Compiled from the Daily Advertiser
by the Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society
25 Years Ago
- Riverina Health Service chairman, Joy Ross, is seeking an urgent meeting with Health Minister Andrew Refshauge to push for reinstatement of redevelopment funding at Wagga Base Hospital which has been cut from an estimated $4.2 million to $1 million in this week’s State budget.
- Show Society Secretary, Bruce Mulqueeny, estimated that attendances and gate takings at the Wagga Show last week were the highest in the 130-year history of the event.
- Murdoch McLennan has stepped down as a Murrumbidgee Turf Club committeeman, after 32 years on the board, the past seven as president.
- Sturt Mall owner Marjen Pty Ltd signalled their intention to take legal action in a bid to block the $24 million dollar Woolworths development planned for Baylis Street.
- A new “Wagga Main Street Committee” with interim chairman, Bob Connolly has called a public meeting in a bid to make the central business district a “vibrant and people friendly place”.
- Husband and wife team, Jill Garner and Lindsay Davis from Melbourne have won the international competition to design Wagga’s proposed $12 million civic centre.
- Restoration work on the Ladysmith Railway Station is going full steam ahead with the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the start of fund raising.
- Wilma Arnold, Mavis Taber, and Ivy Dallas are pictured in the Daily Advertiser with the Reverend Kevin Farrelly attending an ecumenical thanksgiving service for National Carers Week at St Paul’s Anglican Church.
- Well-known local travel consultants, Lisa Pleming, Darryl Jones, and Melanie Childs have joined together at Jetset Travel in Baylis Street.
- Grace Alberni was awarded first prize for her bulbous flower arrangement at last week’s Wagga Show.
- North Wagga Australian Football Club held its presentation night with award winners including Steven Ryan, Dean Parry and Paul M Irvine.
- Wagga’s “Grey Ghost” Police Parking Patrol Officers remained working despite work bans imposed in metropolitan areas.
- CSU lecturer, Roland Bannister has returned from a trip to Croatia where he presented a paper at a study group conference of the International Council for Traditional Music.
- Fourteen Wagga Accountants were honoured by their colleagues for contributions to the Wagga Community over more than three decades.
50 Years Ago
- Mount Austin High School principal, Mr C S Oliver banned sixth form pupils from the school to avert last day student pranks.
- District Telephone Manager, Mr F W Earle told the Member for Farrer, Mr Fairbairn that rapid development south of Fernleigh Road had exhausted telephone cable availability and no new connections would be possible for at least five months.
- David Jones company chairman, Mr Charles Lloyd Jones said that David Jones was considering a number of proposals for the future operation of its Wagga store which had not been trading as profitably as other branch stores.
- The Wagga Ambulance Younger Set is holding its General Meeting this week at the Ambulance Station in Johnston Street.
- More than 100 Wagga and District Scouts based at Oura are taking part in the worldwide “Jamboree of the Air”.
- Mrs Ellen Sullivan, 96, was named as Wagga’s oldest resident in a competition conducted in conjunction with the opening of the Coles New World Supermarket in Gurwood Street.
- Teachers College students voted 260 to 34 to strike for three days in a protest due to “the inadequacy” of recent student salary increases.
- Manager of Wagga’s St Vincent de Paul store, Mr Reg Howard, said that the Society had helped almost 1000 people in Wagga and District in the past 12 months.
- Miss J Holloway from Wagga Quota Club presented a cheque for $125 to Mrs M Taber, secretary of the Wagga group of the Australian Association for Better Hearing.
- The first Wagga Postal Institute Ball was held at the Police Boys Club.
- Wagga and District Historical Society held a meeting at which Mr K Swan was elected President and Messrs E Cuthbertson, S Altman and Mrs John Walsh were elected as vice-presidents.
- Mrs W D Bryson presented the Bryson Cup for best average attendance at branch meetings to Cartwrights Hill president, Mrs M Thomson, at the Riverina CWA Group Conference held at Collingullie.
- Manfolds in Baylis Street are selling Osti shifts for $4, maternity wear for $8 and frocks priced from $16.
- Top Riverina golfers, Jim Stenmark and Jim Speirs are locked together on 156 at the head of a large field after the first 36 holes of the 1970 Wagga Country Club Golf Championships.
Membership of the Wagga Wagga and District Historical Society is open to anyone with an interest in the local and regional history of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. For more information about us and information on how to join our Society visit our website at https://www.wwdhs.org.au/about-us/members
