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

11th October 2025

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

25 Years Ago

• Patrick Dwyer, Lachlan Chisholm, Melanie Bradley, Megan Taylor, Timothy Doyle, Robert Housden, Graham Crowe, Amanda Wheeler, and Simon Carruthers were inducted into Wagga’s Sporting Hall of Fame.

• Marelle Gooden, wife of the late Mark Gooden who died suddenly last year aged 35 years, is pictured during the official opening of the “Good Den” opened in her husband’s honour at Trinity Senior High School.

• Wagga Leagues Club reported a deficit of $369,504 for the club to 30^th June 2000 compared with a deficit of $225,580 last year. Poker machine takings slumped by more than $558,383 with President Brian Lawrence highlighting increasing competition for the leisure dollar, especially from hotels.

• Laminex announced that it will close its Wagga factory by May 4 next year with a loss of 80 jobs.

• East Wagga-Kooringal held its presentation night with best and fairest awards handed to Ben Murname (first grade), Darryl Hillier (reserves) and Jay Pearce (under 18s).

• Retiring Wagga City general manager, Brian Andrews has been honoured by Wagga’s sister city Nordlingen for his great support of the sister city relationship.

• Miss Wagga entrant, Sally Peacock held an auction at the Gumly Hall to raise funds for palliative care.

• Kurrajong-Waratah held its annual general meeting with new board member, Dr Allan Cotterill joining Michael Kennedy, Tom Smith, Sue Wetherbee, Peter Perkins, Richard Shorten, John Davies, Garry Forde, and David Glastonbury as board directors.

• Kooringal Public School principal, Keith Wheeler reported that two men attempted to abduct four of his pupils as they walked home from school.

• The Reverend Doctor Campbell Egan is pictured with St Andrew’s session clerk, John Laughton and 94-year-old Trixie Read while attending celebrations for the St Andrew’s Monday Club 20^th Anniversary.

• Construction of a multi-billion-dollar high-speed rail link from Brisbane to Melbourne that could have major benefits for the Riverina could start as early as next year.

• Gissing’s Soul Pattinson Chemist in the Sturt Mall was recognised as one of five regional winners selected from 260 pharmacies in the Soul Pattinson Outstanding Pharmacy Award for the year 2000.

• Wagga had a taste of summer with the temperature reaching 31.5 degrees Celsius, more than 10 degrees higher than the October average of 21.1 degrees Celsius.

• Thirty-one teams will contest the five grades of the Wagga Softball Associations senior league which gets underway this weekend.

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50 Years Ago

• More than 700 runners completed the fourth annual Daily Advertiser – 2WG City to Lake Run, held in heavy rain.

• Wagga Leagues Club president, Arthur Dixon presented the Turvey Park Rugby League first grade best and fairest award to Greg Brentnall.

• Seventy Guides, Brownies, Guiders, and parents converged on the Pomingalarna Reserve to plant 700 wattle trees as part of a nationwide Guiding program to help beautify Australia.

• The Mayoress, Mrs Shirley Gorman, presented Honorary Wagga Y.M.C.A. Life Membership awards to Mrs T. L. a’ Beckett, Mrs F. H. Adams, and Mrs R. E. M. Vickery.

• Members of Riverina Rural Youth presented a hand carved plaque to the people of Wagga from a youth group in Temerloh, Malaysia.

• South Wagga Lions Club is hosting the 14^th Annual Convention of Lions District 210E in Wagga this week.

• A $5000 “Football Fiesta” was an outstanding success according to chairman of the Riverina Australian Rules Football Club Promotion Committee, Mr John Braid.

• The title of Queen of the “Football Fiesta” was won by Mrs Gail Hamilton.

• Carlton ruckman Davis McKay won $1000 after winning the long kicking competition at the “Football Fiesta”.

• Turvey Park and South-West League centreman John Wright is pictured with some of the trophies he received after again winning the best and fairest award at Turvey Park’s annual trophy presentation banquet.

• Meagher’s are selling Bonaire flo-thru coolers for $189 (or $2.10 weekly) and a Rover lawn mower with catcher for $137.75.

• Peter Mortimer is pictured being presented with the Turvey Park Rugby League Club best and fairest award in juniors by Ted Fulmer.

• Wagga Agricultural College principal, Mr Brian Atkins said that he believed that principal of the Riverina College, Dr Cliff Blake had made “premature” and “misleading” statements in relation to the amalgamation of the two colleges.

• Eighteen Sixth Form students from Wagga High School gave blood to the Wagga Blood Bank.

• Wagga O’Farrell Cup cricketer, Warren Smith, was officially recognised as a qualified N.S.W. Cricket Association coach.

• A record 125 teams will be playing in the Wagga Tennis Association summer night competition beginning next Monday.

• Mr E E Heckendorf who has been re-elected as chairman of the Wagga Pastures Protection Board is calling for an all-out effort against rabbits.

• Trinity Senior High School principal, Brother J E Hyde said that the school may have to become selective with student enrolment unless accommodation increased.

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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