I recently rediscovered a valuable resource in the local
studies collection – a promotional booklet published by the Wagga Wagga Express
in 1926. It's title is suitably and unnecessarily long : "Wagga Wagga Its Resources for Primary and Secondary Industries". In broadsheet form, it contains what we might now call advertorials; also stories, photographs, statistics about
businesses, utilities, the early history of Wagga Wagga, industries in the town and
region – in short an excellent reference on the place and time of 1926.
I found the history of utilities extremely interesting –
water, gas and electricity all provided by the council of the time – information
on kilowatts, price, machinery and processes used, all described in detail. If
you are writing the ultimate Wagga Wagga historical novel, then every bit of
background information you’ll ever need is here J
Farming, stock sales, education, flour milling, parks and
gardens: nearly every aspect of (respectable) town life you could think of is
written about. A couple of my favourite
stories include the Riverina Fruit and Confectionery Distributors Wallace &
Co., illustrated with a delightful photograph of a stockroom filled with boxes and boxes of
delicious sweets stacked to the ceiling.
The other story is of Anstice and
Mackay – “Noted for Hats” – which was a business situated, in 1926, on the
School of Arts corner, in Fitzmaurice Street. My favourite
photograph is of the Hat Department display.
Left : from the Daily Advertiser, August 1926
As
with all items in the local studies collection, you are very welcome to come
into the library and look at the different resources and discover how they may
help you in your research - ask at the information desk!
