22nd August 2026

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

25 Years Ago

• Miss Wagga, Sally Peacock and Community Princess Mikala Grosse returned to Wagga from five weeks in the United States, particularly impressed with the hospitality they received in Wagga’s sister city, Leavenworth.

• Vietnam veterans marched along Baylis Street to mark the 35th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan.

• After almost 80 years of dedicated raising of funds for patient comfort and care, the Wagga Base Hospital Auxilliary has been forced to close due to a lack of members.

• A memorial was unveiled at Charles Sturt University by Athol Price, the first person at the scene of a plane crash in which three men died during a RAAF training accident, 51 years ago.

• Super Cheap Auto’s Graham Helyar declared that all shoplifters would be referred to police and that “sob” stories by shoplifters won’t work.

• President of the Wagga branch of the New South Wales Nurses Association (NSWNA) Patsy Sullivan and alternate delegate to NSWNA, Debbie Scaddon, are pictured wearing buttons as part of the “What’s A Nurse Worth?” awareness campaign.

• Operators of Wagga’s popular model railway in the Botanic Gardens have been hit with a $1739 rates bill for the first time and can’t afford to pay.

• John Saunders is the new director of the Riverina Conservatorium of Music.

• Holy Trinity Primary School’s Year 3 pupil, Lexie Davis, received a special award in Sydney after she raised $600 in the MS Readathon by reading 100 books.

• Lance Adams, Alex Bearse and Luke Heffernan were presented with Queen’s Scout Awards.

• Arthur Conway, Elsie Hopkins, June Pollock, Fiona Cain, Stan Warren, Councillor Jim Weeden and Mayor Kevin Wales are pictured attending a public meeting held to discuss plans for next year’s Seniors Week.

• Stewart Walsh is the new publican at the Shanty Hotel.

• The number of elective procedures carried out at Wagga Base Hospital has been slashed by about 120 in the wake of a nursing crisis.

• A new winery with potential to tap export markets has been approved for Bidgeebong Wines at Wagga’s industrial estate at Bomen.

• A 44-year-old woman has been charged with defrauding more than $300,000 from a credit union at the Forest Hill RAAF Base.

• The chairman of Tourism Wagga, Michael Maher, has not been included in a group of people recommended to be members of council’s new marketing and tourism committee.

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50 Years Ago

• An early morning fire caused damage estimated at $35,000 to the Kyeamba Smith Hall at the Wagga Showgrounds.

• Brian Haste, Malcolm Levett, Ern Rockcliffe and Ron Haste officiated at the annual Baz and Schmidt Medal vote count, with the Baz Medal going to Peter Elliott and the Schmidt Medal won by John Dingle.

• Charles Merrett and his wife Helen are among the potters exhibiting and selling their pots at this week’s Wagga Potters Club exhibition at Wagga City Art Gallery.

• The Army swung into action at the weekend with its annual clean-up campaign, cleaning rubbish and mess left by motorists between the Silvalite service station and the Kapooka bridge.

• Mr Gordon Braid is pictured congratulating John Phillips, Peter Fairman and Rhonda Fairman from Wagga Motors Parts Department on their win in a national parts competition conducted by General Motors Holden.

• Mr E E Heckendorf from Lockhart, known throughout the Riverina as Curley Heckendorf, is retiring from the Wagga Pastures Protection Board after an unbroken record of 24 years’ service.

• Member for Wagga, Joe Schipp, presented trophies at the Murrumbidgee Valley Pistol Shooting Championships held at the Wagga Pistol Club.

• Calvary Hospital and the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary are celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Calvary Hospital at Wagga.

• Due to difficult seasonal conditions, Legacy has decided not to hold their annual stock drive during Legacy Week this year.

• Antique Dealer, John Wigg has returned from a trip to England with three eight-ton containers of antiques.

• The North Wagga Butchery is selling 3lb of T-Bone steak for $2.55, 3lb of thick sausages for $1.00 and full rumps (sliced if you wish) for 87 cents per Ib.

• Phillip and Jenny Watt were the happy winners of a week’s holiday on the Gold Coast in a
competition sponsored by Golden Fleece, Hore and Davies Travel and Ansett Airlines.

• Wagga City Council will request a State Government contribution of $90,000 towards the Bolton Park sporting complex.

• Wagga Leagues Club president, Arthur Dixon, announced a record net operating profit for the club of almost a quarter of a million dollars.

• Member for Farrer, Mr Wal Fife announced that Kurrajong Special School at Wagga will receive a grant of nearly $92,000 towards construction of an activity therapy centre for 28 handicapped persons.

• More than 2000 attended the NSW Art Gallery’s travelling exhibition during the five days it was in Wagga.

• Mr Peter Hastie of Wagga is one of 54 candidates seeking election to two Liberal Party vacancies in the New South Wales Legislative Council.

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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