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

1st March 2025

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

25 Years Ago

• Past and present members of the Save Our Base taskforce gathered to celebrate the news that the future of the Forest Hill RAAF Base was secure while the Prime Minister, John Howard remained in office.

• Wagga’s new Catholic High School designed to cater for 700 students will be built at Lake Albert next to Mater Dei Primary School.

• Awards for outstanding voluntary community service achievements were presented as part of Rotary Peace celebrations to Oasis Club president, Harry Hutton, Councillor Yvonne Gilchrist and Peter and Joan Saboisky of the Edel Quinn Shelter.

• SES Director General, Brian William Howard, local SES controller, Peter Jamieson, Mayor Kevin Wales and member for Riverina, Kay Hull were among those attending the opening of Wagga’s new SES headquarters.

• Retailing giant, Harvey Norman will be an anchor tenant of a $10 million home improvement centre planned for the two-hectare parcel of vacant land next to Hungry Jack’s and the former Sizzler restaurant in Hammond Avenue.

• Member for Farrer, Tim Fischer officially opened the new Wagga Specialist Medical Centre which includes seven specialist medical suites and ten two-bedroom serviced apartments to be leased to resident medical staff at Wagga Base Hospital.

• Wagga’s Jenny Garrett and Mark Bishop are pictured with trophies they won at the 12^th annual international Bodybuilding Championships held at Dubbo last weekend.

• Wagga’s Deputy Mayor, Michael Georgiou launched Council’s Rural Heritage Study to be undertaken by Peter Freeman Pty Ltd.

• Paula Mitchell was awarded a New South Wales Institute of Sport netball scholarship, the first of its kind in the Riverina.

• Wagga rugby union identity, Mick McTaggart, has decided to stay in Wagga and not take the chief executive officer position he accepted only last week.

• Wagga City Council’s director of recreation and cultural services, Kerry Geale has warned that the popularity of the new Wagga City Library has led to the library facing a budget blowout for the 1999/2000 year of about $85,000.

• Lorren Hull, manager of student administration manager for Charles Sturt University’s Wagga campus said that the student intake of 1158 new students at the Wagga campus was the best through the Universities Admission Centre for five or six years.

• After more than 30 years based in Wagga, transport giant Finemores has moved its headquarters to Laverton, near Melbourne.

• Paul Hagenbach who is project co-ordinator for the Civic Theatre upgrade has also been appointed as project co-ordinator for Wagga’s $10 indoor aquatic centre.

50 Years Ago

• Dr Albert Pugsley’s team at the Wagga Agricultural Research Institute has bred a new semi dwarf wheat, adaptable to early sowing.

• Slim Dusty and his Travelling Country Band are playing this week at the Civic Theatre.

• A $6000 eye and general operating microscope was presented to Wagga Base Hospital by District 210E Lions Clubs.

• Miss Trixie Read will be honoured on International Women’s Day this week as Wagga’s Woman of the Year.

• Life memberships were presented to Wagga RSL Sub-Branch members, Phil Engelbrecht and George Simpson.

• Apex members, Brian Roberts and Terry Dwyer are pictured demolishing a house in Crampton Street raising money for club funds.

• Lake Albert has a new postie, Mrs Gail Davies, the first woman to be employed in that role in Wagga.

• The Young Labour Social Club is holding a Wine and Cheese Night this week at the Tourist Hotel Wine Cellar.

• Lynn Campbell and Greg Knight were inducted as Captains at Kooringal High School with Carol Jaques and Geoff Fisher as Vice Captains and are pictured with P&C president, Dr John Tunley and principal, Mr George Barbour.

• John Cosier, a lecturer in textiles at the Riverina College of Advanced Education is pictured with one of the prints which will be displayed at the Artifacts, Arts and Crafts Gallery beginning next week.

• The Wagga Women’s Branch of the Liberal Party was addressed by the vice-president of the NSW International Women’s Year Committee, Mrs Maureen Giddings.

• A pre-school has opened at the Riverina College of Advanced Education, staffed by a qualified teacher and open each day 9.30 am to 12.30 pm during the college semester.

• Fruit Inspector, Kevin Harvey, said that neglected backyard fruit trees presented a major problem in the fight against fruit fly in the Riverina and that a team of inspectors would soon be visiting backyards to see how homeowners are complying with the Plant Diseases Act.

• The Australian Boy Scout Association has awarded its Medal of Merit to Neil Skeers, Camp Warden and Commissioner of the Wagga District.

• Ten new homes, costing $154,000 are to be built in Wagga for the Housing Commission of NSW by Seibels Brothers Pty Ltd.

• Wagga Basketball Association 11, 13 and 15 years girls’ teams have all qualified for the grand finals of the Riverina Intertown competition.

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