31st January 2026
Compiled from the Daily Advertiser by the Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society.
25 Years Ago
• Five Wagga families are in mourning, and the city is in shock over the deaths of five young men killed when the XPT passenger train slammed into their car at Gerogery.
• Current members and former executives and directors, including Wallace Blake, Ron Hall, John Gray, Noel Cook, Jean Fearne and Enid Engelbrecht, attended a function to honour Commercial Club chef, Kevin Lewis, for his 25 years’ service to the club.
• Director of the Greater Murray Clinical School, Professor Mohamed Khadra, welcomed the school’s first intake of full-time students.
• Three local Rotary Clubs have come to the aid of the Lake Albert Scouts after their Scout Hall was damaged in an arson attack early this month.
• Wagga welcomed two new doctors with the arrival of Dr Ayman Shenouda and Dr Samiha Azab at the Fernleigh Road Medical Centre.
• Miss Wagga, Sally Peacock, was inducted as the first female member of South Wagga Lions Club.
• Three sets of twins, Madelene and Jacob Gooden, Benjamin and Joshua Lawrence and Emma and Jessica Hogan have begun school this year at Henschke Primary School.
• More than 4,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Travel Show at Bolton Park.
• Following a family tradition, five generations of former and present North Wagga Public School students who are descended from Elsie Swaysland (nee Reincker) gathered at the school.
• Several Wagga and Albury businesses have installed a ducted air-conditioning system free of charge in the Mount Austin Home of a four-year-old girl suffering a life-threatening illness.
• The Wagga Christian College welcomed Luke Smith as its 1000th pupil.
• Wagga residents have responded angrily to tax increases, with unleaded petrol expected to rise by 1.5 cents per litre, a middy of beer by five cents and a packet of cigarettes by about 40 cents.
• Trinity High School’s 2000 Dux, Tim Egan, was recognised in a special ceremony at the school and is pictured being congratulated by his parents, Maria and John and principal Geoff Johnston.
• Fitzpatrick’s Real Estate won three awards and Hore and Davies Real Estate won one award at the annual The Daily Advertiser / Real Estate Institute New South Wales Awards 2000.
• A 64-year-old North Wagga man has died after suffering an asthma attack.
• Approval for a controversial drug rehabilitation group home in Lake Albert Road, lodged by Calvary Hospital, was narrowly granted, with conditions, by Wagga City Council, but is now subject to a recission motion.
• The temperature has not dropped below 30 degrees this January, marking the longest series of consecutive days over 30 degrees ever for January.
50 Years Ago
• In a big day at the R.S.L. Club, 192 new members were admitted, and more than 600 people were entertained by a musical variety show starring country and western personality, John Williamson.
• More than 400 swimmers are taking part in this week’s annual South Wagga Apex Club Inter Business Houses Swimming Carnival.
• The two police highway patrol motor bikes attached to Wagga have been shipped back to Sydney with their riders, Constable Small transferred back to Sydney and Senior Constable Fred Lonergan joining the highway patrol traffic division based at Wagga.
• Wagga Bidgee Canoe Club has organised the city’s first canoe regatta from the Eunony bridge to the Wagga bathing beach.
• Stan Sadlier, vice president of the Wagga Branch of the Sportsmen’s Association of Australia, presented a cheque for $1380 to David Manton, president of the Wagga Basketball Association, to purchase a digital clock and scoreboard for basketball players at Kyeamba Smith Hall.
• Deputy Premier and Minister for Public Works, Leon Punch, officially opened the $8.5 million South-West Tablelands Water Supply Augmentation Scheme near Wagga.
• Mr and Mrs Peter Morrow and a small group are concerned by the demolition of two semi-detached houses in Kincaid Street. They are encouraging the National Trust to engage with Wagga City Council over developments in Kincaid and Trail Streets.
• Quinlivans Menswear Summer Clearance includes sports coats for $20, business shirts for $5 and Levi Jeans for $10.
• Wagga City Council is conducting a Free Immunisation Campaign for the prevention of Diphtheria, Whooping Cough and Tetanus.
• Ron Jewell at Dalgety Real Estate is advertising a cream solid brick, architect-designed home on Beauty Point for $65,000.
• Mount Austin Primary School Headmaster, Doug Phipps, is pictured congratulating winners at the school’s annual swimming championships carnival held at the Wagga City Baths.
• In the past five years, the population of Tolland has increased from 1316 in 1971 to its current estimate of 2500, with a recent survey identifying needs in childcare, education, sports facilities and public and special amenities.
• There is at least a two-year waiting list for Housing Commission homes in Wagga, with 1604 occupied Commission Houses in Wagga, but 384 applications and only 90 dwellings are currently being constructed.
• Council’s Sport, Recreation and Gardens Committee has agreed in principle to allow Woolworth’s car park to be used by Wagga skateboarders, in off-hours, if Council is not liable for any injuries.
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
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