Compiled from the Daily Advertiser
by the Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society
25 Years Ago
- Wagga’s Saturday night late night bus trial funded by Wagga City Council for three months has begun in Baylis and Fitzmaurice Streets with links to many suburbs.
- Russell Crowe and his band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts played at the Broadway Entertainment Centre.
- Reverend Doctor Kevin Matthews has been appointed rector of Vianney College replacing the foundation rector of the college, Bishop of Wagga, William Brennan.
- Wagga High School students from the graduating class of 1953 enjoyed themselves at a reunion dinner held at the Carriage House Motor Inn.
- Wagga gift shop owner, Barry Jessup who is retiring later this week was treated to a surprise 70th birthday party at the Bridge Steakhouse.
- Edna Thompson is pictured in the Daily Advertiser inspecting plants on offer at a garden stall at St. Aiden’s Presbyterian Fete.
- Norma Richardson, from the Wagga Commercial Club, has been chosen in the NSW women’s bowling team to play ACT.
- Alf and Elaine Dudley are pictured with Squadron Leader, Neville Gregory enjoying a party held in the officer’s mess at the Forest Hill RAAF Base.
- Mayor, Peter Dale, is hopeful that the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games will do something about Wagga’s shock omission from centres to be visited by a travelling Olympic exhibition.
- A new modern Mazda showroom opened at Wagga Motors.
- Wagga job seekers on the dole queue dropped from 3394 in February to 3319 in March.
- Wagga City Council is likely to approve plans for a medical centre next door and linked to Charles Price pharmacy in Baylis Street.
- John Serong and George Wilson have joined R H Blake and Co stock and station agency, which has been trading since 1899 making it one of the oldest private businesses in Wagga.
- A new indoor arena was opened at Charles Sturt University’s Wagga Equine Centre.
- Wagga’s International Raceway is facing possible closure following several poor crowd attendances.
50 Years Ago
- Traffic was banked up to a mile on each side as the Hampden bridge was resealed following recent major renovations.
- Jack McIntyre, president of the Wagga Radio Cabs Co-operative announced that passengers would now pay an extra 10 cents flag fall, the mile rate would remain unchanged at 24 cents and a new telephone booking fee of 5 cents would be introduced.
- Wagga representative team captain, Derek Rogers, received several trophies at the Wagga Cricket Association’s annual dinner held at the RSL Club.
- Ald Frisby told Wagga City Council that the establishment of a fun parlour in the city would be a retrograde step as it would attract a bad element and encourage loutishness.
- Three hundred people attending an Easter Ceremony on the footpath outside Wagga’s Greek Orthodox Church were disturbed by a man, who said he could not wait for three minutes and drove his car through the centre of the gathering.
- To mark the 51st anniversary of the formation of the RAAF about 1000 airmen from the RAAF base at Forest Hill marched through the city with the Mayor, Ald M Gissing taking the salute outside the council chambers.
- An Air Force display in Rava’s has been arranged to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the RAAF.
- Tom Port, previously Wagga City Council’s public relations officer has been appointed as Council’s new Industrial Promotions Officer.
- An interim Parents and Citizens Association was formed for the soon to be constructed Kooringal High School with Dr John Tunley elected president, Mr Bob Woods, as secretary, and Mr Jim Laing as treasurer.
- Wagga City Council agreed in principle to establish a stock route surrounding the city including the construction of low-level bridges east and west of Wagga.
- Individual campers using the Wagga Tourist Caravan Park in the first quarter of the year increased from 1725 to 2149 over the last twelve months.
- Jim Stenmark hit another course record of 67 off the stick at the Wagga Country Golf Club.
- A thirty-acre block of land just off Mitchell Road was sold on account of Ross Harvey to John Salmon for $10,600.
- Mr Joe Conran has retired from Lawrence and Hanson Pty Ltd after 42 years of service.
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
