10th January 2026
Compiled from the Daily Advertiser by the Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society.
25 Years Ago
- Construction of the HomeBase centre is continuing ahead of schedule.
- Wagga RSL Club’s 46-unit motel is under construction and expected to open for business by July.
- Members of the Lake Albert Cricket Club, first grade team peroxided their hair for their game against Mount Austin as a tribute to their former team-mate, Grant Arnold.
- Quinlivan’s Men’s Wear will close its doors at the end of the month after 35 years of business. Ray and Jenny Stephens bought the business from Tony Quinlivan six years ago and relocated it from the Australian Arcade to the Sturt Mall.
- The Red Lion Hotel has donated $250 and use of the Red Lion Hotel bus for a week to the St Vincent De Paul’s St Charles Conference Kids Camp which will be attended 20 group leaders and 46 children this week.
- Catherine Keely of Wagga and Erik Pohl of Hobart is pictured attending the Summer School of Strings at the Charles Sturt University Convention Centre.
- Alma Skeers celebrated her 90th birthday with friends and family including Yvonne Anderson, Muriel Watts, Jim Anderson, Dorothy Allen and Joan Shelton.
- Unemployment fell across the Riverina during the year 2000 wit 572 people finding work in Wagga alone.
- Tony Petersen, Stephen Power, Peter Cabot, Richard Skellern and Paul Miller described as the Waratah’s Brains Trust are pictured meeting at Romano’s Rugby Bar this week.
- The Wagga Commercial Club is looking to sell its bowling greens and former clubhouse which could become the site of a 48-unit motel.
- Wagga’s third KFC outlet will be built as part of Wagga’s HomeBase development in Hammond Ave.
- Rick’s Clothing Company is holding a 4-day sellout with 30% off all clothing.
- After 30 years away from the Riverina, Reverend Mark Lieschke is returning to take up the position of chaplain at Wagga’s Lutheran School.
- Greg Howick from Professionals Commercial, said that work on a new retail development on the site of a former Caltex service station, next to Grace Bros is expected to start soon.
- The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has been called on to investigate Wagga City Council’s handling of tenders for the use of its Bolton Park stadium gymnastics complex.
50 Years Ago
- Acting on a recommendation by Member for Wagga, Joe Schipp preliminary studies are being carried on the Bourke Street railway crossing.
- RSL Club officials estimated that between 800 and 1,000 people attended the spectacular Simone and Monique’s Playgirls review which was the biggest crowd attending live entertainment for many years at the Club.
- Dr C.I.V. Childs of Wagga was re-elected as secretary of the Southern Districts Medical Association and reaffirmed support for the action of medical staff at Wagga Base Hospital in withdrawing support for non-urgent standard ward cases at the hospital.
- At its Annual General Meeting the Wagga branch of the Sportsmen’s Association of Australia re-elected Arthur Dixon as its President with Vice-Presidents Bert Schmidt, Stan Sadlier and Wallace Blake and Ted Ryder as secretary and Robbie Robinson as Treasurer. The National Convention of the Association will be held in Wagga at Easter.
- There has been another outbreak of vandalism towards telephone boxes, particularly at the Turvey Park Shopping Centre.
- Wagga City Library has announced its new opening hours as 9am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 12 noon on Saturdays.
- A twilight tennis tournament on the six grass courts of the Wagga Lawn Tennis Club at Bolton Park will be played this Sunday. Entries can be made with Mrs. Dot Hely, Mr Roy Allars or Mrs Evelyn Treloar.
- Yesterday’s rain caused 14 motorists to slip, slide and rollover at the rate of more than three an hour on the Hume Highway, near Gundagai.
- Former Wagga swimmer, Suzanne Baumer, set a new N.S.W. record at the State Age Championships at the North Sydney Olympic Pool.
- A 21-year-old man was fined $200 in the Wagga Court of Petty Sessions after pleading guilty to possession and smoking Indian Hemp.
- Starlings have arrived back in Wagga. Last year two starling shots were not successful as they were organised too late in the season. Mayor, Ald Dick Gorman said that Council has not yet made any plans this year to get rid of the pests.
- A meeting of young people to be chaired by Wagga’s newly appointed Youth Worker, Mr Richard Riley could be the first step in establishing a youth centre in Wagga.
- One of the best-known greyhound racing identities in the Riverina, Mr Alphonsus (Phonse) Byrnes, aged 52, died suddenly at his Wagga home this week.
- Mr T. A. Emerson has been appointed to replace Mr J. A. Wilson as manager of the South Wagga branch of the Bank of New South Wales.
- Jupiter Motors at 20 Edward Street service and repair all makes of motorcycles and stock a full range of accessories.
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
Speak Your Mind