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

4th April 2026

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

25 Years Ago

• Slim Dusty and his daughter, Anne Kirkpatrick, performed at the Wagga Civic Theatre as part of his “Looking Forward, Looking Back” tour promoting his 100^th album.

• The Premier’s Department has presented a cheque for $5,000 to Uranquinty Progress Association president, Katie Salmon, to be used to build monuments for the Uranquinty Remembers celebrations.

• Susan Cox became the first female to be elected to the committee of the Wagga Amateur Picnic Races.

• The Wagga and District Pony Club, located at Best Reserve in Ashmont Avenue, has been struck by vandals numerous times in the past, and most recently, the club has had its toilet block severely damaged.

• Wagga Chamber of Commerce and Industry launched a membership drive with the aim of signing up an additional 300 businesses to boost its membership to 500.

• Adam Rapmund, Samantha Pavitt and Louise and Jim Leahy were among those attending the recent Northcott Society Ball.

• Amcal Chemists’ business development manager, Alan Popely, presented Peter Gissing from Gissing’s Pharmacy with a certificate marking the Pharmacy’s achievement as the top pharmacy in Australia for private label sales.

• Cyclists Melissa Moffatt and Keith Rose are pictured after bringing home top results at the Junior National Trackside Championships recently.

• Chris Kendall from Wagga and Blake Newman from Griffith were among more than 100 budding junior tennis stars who took part in the Riverina Open Junior Championships, which is part of the State-ranked Shell Super Series.

• Secretary-manager Hohn Hodges said that a weekend vandalism attack at the Wagga Showgrounds caused an estimated $1000 worth of damage.

• In a shock move, the secretary-manager of the Wagga Leagues Club, Geoff Drummond, has resigned after only a few months in the job.

• More than 1800 CSU Riverina students will graduate this week, with six graduation ceremonies to be conducted at Joyes Hall over three days.

• Hotel licensee Dean Sutherland said the popular Red Lion Hotel is undergoing major renovations, with completion expected within the next two weeks.

• The biggest livestock sale in Wagga’s history is expected to be held this week with 42,400 lambs and 13,800 sheep offered for sale.

• Army Band Kapooka officer commanding, Major Patrick Pickett, who has led the band since 1993, has accepted a posting to the Australian Army Band Brisbane.

• John Brockhouse and Lionel Love were both awarded life membership when they retired from the Wagga Amateur Picnic Race committee.

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50 Years Ago

• Telecom Australia operators at the Tarcutta Street exchange are using a new cordless assistance centre, replacing their old, outdated cord switchboard.

• One of Wagga’s best-known and most respected businessmen, Mr Michael (Mick) Rava, who had been in ill health for several years, passed away at his Coleman Street home.

• The Riverina Australian Rules Club’s Bowling Club opened its greens with club president Bert Schmidt bowling down the first bowl watched by bowling club members, including secretary, Harold Rogers and senior vice-president, Jim Hill.

• Several hundred chanting, banner-carrying students from the Riverina College of Advanced Education marched through Wagga’s Streets from North Wagga and down the full length of Wagga’s main shopping streets to draw attention to the lack of library facilities at the North Campus.

• Kooringal Rotary Club Community Director, Kevin Warden, is pictured with trophies to be offered by the Club at the Kurrajong School for Retarded Children golf day to be held at the Wagga Country Club.

• Vice-president of the Ashmont Trail Riders Club, Miss D. Sheard, presented a petition to the Mayor, Alderman Dick Gorman, requesting use of a small area of the Silvalite Reserve for trail bike activities.

• Gumly Boys Home held its 20^th Anniversary Fete.

• A steering committee, chaired by John Lowing, with Keith Roberts as secretary and Jean Putland as treasurer, has been formed to investigate the possibility of forming a Wagga branch of the Australian Institute of International Affairs.

• Mrs Leah Aleksic and one of her three children, Katherine, both graduated from the Riverina College of Advanced Education this week with teaching degrees.

• Karen Smith is pictured relaxing between games at the Riverina open men’s and women’s amateur basketball finals, played at Kyeamba Smith Hall.

• Doug Priest has been appointed coach of the Farrer League for representative fixtures this season.

• Mr and Mrs Ron Shaw celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary at their Gurwood Street home.

• High Court Chief Justice Sir Garfield Barwick and Vice Chancellor Professor Rupert H. Myers from the University of New South Wales gave occasional addresses for two Riverina College of Advanced Education graduation ceremonies held at the Civic Theatre.

• Wagga City Council’s statistical section is predicting that the average price of a residential block of land in Wagga will be $10,000 by Christmas.

• The Casual Day Care Centre, which has been operating in the Salvation Army Hall in Morrow Street, has been closed but will reopen shortly.

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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