidgee irrigation area, leeton town population in 2016 was 6,931. leeton is in one of the most productive farming regions in the state, the town was designed by walter burley griffin and purpose-built for the irrigation schemes announced by the new south wales government in the early 1900s. citrus, rice, cotton, grapes, walnuts and wheat farms can all be found throughout the leeton shire. leeton is called "australia's rice capital" and as "the heart of sunrice country", as it is home to the sunrice headquarters. other industry includes the arnott’s group (previously freedom foods), the daily drinks co., jbs australia, webster limited (walnuts and cotton) and murrumbidgee irrigation limited.