 |
|
Mildura – Upland In May 1981 Mayor Lloyd Beasy and Mayoress Glenna Beasy attended in Upland, by civic invitation, the 75th Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the City of Upland. Strong ties with Upland were formulated during that official visit.
The same year an Upland Sister City group made a reciprocal visit to Mildura as the first official visit to the new Association to share in the 1981 November American Thanksgiving Dinner. Each year the Mildura association concludes its year in November celebrating American Thanksgiving day. In August 1984, 18 Uplanders came to Mildura as official guests of the City Council and the Sister City Association, to share in Mildura’s 50th Golden Jubilee celebrations. The charter of the Mildura Sister City Association is to act for the Council and Community in fostering the friendship as agreed on the 1969 declaration of friendship. The Association is a City Council authorised organisation and is an auxiliary arm to Council. The Association meets quarterly and anyone interested in sharing in this most satisfying fellowship is encouraged to join. Mildura, Victoria Australia Upland, California USA Abundant water from the San Antonio Canyon drained into the Santa Anna River, to the Pacific Ocean.
The great Wagon Trail rush to open up the West in the late 1770’s passed through Upland to Los Angeles. In the main “Euclid” Avenue of Upland stands a “Madonna of the Trail” Statue, honouring the arrival of Jedediah Smith in California in November 1826. The Chaffey’s bought land and developed an Irrigation System, harnessing the water running waste to the sea. They gave 320 acres for the now famous Chaffey College. They planted Eucalyptus, Grevilleas and Peppercorn trees in the double-lane Euclid Avenue and divided the land into 10 acre lots – with Avenues and Streets. In 1886 the Chaffey’s left their flourishing Irrigation Project to commence a new colony in Mildura, Australia similar in every way to their project in Upland, California. Upland quickly grew to 1500 people in 1910, 3,000 people in 1920 and 5000 people in 1930. Today, Upland is largely a bedroom community for greater Los Angeles being some 50 miles east of LA. Tody the vines and citrus have all but disappeared being replaced y homes which back up to the San Antonio Heights from where George Chaffey first dreamed his dream. |
Upon their return, a public meeting was called by Mildura City Council to hear a report of the visit and to consider forming a Mildura Sister City Association. 120 people attended and formally recommended to “City “Council that a Sister City association be formed.
Besides being a leading agricultural centre, Mildura and the surrounding area incorporated Mildura Rural City is a hub of tourist activities. A vibrant city with close proximity to the outback, it attracts one million visitors each year. Paddleboats and other water sports, boating, waterskiing and swimming, attract water lovers. Find food and marvellous wineries attract gourmands. Numerous festivals including the Mildura arts Festival, Mildura Country Music Festival and the Mildura International Balloon Fiesta are enjoyed by many. Mildura is located amid several National Parks boasting indigenous wildlife including kangaroos, emus, goanna and fabulous birdlife.
Descendants of the Shoshone, Indian Tribes lived in the hills.