November 7, 2026 by Peter Gissing · Leave a Comment(Edit)
Compiled from the Daily Advertiser by the Wagga Wagga & District Historical Society.
25 Years Ago
- More than 200 people attended the Miss Wagga Quest gala evening at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club, which saw Melanie Fitzsimmons, a 24-year-old police officer, crowned as Miss Wagga 2002 and Natasha O’Keefe as Community Princess for 2002.
- The William Farrer Hotel presented Wagga’s biggest Calcutta on Monday night, followed by a Phantom call of the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.
- Elizabeth Moon of the New South Wales Cancer Council presented Geoff Crouch of Ron Crouch Transport with a plaque for his outstanding help on Daffodil Day.
- Kay Hull was re-elected as the Member for Riverina, with only a loss in South Gundagai stopping her from a clean sweep of the 88 booths in the electorate.
- Bernie Macquarie joined in the fun at the Mangoplah Motorcycle Muster on her Kawasaki 500 bike.
- The Ethnic Communities Council of Wagga held its 14th annual general meeting at the Education Centre.
- Steve Jacques, Kurrajong Waratah Wagga chief executive officer for the past 17 years, will be guest speaker at the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants (ASPCA) branch luncheon this month.
- RSL Sub-Branch chairman, Mal Waters, will be helping to sell poppies for Remembrance Day this week.
- Past presidents of the Riverina Ladies Golf Association, Beryl Kennedy, Val Adams and June Trewin were among those attending the 75th RLGA anniversary dinner at the Wagga Leagues Club.
- Wagga pathologist Corinne Webb, laboratory manager at Riverina Pathology, won an award for her presentation, “Life Was Meant To Be Easy”, at a recent pathology conference in Mudgee.
- Phillip Bartlett, Sue Felke, and Virginia Bartlett were among those attending the Wagga TAFE annual Masquerade Ball at the Wagga Leagues Club.
- Brian Lawrence, a director since 1970, has been re-elected as Wagga Leagues Club president for his ninth successive term.
- Justin Harmer (under 15s) and Jamie Younie (under 13s) have both been selected in New South Wales indoor hockey teams.
- Members of the Wagga Veteran and Vintage Motor Club took 22 residents of The Haven on a 30-kilometre trip around the Wagga Countryside.
- The Motor Neurone Disease Association of New South Wales held a seminar in Wagga partly to gauge interest in forming a local support group for sufferers.
- Tenders are invited for the sale of the five-story office block on the corner of Baylis and Morgan Streets.
- The Wagga Model and Hobby Exhibition was held at the Kooringal High School Auditorium.
- Santa arrived in style at Grace Bros in a convertible with Christmas carols performed by Sacred Heart Primary School.
- Kooringal Sacred Heart Primary School Fete takes place this week.
50 Years Ago
- The combined bands of the 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Kapooka, the 3rd Military District, Melbourne and the Pipes and Drums of the 5-7 Battalion marched down Baylis Street from the Railway Station to assist the 1 RTB Band during a Beating of the Retreat Ceremony.
- Murray Cod Hatcheries are promoting “Big Murray” their “huge” Murray Cod, over 100 years old, 114lb weight and 4’4” long.
- George Belling, an active member of the Wagga Rescue Club for 19 years, serving as secretary for 16 of those years and instrumental in the establishment of the N.S.W. Rescue Association, died this week.
- Chamber of Commerce promotions committee chairman John Brockhouse said that the Chamber considered it imperative that Wagga Airport facilities be upgraded to a standard commensurate with the size of the airport and its passenger load.
- Canterbury-Bankstown have snapped up the services of promising Turvey Park centre Peter Mortimer, where he will join his brother Steve and Greg Brentnall, also from Turvey Park.
- Nearly 800 competitors from all over the Riverina flocked to Lake Albert for the Wagga Boat Club’s Fisherama ’76.
- The National Italian Festival to be held in Wagga later this month will be opened by Mr Al Grassby, Commissioner for Community Relations.
- Barry Jessup presented a Wedgwood dinner set to Mrs Marie Pasons of Balmoral Crescent, which was first prize in a competition conducted by Castles to celebrate the third anniversary of their Wedgwood shop.
- Deputy Mayor Harold Fife and former Mayor Morris Gissing are pictured with Leavenworth City Commissioner, Mrs D. Quesenbury, who is visiting Wagga with her husband, Dale.
- John Shirvington has been appointed as manager of the Gurwood Street store of John Meagher and Co. Ltd.
- Jim Sandford is pictured with some of the wine to be auctioned this week by Richard Bowen at the Wagga Country Club Wine Auction.
- Police are beginning a three-year lease of the Old Wagga Brewery building in the Esplanade, principally to house the office of Riverina Superintendent H. H. Graham, Highway Patrol Police and others, as space available at the Wagga Police Station was totally inadequate for the 56 officers stationed there.
- The recently formed Wagga Craft Co-operative has taken out a lease on the former Wagga Business College premises in Johnston Street.
- The Carmel Monastery at Ashmont has its Springtime Fair this Saturday.
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