Wagga Wagga is often a vibrant regional city that rests on the banks with the beautiful Murrumbidgee River. It may seem being a big country town, however its rich culture, history and heritage combined with its modern facilities and infrastructure transform it into a fast growing destination.
It is easily accessible as it is strategically located between the Sturt and Olympic Highways, just a comfortable 5-hour drive or 1-hour flight to Sydney and Melbourne in support of a 2 as well as a half hour drive to Australia's capital Canberra. Its strategic location has additionally managed to get an excellent area for several national firms that have established their operations inside the city. Below are even more interesting info about this city that transform it into a remarkable place to visit, live and work.
1. Wagga Wagga is widely recognised as the "City of Good Sports" because lots of Australia's sporting heroes originated in this city including former Australian cricket captain Mark Taylor, rugby legend Peter Sterling and AFL great Paul Kelly. Other great athletes from Wagga also include cricketers Geoff Lawson and Michael Slater, tennis player Tony Roche and AFL player Wayne Carey.
Its sporting history extends back for the 1850s when it was referred to as "a sporting little town". During that time, majority with the population was male and the popular sports included hunting, shooting, prize fights, foot races and horse racing. It was only through the 1870s that team sports for example cricket and football was played.
2. https://www.morganmotel.com.au/ in the city comes from the Aboriginal dialect employed by the Wiradjuri tribe, the first inhabitants of the city. Wagga Wagga means "the place of many crows". The Murrumbidgee River also received its name out of this dialect and means "plenty water" or "big river".
3. In 1829, Captain Charles Sturt was the 1st explorer setting foot in Wagga Wagga. Settlement soon followed his discovery with the city. In 1849, Thomas Townshend surveyed the main city area and officially proclaimed it a major city that same year. Today, the name of Charles Sturt can be viewed through the city.
4. Wagga Wagga has a long and proud military history that goes back to a lot more than 120 years. In 1885, lots of men and women from the city enlisted to be portion of many military campaigns such as the Boer War, World War I and II, Vietnam War and Gulf War. Australia's only Field Marshal, Sir Thomas Blamey have also been born within the city in 1884. Today, Wagga has two military facilities that cater towards the training from the Australian Army and the Australian Air Force.
5. In 1974, Wagga Wagga was flooded once the Murrumbidgee River reached a huge a higher level 10.74 metres. It was the best level recorded inside twentieth century.
6. Wagga Wagga hosts some of the finest sports and training facilities in Australia such as the Oasis Regional Aquatic Centre, the Jubilee Park Sports Complex that hosts athletics, hockey, touch football and rugby, the Robertson Oval that hosts Australian football and cricket and the Jim Elphick Tennis Complex. The city also houses two golf courses, an 18-hole par three course, a fantastic speedway and a clay target shooting range.
7. Wagga Wagga is a local mecca for culture and heritage having its stunning galleries, museums and city library. The city's galleries and museums showcase some in the finest artworks by international and Australian artists. Meanwhile, the location library has earned several awards for the innovative service and community interaction.
8. Wagga Wagga is considered a regional centre for education. The city has 24 primary schools, 8 secondary schools, 25 pre-school and childcare centres. it's also home towards the renowned Charles Sturt University. There are also several schools for the physically and mentally disabled students.
9. Chiko Rolls, the popular Australian hot snack, originated from Wagga Wagga. The Chiko Roll was created by Francis Gerald McEncroe, a boilermaker from Bendigo and first made its appearance on the Wagga Wagga show in 1951.
10. Tourism is one in the major industries inside the city. In fact, the Tourist Information Centre was established as early as 1979. The Wagga Wagga City Council manages promoting the location's tourism. The business sectors that service the tourism industry include Wagga hotels, motels, Wagga accommodation, serviced apartments, bed and breakfast, restaurants, cafes, cinemas and clubs. Cultural and sports entertainment such because the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup, Jazz Festival, Youth Arts Fest and National Horse Festival also draw more people on the city.