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.[4]
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.[5] The same agricultural show is still held annually on the first Sunday in September (Father's Day).[6]
Heritage
The Finley Railway Precinct[7] 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.
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.
