Sunraysia

The Sunraysia is an illdefined district, sometimes incorrectly referred to as an economic region, located in northwestern Victoria and southwestern New South Wales in Australia. The region is renowned for its sunshine, intensive horticulture including grapes and oranges, and grain farms. Its main centre is Mildura, Victoria.EtymologyThe name Sunraysia is derived from a contest that entrepreneur Jack De Garis held as part of a promotion in 1919 on behalf of the Australian Dried Fruits Association. The public were invited to submit a name which described the dried fruits grown in the Mildura district. The winning name was Sun-Raysed, and this was extended to describe the district as Sunraysia. De Garis's 1920 established newspaper Sunraysia Daily borrowed the name accordingly.The area of Victoria to the west of Sunraysia is known as the Millewa, the main distinction being that Sunraysia is the irrigated area and Millewa is the dryland cropping area.