Wagga Wagga. At the RAAF BAse Museum is this replica of the Coomalie Creek RAAF Chapel built near Darwin in 1943 during World War Two..
Wagga Wagga. Population 57,000. Catholic Cathedral city.
Captain Charles Sturt came down the Murrumbidgee River at the site of Wagga in 1829 and the first pastoral property was established here in 1832 by Robert Best who called his property Wagga Wagga after the local Aboriginal word for crows. The Aboriginal inhabitants of this area called the river Murrumbidgee meaning “big water”. In 1847 a police station and small court was established at this river crossing at Wagga on the road from Yass to Port Phillip. This was to offer protection and a police presence for travellers, local pastoralists and the overland mails. The town was formally gazetted in November 1849. But it grew slowly with the first store not opening until 1851. By 1858 river boats had reached Wagga Wagga up the Murrumbidgee River from the river ports of South Australia and a local company was formed, with approval of the NSW government, to construct a toll bridge across the Murrumbidgee which was completed 1862. The town expanded slowly in the 1860s and 1870s and this was a period when bushrangers operated in the Riverina causing mayhem and anxiety. The town was proclaimed a municipality in 1870 when the first Mayor took office. The two most famous bushrangers around Wagga in its early years were Mad Dog Morgan (in the 1860s) and Captain Moonlight (in the 1870s). Eventually the railway reached Wagga North in 1878. It took over a year to extend it into Wagga as this required a 2,500 metre wooden rail bridge across the Murrumbidgee River. The Wagga Wagga railway station was built and opened in 1881 thus opening up this area of the Riverina to more wheat farming. Although selectors could opt to select farming acreage in areas around Wagga Wagga from the early 1860s they were reluctant to do so until the railway reached the town. Up to 1881 when the railway from Sydney reached Wagga about 5,000 acres of wheat was grown. By 1891 that figure had increased to 60,000 acres under wheat. Access to the Sydney markets was vital to agricultural expansion in the Riverina and agricultural expansion let to urban development of Wagga. Wagga’s population jumped from 4,000 people in 1881 to 5,100 in 1891 which was a 27% increase and it became the “capital” of the Riverina region. In the second half of the 19th century some of Wagga’s grand buildings were erected including a new Anglican Church, Catholic Cathedral, a Wesleyan Methodist church etc. At this stage major buildings were in Fitzmaurice and Tarcutta Streets. Nearby were many grand residences. The classical style original Council Chambers were built in 1881. They are now the Museum of the Riverina.
Today Wagga Wagga is the largest inland city in New South Wales with 57,000 inhabitants. It growth was propelled by World War Two when a RAAF base was established in 1940 followed by an Army base in 1942. The RAAF base still exists today and the Army base is an army training center. The NSW government established a teachers’ college in Wagga in 1947 and an agricultural college in 1949. These institutions eventually grew into Charles Sturt University which specialises in education, business, arts science, agriculture, veterinary science, nursing, radiography etc. The government also made Wagga Base hospital the major hospital for southern NSW and a new seven storey hospital was erected in 1963. This was replaced in 2015 with a new 460 bed hospital, almost as big as the new RAH in Adelaide, but at a fraction of the cost at $600 million.
Wagga Wagga Characters.
Sir Roger Tichborne Claimant. Sir Roger Tichborne disappeared at sea in 1854. His mother believing her son might still be alive placed advertisements in Australian newspaper. In late 1865 Wagga butcher Tom Castro approached a Wagga lawyer claiming the baronetcy and its fortune. The lawyer wrote to lady Tichborne in England who was anxious to find her lost son and paid for Castro to visit her in England in 1866. Despite being shorter and not able to speak French lady Tichborne welcomed him as her lost son. When she died in 1868 other family members declared Castro was an imposter. The first civil court trial lasted from May 1871 to March 1872. “Tichborne” and the lawyers and judges involved became international celebrities. A six month perjury trial began in 1873. Castro (originally Orton of London) was found guilty of perjury and sentenced to 14 years in goal. For three years the press had been full of this story with its 36,000 cross examination questions. Ceramic and plaster casts of the figures involved were produced in France and in England. Wagga Wagga Museum of the Riverina at the Botanic Gardens has some examples in their collection and more details of this saga. Other examples are at Oxford University and the Brighton City Museum in England.
Sister Mary Ligouri. Nun on the Run. This amazing story of the times occurred in 1920 when 30 year old Irish Sister Mary Ligouri in the Wagga Catholic Convent was demoted from her teaching roles to cleaning. In anger and frustration she fled the convent and sheltered with neighbours but freely returned to the convent later that day. A doctor was called and he tried to sedate her but she feared she was being poisoned. She fled the nunnery in her night gown to some supportive Protestant neighbours. They refused to reveal her whereabouts to Catholic authorities. The Sister wrote to the Bishop of Wagga asking to leave the order but that was refused. She was taken to Sydney to live with a Congregational minister and his wife. The newspapers had a field day and referred to her as the escaped nun. Police issued a warrant for her arrest and Catholic authorities were searching for her. The Bishop of Sydney wanted her arrested as she was insane. 14 months after her escape she was tried in the NSW Lunacy Court. She was declared sane and released. She sued the Archbishop Mannix of Sydney for £5,000 false arrest ad trauma but the jury of men ruled in favour of the Archbishop. A few months later a party of 20 men kidnapped and her took to a police headquarters in Sydney. The former sister renounced her religion and refused to be put under the guardianship of her catholic brother. She was released and lived the rest of life with the Congregational couple. She died in 1966. Wagga Art Gallery had an exhibition of her life in 2021. Visit the Art Gallery in the Civic Centre.
Wagga Wagga. At the RAAF BAse Museum is this replica of the Coomalie Creek RAAF Chapel built near Darwin in 1943 during World War Two..
Wagga Wagga. Population 57,000. Catholic Cathedral city.
Captain Charles Sturt came down the Murrumbidgee River at the site of Wagga in 1829 and the first pastoral property was established here in 1832 by Robert Best who called his property Wagga Wagga after the local Aboriginal word for crows. The Aboriginal inhabitants of this area called the river Murrumbidgee meaning “big water”. In 1847 a police station and small court was established at this river crossing at Wagga on the road from Yass to Port Phillip. This was to offer protection and a police presence for travellers, local pastoralists and the overland mails. The town was formally gazetted in November 1849. But it grew slowly with the first store not opening until 1851. By 1858 river boats had reached Wagga Wagga up the Murrumbidgee River from the river ports of South Australia and a local company was formed, with approval of the NSW government, to construct a toll bridge across the Murrumbidgee which was completed 1862. The town expanded slowly in the 1860s and 1870s and this was a period when bushrangers operated in the Riverina causing mayhem and anxiety. The town was proclaimed a municipality in 1870 when the first Mayor took office. The two most famous bushrangers around Wagga in its early years were Mad Dog Morgan (in the 1860s) and Captain Moonlight (in the 1870s). Eventually the railway reached Wagga North in 1878. It took over a year to extend it into Wagga as this required a 2,500 metre wooden rail bridge across the Murrumbidgee River. The Wagga Wagga railway station was built and opened in 1881 thus opening up this area of the Riverina to more wheat farming. Although selectors could opt to select farming acreage in areas around Wagga Wagga from the early 1860s they were reluctant to do so until the railway reached the town. Up to 1881 when the railway from Sydney reached Wagga about 5,000 acres of wheat was grown. By 1891 that figure had increased to 60,000 acres under wheat. Access to the Sydney markets was vital to agricultural expansion in the Riverina and agricultural expansion let to urban development of Wagga. Wagga’s population jumped from 4,000 people in 1881 to 5,100 in 1891 which was a 27% increase and it became the “capital” of the Riverina region. In the second half of the 19th century some of Wagga’s grand buildings were erected including a new Anglican Church, Catholic Cathedral, a Wesleyan Methodist church etc. At this stage major buildings were in Fitzmaurice and Tarcutta Streets. Nearby were many grand residences. The classical style original Council Chambers were built in 1881. They are now the Museum of the Riverina.
Today Wagga Wagga is the largest inland city in New South Wales with 57,000 inhabitants. It growth was propelled by World War Two when a RAAF base was established in 1940 followed by an Army base in 1942. The RAAF base still exists today and the Army base is an army training center. The NSW government established a teachers’ college in Wagga in 1947 and an agricultural college in 1949. These institutions eventually grew into Charles Sturt University which specialises in education, business, arts science, agriculture, veterinary science, nursing, radiography etc. The government also made Wagga Base hospital the major hospital for southern NSW and a new seven storey hospital was erected in 1963. This was replaced in 2015 with a new 460 bed hospital, almost as big as the new RAH in Adelaide, but at a fraction of the cost at $600 million.
Wagga Wagga Characters.
Sir Roger Tichborne Claimant. Sir Roger Tichborne disappeared at sea in 1854. His mother believing her son might still be alive placed advertisements in Australian newspaper. In late 1865 Wagga butcher Tom Castro approached a Wagga lawyer claiming the baronetcy and its fortune. The lawyer wrote to lady Tichborne in England who was anxious to find her lost son and paid for Castro to visit her in England in 1866. Despite being shorter and not able to speak French lady Tichborne welcomed him as her lost son. When she died in 1868 other family members declared Castro was an imposter. The first civil court trial lasted from May 1871 to March 1872. “Tichborne” and the lawyers and judges involved became international celebrities. A six month perjury trial began in 1873. Castro (originally Orton of London) was found guilty of perjury and sentenced to 14 years in goal. For three years the press had been full of this story with its 36,000 cross examination questions. Ceramic and plaster casts of the figures involved were produced in France and in England. Wagga Wagga Museum of the Riverina at the Botanic Gardens has some examples in their collection and more details of this saga. Other examples are at Oxford University and the Brighton City Museum in England.
Sister Mary Ligouri. Nun on the Run. This amazing story of the times occurred in 1920 when 30 year old Irish Sister Mary Ligouri in the Wagga Catholic Convent was demoted from her teaching roles to cleaning. In anger and frustration she fled the convent and sheltered with neighbours but freely returned to the convent later that day. A doctor was called and he tried to sedate her but she feared she was being poisoned. She fled the nunnery in her night gown to some supportive Protestant neighbours. They refused to reveal her whereabouts to Catholic authorities. The Sister wrote to the Bishop of Wagga asking to leave the order but that was refused. She was taken to Sydney to live with a Congregational minister and his wife. The newspapers had a field day and referred to her as the escaped nun. Police issued a warrant for her arrest and Catholic authorities were searching for her. The Bishop of Sydney wanted her arrested as she was insane. 14 months after her escape she was tried in the NSW Lunacy Court. She was declared sane and released. She sued the Archbishop Mannix of Sydney for £5,000 false arrest ad trauma but the jury of men ruled in favour of the Archbishop. A few months later a party of 20 men kidnapped and her took to a police headquarters in Sydney. The former sister renounced her religion and refused to be put under the guardianship of her catholic brother. She was released and lived the rest of life with the Congregational couple. She died in 1966. Wagga Art Gallery had an exhibition of her life in 2021. Visit the Art Gallery in the Civic Centre.