But what if it were a capital of its own state centred around the Riverina? The idea nearly came to fruition in the 1930s and now a Queensland Senator believes it is worth exploring again.

Rockhampton-based Liberal National Party Senator Matt Canavan believes a discussion needs to be held about potential new states as part of the review of the federal-state relationship in the Federation White Paper process. Senator Cavanan suggested Wagga, along with Rockhampton, Tamworth, Launceston and Ballarat, had the potential to be one such new state capital.

During his time as the state member for Wagga, Joe Schipp saw the proposal of creating a new state either side of the Murray River stretching west to the South Australian border floated to give the region a greater say at the table.

“It was more or less a reaction to the feeling rural (areas) were getting the crumbs,” he said.

While he doesn’t believe the time is right just yet for the creation of a new state centred on Wagga, with major sticking points such as creating revenue and taxation bases to be sorted, Mr Schipp thinks the issue may come to a head in the future.

"I think there will come a time when the bush is in a position to represent a case,” he said.

Federal member for Riverina Michael McCormack has however poured cold water on the idea, suggesting new states would simply lead to more layers of bureaucracy.

It’s not the first time Wagga has flirted with the idea of breaking away from NSW, with the region coming perilously close to seceding and forming a breakaway state at the height of the Great Depression in the early 1930s.

More than 10,000 people gathered at Wagga Beach in February 1931 to mark the start of the “Riverina Movement” – protesting against the economic mismanagement of then-premier Jack Lang. A Royal Commission found in 1935 the Riverina would be a suitable area for a new state to be created and proposed a referendum on the proposal, but the NSW government failed to act and the idea fizzled out.