October 31, 2026 by Peter Gissing · Leave a Comment(Edit)
Compiled from the Daily Advertiser by the Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society.
25 Years Ago
- Tidy Towns committee Chairman, Bob Williams, presented awards to top Garden of the Season winner, Maria Stephenson and Elaine Kelly, representing the “Street of the Season”, Berembee Road in Bourkelands.
- Two Local Government identities, John Harding and Terry Kiss, have been re-elected unopposed to the Wagga Mutual Credit Union Board of Directors.
- Wagga Chartered Accountant Andrew Boucher was elected as chairman of the Wagga Business Enterprise Centre. Other directors include Craig Couzens, Roz Harbrow, Ian Begg, Frank Corbett, Greg Bamberry, Daniel Donebus, John Rumens and Craig Taylor.
- Paul Sironen and Steve “Blocker” Roach, former rugby league forwards who played for Balmain Tigers in the 1980’s and early 1990’s as well as representing Australia, are among the retired football stars who will tee off this week in the Wagga police charity golf day.
- Felix committee members, Christa Lindsay, Teri Byrne and Sue Newbigging are pictured preparing for a charity fundraiser on Melbourne Cup Day.
- After four years of research, Wagga author June Sutherland launched her latest book “Grist to the Mill”, which deals mainly with William Farrers input in the wheat breeding industry of the late 1800’s.
- Wagga’s combined Rotary Clubs hosted a community forum on mental illness with Psychologist John Flockton and Rotary Health Research Fund co-ordinator Gabriella Roberts.
- The Holy Trinity Primary School basketball team, including Tegan Osburn, Lauren Peters-Saddlier, Sarah Dobson, Lani Hart, Taylor Brooks, Danielle Bayley and Teegan Scott, finished as runner-up in the New South Wales Catholic Schools basketball competition in Albury.
- Kapooka Army Recruit Training Centre celebrated 50 years of recruit training by opening a new Kapooka Historical Collection.
- Garry King is on his Harley-Davidson trike taking a break at the Mangoplah Hotel with Ross and Sue Geppert during a poker run to The Rock.
- Show bags surround Debbie Cox and Karen Dunlop as they prepare for the Kooringal Public School Fete this week.
- David Dunn is inspecting plants on sale at the Rotary Garden and Leisure Festival at the Botanic Gardens.
- Carlene Wooden is pictured enjoying an aerobics class for seniors as part of Active Australia Day.
- Wagga’s newest coffee lounge, Welcome to Bazza’s, opened for business at the Wagga Marketplace.
- Two Wagga City Council directors with nearly 50 years combined service, Tony Elphick and Kerry Geale, were told by telephone that they had missed out on top jobs in Council’s management restructure.
- Wagga businessman John Keyes was elected to a new vice-presidency position at the Wagga RSL Club.
50 Years Ago
- The Dunlop’s clothing factory in Wagga will close next February, throwing 70 people out of work.
- A packed congregation attended the special Centenary Service at St John’s Church of England conducted by the Archdeacon of Wagga, Ven. K A Osborne and guest preacher, the Rt. Rev. Gordon Strutt, Bishop of Stockport in the United Kingdom.
- A new aluminium fabricating company, Teasco Industries, has been established in Mortimer Place by former Sydney residents Peter Teasdell and David Scoble.
- The Member for Farrer, Wal Fife, unveiled a plaque to officially open the Wagga Education Centre with Lex Bittar, Chairman of the Centre’s Board of Directors, looking on.
- Work is nearing completion on the Edward Street rail underpass project, expected to open to traffic in December.
- Stan Raczkowski, John Shearer, Athol Thomas, Reg Reynolds, Roger Harmon and Ian Cameron of the Wagga Leagues Club No.2 team won the 1976 Wagga pennant billiards competition.
- Mrs Kath Allen, Mrs Chris Schmidt, Mrs Rhonda Schipp and Mrs Christine Ridoutt were among those attending a Melbourne Cup Day function at the Riverina Australian Rules Football Club.
- Knights Meats Wholesale at the bridge end of Fitzmaurice Street have opened new extensions which cost $110,000 and include 60 feet of new refrigeration plants.
- Quintals of Tompson Street have combined with Precision Business Equipment and Riverina Business Supplies in Baylis Street to form a new company to be known as “Office World” with chairman Peter Rocks.
- Ian Donaldson and Val Hopwood from the Downside Rural Youth Club presented a cheque for $150 to Mr Horrie Waymouth, manager of Waratah Industries.
- Huthwaites are advertising IXL Marmalade 500g for 29 cents, Colgate toothpaste 110g for 46 cents, Carrots for 22 cents per kg and Bananas 50 cents a dozen.
- Mr Horrie Logan has been appointed racing secretary of the Wagga Show Trotting Society.
- Peter Hastie, Chairman of the Council of Riverina College of Advanced Education, announced the appointment of Edwin Brooks, M.A., Ph.D. (Cantab) as Dean of the School of Business and Liberal Studies.
- East Wagga girls team played out a rough-and-tumble match to win the Australian Football Knockout Carnival at Maher Oval.
- Leader of the Opposition, Sir Eric Willis, has accepted an invitation from Divisional President, Mr Kevin Renwick, to attend the annual dinner of the Riverina branch of the Master Builders Association this week.
- The St. Andrews Companions Club held its annual Gown of Gowns Parade at the Wagga Police Citizens Boys Club.
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