The city, so vast and ever-reaching as it has become, was once far smaller with less infrastructure, bridges, buildings and schools.

There was a time when the showground, established in the 1860s, was once considered to be outside of the city limits.

Wagga was declared a city in 1946, at which time the city began to develop more to the south and west.

Suburbs such as Mount Austin, Tolland, Kooringal and Lake Albert were developed.

The most growth in recent years has happened in Glenfield Park, Bourkelands and Estella.

But it is not just the residential developments that have made this city what it is today.

As the city grew out it also grew up, with the development of the city’s biggest buildings and businesses.

The iconic building, landscapes, businesses and parks the city holds dear, monuments we might see each day, are steeped in history.

Celebrating its 150th birthday in the same year as The Daily Advertiser is Lake Albert, which was built in 1868.

The man-made lake was built on what was then known as Swampy Plains and has since been the meeting spot for families or preferred venue for recreational water activities.

During its 150-year history, the lake has been plagued with issues that has closed it to the public, such as low water levels, Ross River Fever outbreak and blue-green algae.

Charles Hardy and Co was recognised as one of the city’s biggest building companies for four generations.

Founder Charles Hardy originally partnered with Thomas Hodson and eventually formed his own company, which his children Charles and Harry later joined.

Mr Hardy was responsible for erecting court houses, railway stations, hotels, bridges, breweries and private residences in Wagga and the Riverina.

Mr Hardy’s children, along with designer William Monks, collaborated of many of the city’s landmarks, including an office at the Murrumbidgee Flour Mill in the 1890s, extensions to Mount Erin in the late 1890s and early 1900s, completion of works at St Michael’s Cathedral in 1922 and Lewisham (later Calvary) Hospital in 1930.

Mr Hardy Snr was responsible for the construction of the council chambers at its current site after pressure from the public and the newspapers at the time demanded a permanent office.

A contract was signed on March 31, 1881.

Construction was expected to be complete by December, 1881, however, it was not finished until July 20, 1882.

Murrumbidgee Co-operative Milling was established in 1890 and closed operation in the 1980s. 

It was sold in 1987 and ceased operation in December, 2000. 

The site is heritage listed and plans for a $35 million development, including apartment building and eateries, are currently underway to restore the building while keeping the original facade.

The popular Red Lion Hotel, formerly the Imperial Hotel, was knocked down in 2012 to make way for the development.

The Hampden Bridge was open in 1895 and became an icon in Wagga.

It was closed to traffic in 1995 and closed to pedestrians in 2006.

The heritage-listed bridge was demolished in 2014 and historians and residents have since fought to preserve parts of the bridge, which have been used in businesses around Wagga.

Wagga City Council’s parks superintendent Tom Woods was responsible for the construction of the Botanic Gardens.

Thousands of trees were planted in the 1950s and animals were introduced to the site in the 1960s.

Construction started on an 18-acre garden in 1962 and attractions, such as the museum, music bowl and tree chapel, were added later.

Mr Woods had travelled the world and said what he had designed for Wagga was as good as he had seen anywhere else.

From almost any elevated position around Wagga, the Mantra Pavilion hotel can be seen, looming large with its 109 foot high roof.

The uniquely-shaped structure was built about 1985 and boasts the largest six-sided canopy in the Southern Hemisphere.

Another such structure is Wagga Base Hospital, which provides more than 40,000 emergency presentations, 1100 births and 11,000 operations each year. 

It was founded as Wagga District Hospital in 1865 and had a change of name to Wagga Base in 1938, which is the same year the building’s designed William Monks retired.

The recognisable brick structure gave way to a modern exterior in recent years as the hospital upgrade commenced.

Stage one was completed in 2013, stage two was completed in 2017 and tenders are out for stage three.

It had a brief name change to Wagga Rural Referral Hospital but public campaigns got the named changed back to Wagga Base after it was proved the new moniker was confusing and unpopular among residents.

The new building as part of stage three is expected to include aged care and rehabilitation inpatient beds, older person’s mental health, renal dialysis unit, ambulatory clinics, outpatient rehabilitation and allied health, education and training facilities and additional car parking and the relocation of BreastScreen NSW.

The railway station, which was opened in 1879, has passengers boarding the XPT twice a day.

Wagga resident Hughie Condon, the Examiner of Airmen with the Department of Defence at the time, recommended Forest Hill in 1939 as a suitable site to establish the RAAF Base. In 1992, the runway was upgraded to facilitate Boeing 737s.

It has been these developments, and countless others, that have transformed Wagga from a country town to the largest inland city in New South Wales.