26th April 2025
Compiled from the Daily Advertiser by the Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society.
25 Years Ago
- Huge crowds packed Wagga Streets and around the Cenotaph for Wagga’s ANZAC Day parade followed by wreaths being laid at the Cenotaph by representatives of Wagga City Council, the RSL Sub-Branch, the Army Recruit Training Centre at Kapooka, RAAF Base Wagga, New South Wales Police and others including 24 local schools.
- John and Norma Beutle and Arthur Herwood were among those attending a Beaufighters reunion to coincide with ANZAC Day.
- Rikki Davis, Kylie Humphreys, Mikala Grosse, Sally Peacock and Kristie Charlton have been announced as entrants in this year’s Miss Wagga Quest.
- Athol and Laura Price from North Wagga celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary at the Wagga Commercial Club.
- CSU student, Fiona Reid was presented with her Kapooka-Legacy scholarship by Kapooka Commandant, Colonel Michael Crane and Legacy Committee chairman, Don Paul.
- Professor David Green is the new head of campus at Charles Sturt University Wagga campus following on from Professor Kath Bowmer.
- Wagga’s Sturt Mall with Coles supermarket, Kmart and 44 specialty stores and with an estimated net income of $3.5 million is up for sale.
- After almost 20 years in the NSW Ambulance Service, Wagga’s acting station officer, Graham Pyne was farewelled by colleagues at the Wagga RSL Club before taking up a new appointment with the ACT Ambulance Service.
- Dana Crowe and Catherine Alston have been selected to play with the under 16 NSW Combined Catholic Colleges hockey team at the Australian Championships later this year.
- Member for Riverina, Kay Hull has secured a $1.38 million grant for a state-of-the-art Residential Drug Rehabilitation Program at Calvary Hospital.
- The second ever Rotary World Peace conference will be held in Wagga later this year.
- Former Australian wicketkeeper, Ian Healy, will speak at a Wagga Forum aimed at strengthening the partnership between government departments and regional employers.
- Wagga police responded to more than 300 incidents of domestic violence in the final three months of last year although police believe domestic violence is still underrepresented in reports of crime to police.
- Rising costs have forced the cancellation of the Drink Link bus service which has provided a late night-early morning service between the city and outer suburbs for just over three years.
- Jennings Homes is withdrawing from Wagga and regional Victoria at the height of one of the busiest building periods the city has ever seen.
50 Years Ago
- More than one thousand people attended the Golden Gown Award Presentation Evening at the Plaza Ballroom which saw 17-year-old Margaret Craig as this year’s winner of the Golden Gown Award.
- For the second year in succession Tony Quinlivan Menswear won the Best Dressed Window in Wool competition held in conjunction with the Golden Gown Awards.
- Following the resignation of Mr K A Buntain 2WG has announced the appointment of Mr C J Couldrey as Station Manager.
- The Federal Minister for Education, Mr K E Beazley opened the new library and classroom extensions at St Michael’s Regional High School accompanied by St Michael’s principal Reverend Brother P M McKeon.
- Carlo Donebus, Allan Newbound and Ron Mitchell were among sixteen South Wagga Lions Club members at working be at the Crippled Children’s Society Home in Halloran Street.
- Duke of Kent Hotel licensees J & P Oakley announced that they have been granted a 12 pm licence for their new Levee Lounge which is now operating every night.
- Wagga’s first computer service bureau opened this week with major users including Bells Soft Drinks, Commerce Permanent Building Society, Hardys, Huthwaites and De Bortolis Wines.
- Premiers of the Wagga Cricket Association A grade competition, RSL, held their presentation evening at the RSL Club. First grade captain, Stan Michael is pictured with the premiership shield along with Greg Fitzgerald who won the batting aggregate Ron Jennings who took out bowling honours.
- Outstanding greyhound Kumara Chief owned by Graham Kennedy is an early favourite for next months Skippa Cup at North Wagga following his record-breaking win on the track last Friday.
- Wagga’s Mates store is switching to computerised cash registers to facilitate service to customers and to the stores accounting department.
- Riverina capped a fantastic fortnight when they defeated Illawarra 18-4 in the final of the Caltex Rugby League championships at Wollongong Showground.
- Brilliant young fullback Greg Brentnall has his foot in the door of Rugby League following his selection in the Country Team to tour Queensland this week.
- The Wagga Chamber of Commerce is urging everyone requiring accommodation to register with the Housing Commission in the hope that by increasing the Housing Commissions waiting list, authorities will allocate more funds to Wagga.
- Cheques totalling $2,600 are to be sent to the Sydney Headquarters of Save the Children Fund by their Wagga branch.
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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