On the day of the official opening, September 3, 1878, all tolls on the Company Bridge were abolished meaning that people could visit the North Wagga Railway Station (as it was known then) without having to pay.

Cobb & Co ran special coaches from the town to the station for the event, and a large procession marched out to the station led by the Friendly Societies and the Town Band.

The official ceremony was followed by a banquet in the large goods shed at the station, attended by 260 people, and a ball was also held later that evening at the Masonic Hall.

As well as many thousands of locals from around Wagga and district, a large trainload of dignitaries and visitors was also in attendance. This included members of parliament, government officials and businessmen, many of whom had travelled from Sydney.

In stark contrast, the opening of the Wagga Railway Station (or South Wagga Station as it was originally known) almost a year later to the day, attracted very little fanfare.

The extension of the railway line over the Murrumbidgee River for the remaining four and a half miles, was not without incident.

A temporary wooden bridge had been constructed over the river by March 1879, however it was damaged by flood waters before it could be put into service.

The main problem with the structure was that the spans were too close together, which meant that during a period of flood the spans collected a large amount of debris which put too much pressure on the bridge.

The temporary station buildings at the South Wagga Station attracted a great deal of criticism from the local press.

A report from The Daily Advertiser on May 24, 1879 said “It will be noticed that there are only two buildings ... the larger of the two is the goods shed ... the other building is intended for the station. The building is totally unsuited for the requirements of the place even as a temporary structure”. 

Again on August 20, 1879, “...the only eyesore that we can at present detect is the absurd building erected for the station which is only large enough for a small family residence”.

The official opening was held on September 1, 1879, and as no major event had been organised by the government to celebrate the extension of the line, the residents of Wagga decide to organise their own festivities.

A great number of flags decorated the township and the Town Band again played its part. However, no officials from the government or the Railway Department were in attendance. 

Despite this, approximately 2000 people gathered at the station for the departure of the first mail train.

The mayor, Mr Fitzhardinge, addressed those present and “in a few terse sentences” explained why it was important to celebrate the opening of the railway line to South Wagga, and then called for three cheers for the queen and the governor.

A bell was rung, the guard gave the signal, and the train proceeded on its way amid the cheers of the crowd.

The first permanent facilities at the Wagga Railway Station included a station building, station master's residence, goods shed, and a gatekeeper’s residence (all constructed by Charles Hardy). There were also eight cottages erected, and a hand crane which had been in use at the Bomen Station previously, was moved to the new station.

The design of the station building at Wagga comprised a central lobby and ticket office, with a parcels room, ladies waiting room and toilets on the western side, and the station master’s office, telegraph office, general waiting room, and a second ladies waiting room and more toilets on the eastern side of the building.

While some sources say the station building was completed by the end of 1879, this is not the case given that the Wagga Wagga Express of October 8, 1879, reports that Charles Hardy’s tender for the erection of the permanent station building had only just been accepted by the government. Other newspaper references report that the building was still incomplete in September 1880, but was operational by February 1881.

References: The Daily Advertiser (24/05/1879 - p.2-3, 20/08/1879 - p.2, 23/08/1879 - p.2, 03/09/1879 - p.2, 11/10/1879 - p.4, 07/09/1880 – p.2, 14/04/1885 – p.2); Wagga Express (08/10/1879, p2.); Australian Town and Country Journal  (11/09/1880 – p.39); Evening News (02/02/1881 – p.3); A History of Wagga Wagga by Keith Swan, pp.130-131.

The CSU Regional Archives are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and the first Saturday of every month from 10am to 3pm. Located in the Blakemore Building on South Campus of the University, access can be gained via College Avenue or Hely Avenue.

Members of the public are welcome to visit the search room where professional archival staff can assist with enquiries. For those people unable to visit the archives in person, staff can provide a research service for straight forward enquiries for a fee of $55 per hour including copying and postage.

For further information, please phone 6933 4590, email archive@csu.edu.au, or visit our website at www.csu.edu.au/research/archives for a full listing of holdings and more detailed information.

The CSU Regional Archives is currently extending its opening hours to include the first Saturday of the month. This initiative has been put in place to cater for those researchers who are unable to visit the archives on weekdays during normal business hours.

The next Saturday opening will be held on February 7, 2015, from 10am to 3pm.