In Wagga’s Past – 25 and 50 Years ago.

19th October 2024

Compiled from the Daily Advertiser by the Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society.

25 Years Ago

• Mayor, Kevin Wales attended a seminar at Wagga Base Hospital to encourage rural students to take up medicine and return to their hometowns to practice.

• Monica Baker and Marg Pendrick were among those attending the 60th-anniversary reunion of the Volunteer Aid Detachment (VAD) held at the Wagga RSL Club.

• To celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the Wagga Women’s Health Centre, two original founders and workers at the centre, Jan Roberts and Bev Stewart have compiled a book, We’re Not Ladies, we’re Women.

• More than forty former students and their guests including Pat Kennedy, Peter McMeekin, Owen Geale, Andrew Chapman and John Sellwood attended the 20-year reunion of St Michael’s High School’s Tear 10 class of 1979 held at the Oura Winery.

• Bruce Mulqueeney has retired after 10 years as secretary of the Wagga Show Society.

• Hore and Davies staff, including Sue Newbigging, Faye Pappas, Rhonda Winson, Lyn Posselt, Fiona Allen, Sheree Martel, Joanne Claffey, Doug Newbigging, John Davies, Robert Davies, Andrew Tucker, Payl Irvine and Athol Boney proudly displayed their Daily Advertiser advertising award, the fifth they have won in six years.

• Wagga City Council’s fire control officer, Joe Knox said that local rural firefighters do not intend to join a group of rebel volunteers in other parts of the state who are looking to form a splinter firefighting group.

• Wagga’s Wesley Methodist Church is celebrating its 50^th anniversary.

• Concerned resident, John Marshall, is outraged that several trees, many more than a century old, are to be removed from the Wagga Tourist Caravan Park.

• Mark Saddler and neighbouring businesses are concerned that there will be a serious accident at the intersection of Lake Albert Road and Copland Street if visibility problems are not resolved soon.

• Wagga Crows charged to the top of the Konica Cup ladder with an impressive win over Western Districts at the Wagga Cricket Ground.

• Caloola Court Centre for Aged Care is celebrating its 20^th anniversary.

• Wagga City Council is planning to spend $547,000 on bikeways in the city over the next three years.

• A major Rotary Conference due to be held in Wagga next year which was expected to attract 400 visitors to Wagga has been cancelled because Wagga does not have “the style of venues” wanted by the director-elect for the South-West Pacific region of Rotary International.

• The cost of subdividing rural residential land may rise substantially following a council sub-committee meeting this week.

50 Years Ago

• Methodist minister, Rev E A Roberts, who was a minister at the Wesley Methodist Church from 1960 to 1966 and who founded Meals on Wheels in Wagga in 1961 died in Sydney at the age of 66.

• The Wagga Jazz Club is meeting at the John Macarthur Grill room at 8 pm with a donation of 50 cents requested.

• Mrs Norma Donald and Mrs Alice Deacon presented a cheque for $1100, the proceeds of the highly successful Quota Club Crafterama, to Sister Stephen, Sister-in-Charge at Loretto Home of Compassion.

• Jim Braid from Wagga Motors presented the RAAF with its 18^th driver-training car under the GMH Student Driver Education Plan.

• John Ricardo and his wife Lyn are expanding Ricks Jeans and Sportswear at 32 Fitzmaurice Street two years after opening the store and are offering a 10% discount on all makes of denim jeans.

• Dudley Ross of Holbrook and Hugh Mackay of Henty have won the grand champion pasture feed steer trophy in the Wagga Beef Cattle Society competition.

• About 45 families evacuated last week from flood-bound North Wagga have begun to return home.

• A contract for the first stage of the Edward Street underpass has been let to Wagga-based firm, Siebels Bros Pty Ltd.

• Talks are underway which could see the integration of the Wagga Agricultural College and the Riverina College of Advanced Education.

• Three players, Peter Friedlieb, Malcolm Briggs, and Col Rava shared the honours at the Wagga Australian Rules Club’s annual presentation evening.

• Sturt Public School was officially opened by Minister for Mines and Power and Member for Wagga, Mr Wal Fife.

• Craig Hines and Stephen Kiddle won best and fairest awards with the Ashmont Junior Australian Football Club.

• Wagga School of Arts is presenting Stop the World – I Want to Get Off, starring Colin Anderson.

• Alderman Peter O’Halloran was elected as Chairman of the Southern Riverina County Council.

• Construction will begin before the end of the year on the new $1.25 million creative arts centre on the north campus of the Riverina College of Advanced Education.

• Miss Vicki Raper was judged the regional Queen of Hearts winner at a glittering ceremony at the Wagga Leagues Club.

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