28th June 2025
Compiled from the Daily Advertiser by the Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society.
25 Years Ago
• The sixth annual “Operation Winter Warmth” has begun with Army, Navy and Airforce personnel collecting donations which are passed onto St Vincent de Paul, Smith Family, Salvation Army and Mission Australia for distribution to needy families.
• Ron Finemore recommended that shareholders in Wagga based Finemore Holding Limited accept an offer valued at more than $119 million from Melbourne based rival group Toll Holdings.
• Wagga City Council invited tenders to dismantle and remove the disused Chaston Street gasworks.
• Outgoing District Governor, Nevin Hughes handed over to District Governor elect, Ray King at the Rotary District 9700 changeover dinner.
• President Wayne Ingram told an emergency meeting attended by more than 70 people at the Wagga Rules Club that the future of the Wagga International Speedway was very secure.
• Alice Swan celebrated her 102nd birthday at the Wagga Commercial Club with family including, her son John Swan, and daughters Nell Melville, Lillian Bye, Elsie Cochrane, Cath Sweeney and Alice Cochrane.
• Wagga Rotary Club President, Kevin Power presented Paul Harris Fellow awards to Hany Hanna and Ronald Ducie.
• Incoming president Ken Post took over from President Harry Wilson at the South Wagga Rotary changeover dinner.
• Therese Crouch, Scott Chambers, Bruce Neville, Joyce Byng, Peter Mahoney, Leanne Palmer, Ros Salzke, Norm Byng and Lee Smith are pictured with a cheque for $12,251, the proceeds of an extremely successful trivia night raising funds for Wagga’s Radiotherapy Appeal.
• At the Kooringal Rotary change over dinner at the Commercial Club incoming President, Dennis Bishop took over from President Jim Tweedle.
• After almost half a century of service to General Motors Holden beginning in 1952 with Wagga Motors, Des French, well known in Wagga sporting circles, is retiring.
• Deputy Federal Government Whip, Senator Helen Coonan, is visiting Wagga and will be guest speaker at a meeting of the Wagga Women’s Branch of the Liberal Party.
• Mount Austin’s Gumnut, Brownies and Girl Guides had a special gathering to mark the retirement of their district leader, Margaret Headley.
• A public lecture addressed by Peter Dunn Director of the Gilmore Centre for Rural Health Improvement attracted a large crowd to the Wagga City Council meeting room.
• Wagga builders disputed the results of a survey which claimed Wagga to be the fourth most expensive place to build a house in New South Wales.
• Wagga City Council will spend $120,000 on a “surface enrichment spray treatment” which is expected to delay the need for a major upgrade of the main runway surface at Wagga airport by up to seven years.
50 Years Ago
• In a quest conducted by the Crippled Children’s Society, Wagga Mum, Mrs Sue Griffin, the 29-year-old mother of four young children was crowned in Sydney as Mrs N.S.W.
• Wagga’s Town Planner Sel Rawlings and his wife Olive were among the 40 sets of parents who watched their daughters make their debut at the Masonic Ball.
• Mrs Avril Orme was granted Australian citizenship at a ceremony in the Mitchell Shire Council Chambers with Mitchell Shire President, Cr. Ron Harris.
• Alison Brunskill is pictured reading from the Gospel during the Wagga School of Philosophy marathon readings designed to celebrate 2000 years of Christianity.
• Mrs F G Armstrong, Mrs O Smith and Mrs M Jobbins representing the Wagga Base Hospital Auxiliary presented a cheque for $4,500 to Mr J H Kennedy, representing the Hospital Board, to purchase equipment.
• Officer Commanding RAAF Base Wagga, Air Commodore G E Prosser is to retire soon after 37 years’ service in the RAAF.
• Tony Easdown is the new President following the Wagga Lions Club 18th changeover dinner with other office bearers including Noel Squire, Stan Anderson, Harry Hendriks, Bruce Mulqueeny, Greg Burns, Ken Brown, Roy White, Albert Burgman, Jarvie McNickle, Les Bagley and Tom O’Halloran.
• Incoming president, Alan Pearson, took over from outgoing president Herb Smith at the 45th Annual Change-Over dinner of the Wagga Rotary Club.
• Mr Geoff Dale and his wife Hilda celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at a party held at the home of their son and daughter-in-law, Peter and Barbara Dale.
• Federal Senator, Margaret Guilfoyle, Opposition spokesperson on Education, addressed more than 220 people at a luncheon held at the Wagga Leagues Club.
• Chris and Michael Flynn are pictured enjoying the snow-like covering which followed a severe hailstorm.
• Nearly 300 people attended a Public Protest Meeting at the Plaza Theatre to hear local Parliamentarians explain an enormous escalation in Workers Compensation.
• A Poplar Road home was extensively damaged by fire with a fire alarm being credited with saving their lives.
• Students at the Riverina College of Advanced Education withheld their rent payments to protest an increase in student accommodation rentals from $10 to $11 per week per student.
• A record number of entries are expected for the 47th Annual Wagga Poultry Club Show to be held in the Charles Pendrick Pavilion at the Wagga Showground.
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
