Australian Town and Country Journal at KellyGang 13/7/1872 (2)
(see previous)
Churches in Wagga Wagga do not seem to be well supported. There are four, which, with one exception, arc without the slightest pretension to architectural beauty. The Church of England disgraces a good position on a slight eminence. It is built of brick, and is approached by a double flight of steps. An old bullock bell is rung for service. It is to be hoped that the members of the church will not much longer endure the reproach of this state of things. The Rev W H Pownall is the incumbent. The Roman Catholic Church is a rather better looking building, in the old English rather than Gothic stylo of architecture, with a tower. It is built of brick. The main aisle is fifty five feet in length and twenty-five in width. The sanctuary is nineteen feet by seventeen feet, and the vestry fourteen by twelve feet. Its cost was £1500. The Revs Father Bermingham and Dunn officiate. A school is held in the church on week days. Mr O'Doherly is the teacher. The attendance is about fifty.
The Presbyterian Church is a brick edifice, and forms one of three churches near each other. The Rev R Falconer is the Presbyterian minister of the district. The Wesleyans have a plain little brick church, built on the most valuable corner allotment in the town. It has been suggested that they could build a splendid edifice in any part of the town from the proceeds of the sale of the land on which the present church stands. The Rev K A Corner is minister.
A Municipal Council has, within the past few years, been gazetted for Wagga Wagga, and improvements are already apparent. The mayor is an old and respected resident of the town-viz., Mr George Forsyth. The other aldermen are Messrs Moxham, Mair, Holloway, Bradley, Wall, Munford, Thompson, and Nixon. Mr F A Tompson is Town Clerk.
The people of Wagga Wagga are a sporting community, and theirs claim first place among the country race meetings of New South Wales. The grounds on which this claim is based are "biggest prizes, biggest meetings, and best and biggest grand stand." One of the £1000 champion races was run for at Wagga Wagga, and it was also the scene of "the great ten mile race." The prizes now run for at the annual meetings exceed £800. The course, within a mile of the town, is a good one, and is paled in all round. The grand stand cost upwards of £400; it is a well constructed, spacious, and elegant arrangement. The races are in the hands of a good jockey club, and to them, in a great measure, is the success due. Mr C M Lloyd is president. The district is further improved by good pastoral shows being held annually, when fair prizes are given. In regard to charitable institutions, there is one good hospital, but the cases under treatment are principally the result of accidents.
A Ladies' Benevolent Society was started, but it seems that there was a difficulty in finding objects on which the fair and kind-hearted ladies of the town and district could bestow their charity. It is said that after some time a family were found in need? One lady gave two sturdy children some bread, but they would not eat it, saying they "could get jam and bread at home." I have not heard of any other case of such extreme poverty.
There are a few good private residences about "Wagga Wagga. Prominent among these is the residence of A G Jones, Esq. This fine mansion is one of the most elegant structures in the colony out of Sydney, but as the accompanying engraving will give a far better idea of its character than any more verbal description can possibly do, I must refer the reader to it instead of attempting to portray it in words. Hillside, the property of A Willams, Esq is on the acclivity of a hill above the town. It is a well constructed stone building.
The grounds about the residence are well laid about. Below the house there is a vineyard of several acres under vines, which has produced some remarkably fine wine. The view from Hilside is generally admired. The situation being high, not only the town, the winding Murrumbidgee, and the valley below may be taken in, but also for miles north and west. Mr George Forsyth's fine private residence, Mr G A Elliott's "Confederate Villa," Mr Darlow's, and Mr Bayliss's private residence are also worthy of mention.
The Wagga Wagga bridge spanning the Murrumbidgee at the town, is a substantial structure. It is owned by a company of twenty-three shareholders. The cost of erection was £6000. It was built ten years ago. Large profits have been made from the bridge, the reserve fund already equals the capital of the company. A half-yearly report before me for 1870, shows that the receipts exceed £2000 per year, and after paying expenses, and laying aside two-fifths for the í reserve fund, a dividend at the rate of 20 per cent, was declared. Though the tolls are fixed by Parliament, a number of the inhabitants complain bitterly of the high rate. The directors of the bridge company would not for a long time consent to a reduction. In opposition a subscription free punt is now working about half a mile below the bridge. People are taken across free, but it has been a source of constant annoyance and litigation. The bridge company at length reduced the tolls, and are now doing all that lies in their power to stop the free punt from working, but without success.
Before concluding it is necessary to state that there are two additions to the town which must not be passed over, they are North Wagga Wagga and Newtown. The former, across the bridge, is in an incipent state, principally through the action of the floods. The land about it is very good. It contains about three or four hotels, a few stores, and a good flour mill (Mr. Jenkins's). The second place, Newtown, is on the southern side of the river. It has the appearance of a good suburb. One fine hotel, the Royal, is a large brick building erected in a prominent position there.
In conclusion I must thank the kind people of Wagga Wagga for their hospitality; and good feeling. It must not, however, be understood that the inhabitants live in perpetual peace and amity unbroken, that they have no "great wars in little places" championed by two local thunderers of the press, or that one section of the community does not firmly and conscientiously believe that peace would follow if three or four of their fellow townsmen were hanged. I am assured by few on-lookers of the the "truthful James" sort, who profess to keep out of the "row" that these quarrels relieve the monotony that would otherwise prevail. Both sides subscribe to the "Thunderer and the other rag" (which apart from the local feeling are well conducted papers) to see all about the latest row, at the punt, the hospital, or some other meeting; and so the game goes on, and the ball is kept rolling.
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