Compiled from the Daily Advertiser
by the Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society
25 Years Ago
- Landscaping costs for the new Civic Centre have blown out by more than $500,000 with construction due to begin shortly.
- Wes Cooney is retiring as principal of Ashmont Public School and will be replaced next year by John McGrath.
- In a reception at the Oura Hall, president of the Riverina Group of the Country Women’s Association, Julie Morrison presented State CWA Jopling Scholarships to David Smith and Clinton Taylor and Oura CWA Branch president, Denise Smith presented the Oura CWA Scholarship to Scott Campbell.
- Vicki Shearer and Heidi Wilcox were among those joining in the large crowd of merrymakers at Romano’s Hotel Christmas Eve party.
- The Sixth Wagga Cubs held a Christmas party and donated gifts to the Smith Family, which was represented by area manager, Tim Gleeson.
- Three-year-old, Kate Smith was among patients delighted by Santa’s recent visit to the Children’s Ward at Wagga Base Hospital.
- Wagga City Council has dumped a plan to ban mobile food vans from the central business district.
- A police traffic blitz targeting drink-driving with random breath tests resulted in nine charges.
- The annual Calvary Hospital Christmas stocking competition was drawn at the Wagga Marketplace with Ted Coupe and Sister Brigid Gleeson from Calvary and Steve Atkinson and Sandra Johnstone from Marketplace on hand for the occasion.
- Councillor Jim Eldridge lost his bid to retain chairmanship of Councils finance committee with a recission motion defeated by nine votes to six.
- Bill Byrne from the Tolland Newsagency confirmed that a middle-aged woman from Tolland had won $50,000 with a $1 scratch lottery ticket at his store.
- The Riverina Conservatorium is expected to benefit from grants of more than $500,000 to music conservatoriums in regional New South Wales.
- A shock win to Lake Albert Gold over RSL was the highlight of last weekends round of the Wagga and District Cricket Association under 16 competition.
- Shoppers were out in force this week in a last-minute Christmas shopping spree.
50 Years Ago
- Seventy-eight young boys and girls from Sydney and throughout the Riverina have arrived for the first of three ten-day camps to be conducted at the Borambola National Fitness Camp during the school holidays.
- The Department of Education will start its second series of learn to swim classes next week.
- Miss Betty Condon of Thompson Street said that she was treated like one of the family when she visited Wagga’s Sister Cities of Nordlingen and Leavenworth recently.
- The new Miss Wagga will be crowned by Mayor of Wagga, Ald M Gissing at a glittering ceremony at the Wagga Civic Gardens on Saturday night.
- A man from Bourke, pleading guilty to a drink driving charge told Wagga Court that there were no traffic lights at Bourke and that he had driven through a red traffic light in Wagga not knowing he was meant to stop.
- A crowd of about 10,000 are expected for the 28th annual Tumbarumba New Year’s Day rodeo.
- Hardy’s End-of-Year Sale includes Ironing boards for $7.95, Garden spades for $2.50 and Yard brooms for 89 cents.
- Wagga stud masters, Noel and Bruce Hedditch paid 5000 guineas for the English stallion Silkie Sovereign which will stand at Bourkelands stud at a fee of $700.
- Wagga Base Hospital Chairman, Mr L Kennedy paid tribute to Mr Theo Smith who has died after serving as a director of the hospital for at least 27 years.
- South Wagga Bowling Club president, Ron Harrison is pictured in the Daily Advertiser with two of the club’s past presidents, Aub Loch and Alec Cross.
- Show Society secretary, Mr W Lampe said that despite Sydney Royal Easter Show increases he did not expect admission charges to the Wagga Show to change in 1972.
- Des Gibson, John Ansell’s Jazz Band and The Ansell Sisters will all be featured at this years Leagues Club New Year’s Night Revels.
- Riverina people holidaying in Sydney can obtain the Daily Advertiser on the day of publication from Humphreys Newsagency, Manly or the Central Railway Station Bookstall.
- Noahs New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance will feature the Kingsmen.
- Contractors are predicting a bright coming year for building construction with building construction for the past 12 months amounting to more than $7 million.
- Promising Wagga junior tennis player, Kaye Hallam won the under 15 singles title of the Australian Underage Tennis Championships at North Manly.
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
