12th April 2025
Compiled from the Daily Advertiser by the Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society.
25 Years Ago
- Three of Wagga’s best known radio voices, Stephen Spink, Simon Smith and Jamie Chaux have fallen victim to a network restructure at broadcaster 2WG – 93.1 Star FM being told that their services would no longer be required.
- The Yunnan Agricultural Investment and Technology Group is visiting Wagga as part of Wagga City Council’s efforts to facilitate business through its sister city relationship with Kunming.
- Professional thieves are believed to be responsible for the brazen theft of two Kenworth prime movers valued at almost $400,000 from the Riverina Truck Company which were later discovered in bushland near Inverell.
- John Holle, Matthew Geaghan and Mark Grigg were among those receiving awards at the Leagues Club cricket presentation night.
- A mouse epidemic has gripped Wagga with hardware stores recording an increase in sales of rodent eradication items.
- Wagga Chamber of Commerce president, Steve Atkinson and Business Enterprise chairman Ian Begg have joined forces in calling for a more aggressive push to attract new Industry to Wagga.
- Emma Mullins was presented with the Carlene Quinlivan Memorial trophy as asthma swimming sports person of the year by Pat and Tony Quinlivan, parents of Carlene who died from asthma.
- Cecilia Gyles retired as Kooringal Primary School’s teacher-librarian after a teaching career spanning nearly 40 years.
- A block of land next to Grace Bros in Wagga’s central business district is being sold and will be developed into four shops with the possibility of apartments on top.
- Thomas and Elizabeth St Clair celebrated their 80th and 70th birthdays at the Rules Club with Elizabeth’s mother who has turned 90.
- The Murray Valley Hospital in Wodonga which operates a radiotherapy service claimed that the planned Riverina Cancer Care Centre threatened its viability as it had included Wagga as part of its catchment area for patients.
- 90% of Riverina survey respondents believe that a proposed Very High-Speed Train (VHST) between Sydney and Melbourne would be good for the nation.
- O’Connor House will increase services to aid illegal, illicit drug users after the State Government announced funding for five new beds at the centre.
- Wagga’s controversial Baylis Street pavers will be acid etched to reduce slipperiness which has plagued the city council’s multimillion dollar street upgrade.
50 Years Ago
- Wagga City Council and Wagga Police have authorised a starling shoot in a desperate attempt to rid the city these flying nuisances in Trail and Gurwood Streets.
- Wagga Jaycees president, Norm Byng and Jaycettes president, Jan Dowsett were among those attending a Civic reception tendered by Wagga Mayor Ald Dick Gorman for visiting national president of Jaycees, Ian Dow-Sainter.
- Jade Hurley and Colin Moses were among artists taking part in a special concert at the Wagga Leagues Club which raised more than $1,000 for the Prime Minister’s Vietnam Refugee Appeal.
- Leagues Club star all-rounder, Kevin Scanlon was presented with the first official cricketer of the year award at the Wagga Cricket Association annual presentation dinner.
- Two hundred and five students were presented with their degrees, diplomas and certificates by College Chairman, Peter Hastie at the Riverina College of Advanced Education Graduation Day held at the Civic Theatre.
- Wagga City Council rejected a Boundaries Commission proposal to double its area as it fell well short of Councils bid which was described by the Commission as excessive.
- Mrs H Grinter, Mrs A Uebergang, Mrs V Stephens, Mrs J J Burkinshaw, Miss R V Hulme, Mrs F Hough, Miss R Griffiths, Miss W Jack, Mrs E Smith, Mrs A Deacon, and Mrs W Rorrison are pictured attending a meeting of the St Andrews Heather Club which was held outdoors at the Memorial Gardens.
- Jack Hitchman of Slocum Street grew a two-pound ox-heart tomato in his backyard.
- A comprehensive Wagga Community Directory is currently being compiled by the Wagga City Library.
- Ald Patricia Clark criticised a Southern Riverina County Council requirement that female staff must resign upon marriage as discriminating against married women on their staff.
- Eric Barter was recently elected president of the Wagga Food and Wine Tasters’ Society at its annual dinner hosted by Toni and Geoff Webb at the Allonville Motel.
- Anne Brunskill and Katrina Powell have been selected in the N.S.W. State C.H.S. softball team to play Queensland.
- Four teams will play in the inaugural polo tournament to be held at the Tarcutta Racecourse this Saturday and Sunday.
- E C Hattam’s store in Baylis Street, which closed recently was sold at auction for $165,000 to Best & Less who have 16 general retail stores throughout New South Wales.
- Seven childcare centres in Wagga received grants totalling almost $8,000 from State and Commonwealth sources in the first three months of this year.
- Wagga Country Club champion, Morris Hetherington won the first ever Riverina District Golf Association veterans’ championship.
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
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