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John and Margaret Rumens members of the Tidy Towns Committee of the Wagga Wagga City Council.
The Committee was responsible for organising things like the Keep Australia Beautiful Day, and Keep Wagga Wagga Beautiful, handing out gloves ect to volunteers picking up rubbish around the town.
The awards were given in population sizes; towns under 2000, to those over 20,000, then an overall winner.
Judges visited the towns and were taken around to see various projects- waste management, bins in streets and parks, water issues, industries that had made a contribution to better the city.
The committee closed due to the age of members and inability to recruit new, younger members. At the time of closure, the President was John Rumens, Secretary Graham Jackaman, Treasurer Bob Knezledorf, members - Elsie Kimball, Margaret Rumens, Judy Jackaman, Marcia?, Ian?.
Written by Margaret Rumens.

James Gormly was born on 24 July 1836 in Elphin, County Roscommon, Ireland and arrived with his family in Sydney as a bounty immigrant in February 1840. Four years later the family moved to Nangus, along the Murrumbidgee, and later settled at Gundagai in 1849. In the 1852 Gundagai flood, most of the Gormly family perished, except for James and his brother Thomas. The following year the Gormly brothers enjoyed some success, selling stock at the Victorian markets and finding gold on the Victorian goldfields.

James Gormly settled at Wagga Wagga in 1854, met and married Margaret Jane Cox at Holbrook in 1858 and successfully operated a government mail run until 1872. Margaret was born the daughter of Jospeh and ? Cox of "Livingstone Gully" on 26 November 1838. The Gormly family's pastoral interests continued when James bought land at The Rock in 1873, leased "Coronga Peak" in the Bourke district in 1875, then selling and taking up "Wilga Downs", at West Bogan. After selling "Wilga Downs" for a nice profit, he returned to Wagga Wagga in 1882, bought urban real estate and led an active political life.

After serving as a Wagga Wagga Town Alderman (1883-1885) and Mayor (1884-1885), James entered State politics as the Member for Murrumbidgee in the Legislative Assembly (October 1885 - June 1894). He was subsequently re-elected in the seat of Wagga Wagga in July 1894 until he resigned in June 1904. He then served in the Legislative Council from August 1904 until his death in May 1922. A member of the Public Works Committee (1894-1895) and strong advocate of the protectionist cause, James' career included representation in the Wagga Wagga Free Selectors' Association, the Mechanics' School of Arts, the Murrubidgee Pastoral and Agricultural Association, the Murrumbidgee Turf Club, the Wagga Wagga and District Horse Breeders Associaton and the Library Association of Australia. He had a great love of horses and was one of the marathon jockeys who participated in the infamous "Ten Mile Race" held at Wagga Wagga on 20 November 1868. Before his death in Wagga Wagga on 19 May 1922, James wrote many articles on the district's history, which were then gathered together in the publication "Exploration and Settlement on the Murray and Murrumbidgee" (1909). He was also the author of "The Discovery of Yass Plains" (1921), "The Flea-bitten Grey" (1921) and "Exploration and Settlement in Australia" (1921).

His son, Richard Joseph Ernest Gormly, was born in the family home at Marshall's Point, Wagga Wagga, on 12 June 1868. The third son in a family of six boys and three girls, Richard was educated at St. Ignatius' College, Riverview, but spent most of his early life in Wagga Wagga. An avid sportsman and chess player, Richard also took an interest in the public affairs of the town. He served two terms as alderman on the Wagga Wagga City Council (1900-01, 1922-25). After his first term, Richard relocated to Cootamundra and then to Wallendbeen, but returned to Wagga Wagga after World War One. An officer of the Department of Lands, Richard worked for approximately 30 years, before retiring at Pymble in 1925.

Like his father, Richard enjoyed researching the local and district history of Wagga Wagga. He published many articles in Riverina newspapers, and was planning to publish his own history of Wagga Wagga. Richard's extensive card index is currently held in the Mitchell Wing of the State Library of New South Wales, where, after his retirement, he spent an average of 50 hours a week on his research. Richard died in Sydney on 23 August 1961 at the age of 93. The Gormly Avenue in Wagga Wagga was named by Richard in memory of his family's contribution to the local area.

The first issue of the Wagga Wagga Advertiser was released on 10 October 1868 for the cost of 6 pence. The paper was co-founded by two wealthy local pastoralists, Auber George Jones and Thomas Darlow, whilst the first editor was Frank Hutchison, an Oxford graduate. These men believed that the growing prosperity and importance of the Wagga Wagga district required greater representation in the press. The paper would aim to give proper importance to the subject of agriculture and to be devoted to people from all socio-economic levels.

Originally the Wagga Wagga Advertiser was only published bi-weekly, on Wednesday and Saturday, and would consist of only 4 pages. By February 1880, the paper was published tri-weekly, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, due to popular demand. In 1881, the paper was reduced in price from 6 pence to 2 pence, to make it more affordable. The paper finally became 'daily' on 31 December 1910.

At about the same time, the newspapers' offices relocated from Fitzmaurice Street to Trail Street under the guidance of owner Stephen Sullivan, who originally joined the paper in 1868 as a 21 year old printer. When the partnership between Jones and Darlow dissolved in 1871, Sullivan and his father-in-law, J. Mackay, bought the 'Advertiser' in partnership. Sullivan was to continue an association with the paper until shortly before his death in 1933, a total of a little over 60 years.

With Sullivan's death, The Daily Advertiser was left to his daughters, Alice and Forbie, who sold the paper to a company owned by Rupert "Rags" Henderson and Hanne Anderson (later, Fairfax) about 20 years later. On 23 July 1962, the Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser was reduced in size from a broadsheet to the smaller 'tabloid' size. When the paper celebrated its centenary in October 1968, it was only the fourth provincial daily newspaper in NSW to do so.

It was during Henderson's time as owner that the Riverina Media Group was created. General Managers of the Group included: John Charles Jackson (1961- 992), Graham Gorrel (1992-2000), Wayne Geale (April 2000- ?), Paul McLoughlin (?- present). After Henderson's death, the company passed to his daughter, Margaret Jarrett, and then to her daughter in turn, Alicia Jarrett in 2002.

In 2007, Rural Press Ltd bought the Riverina Media Group, just a few weeks before Rural Press itself was merged into Fairfax Media. At the time, the Group published 7 newspapers in the Riverina (including The Daily Advertiser (Wagga), Riverina Leader (Wagga), The Rural, The Area News (Griffith), The Southern Cross (Junee), The Colypoint Observer (Coleambally and Darlington Point), and The Irrigator (Leeton) and the "Seniors Newspapers" for five states.

Since 1962, editors of The Daily Advertiser have included Taffy Davies (1962-1963), Jack Dennis (1964-1978), Greg Walker (1978-1979), Graham Gorrel (1979-1992), Michael McCormack (1992 - 2002), Paul McLoughlin (2002 - ?), Daniel Johns (2015-2017) and Ross Tyson (2017-present).

The Daily Advertiser is currently a subsidiary of Fairfax.

The Currawarna Public School in the County of Bourke opened in January 1900. There had previously been a Currawarna Public School in existence, in another location, from January 1884. In May 1899 that school changed its name to Cottee Public School. (1)

Currawarna Public School closed in December 2004. (2)

A public school was the basic elementary school in the New South Wales system of education. By 1900 an attendance of twenty students was required to maintain a school of this classification. (3)

Endnotes

1. Government Schools of New South Wales 1848-2003, NSW Department of Education and Training, 2003, pp.54 (Currawanna (2)), 52 (Cottee, see Agency 4638).
2. History of New South Wales Government Schools, School History Database https://education.nsw.gov.au/about-us/history-of-nsw-government-schools/school-database-search (accessed 6 June 2018).
3. Government Schools of New South Wales 1848-2003, NSW Department of Education and Training, 2003, pp.18

The McLean family arrived at Yandembah around 1902.

Alexander McLean (c.1861-1931) married Sarah Helen Horton (c.1868-1937) in 1897. They had 4 children:

• Edmund JA McLean (born 1898), also known as "Jack".
• Florence M McLean (born 1903), also known as "Florrie"; later married Jack Carr of 'Wilga', Hillston.
• Elsie M McLean (born 1904);
• Lachlan H McLean (born 1906), also known as "Loch"; took over the management of Yandembah after his father.

An academic in veterinary science [not at Charles Sturt University or any precursor institutions].

Alexander Kennedy Sutherland was born in Sydney in July 1917. He graduated from the University of Sydney in 1937 with a Bachlor in Veterinary Science. He joined the Commonwealth Department of Health as Assistant Veterinary Officer in the Australian Capital Territory for a time before being appointed in 1941 to the Queensland Department of Primary Industry's Animal Research Station in Yeerongpilly, Brisbane. He later became their Chief Veterinary Pathologist, then Chief Research Officer.
He undertook a Master of Science at the University of Illinois and was awarded his degree in Veterinary Pathology and Hygiene in 1948. In 1955 he took up a position at the Nicholas Research Institute in Melbourne, working on the commercialisation of the cobalt bullet for sheep and cattle. He was instrumental in the eradication of brucellosis and tuberculosis in cattle. He was appointed as a consultant in the Division of Dairying in the Victorian Dept of Agriculture in 1977, overseeing the quality assurance of milk powder production.
Sandy was appointed National President of the Australian Veterinary Association in 1975 and President of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in 1980-1981. He was Honorary Editor of the Australian Veterinary Journal from 1966-1972 and remained on the Editorial Committee until 1999. He was awarded the Gilruth Prize in 1979 for meritorius service and the Order of Australia Medal in 1989.
Sandy Sutherland died in October 1999, aged 82.

Florence Marion McLean was born in 1903 to Alexander and Sarah Helen McLean of 'Yandembah', Hillston. She married Henry John "Jack" Carr of 'Moolbong' in 1933 and they had two children. The Carr Family lived at 'Wilga', Hillston. Jack died in a shooting accident on 30 May 1942, and Florence took over the management of 'Wilga'.

In 1995, Dennis formed Dennis E Toohey & Associates - an agribusiness consultancy - after working for thirty years in a number of positions in NSW Agriculture. Prior to this, he was Regional Director of Agriculture for the Murray and Riverina Regions for eleven years. From 1990 to 1995, Dennis served on the Murray and Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Boards representing NSW Agriculture.

Armed with 'a magnetic personality' and 'a charm which melted the bitterness of his opponents' (Ellis, 1958, p. 141), Charles Downey Hardy jnr rose to fame in early 1931 when he orchestrated a mass anti-government rally of 10, 000 protesters on the banks of Wagga Wagga beach, which launched the Riverina Movement and his political career. The rally, aimed principally at NSW Premier J. T. Lang (1876-1975), threatened Riverina secession if both State and Federal Governments failed to provide much needed financial relief to primary producers.

Hardy jnr was born in Wagga Wagga on 12 December 1898. His father, Charles Hardy snr, inherited and built up a successful building company, C. Hardy & Co., in Wagga Wagga which young Charles Hardy jnr joined after he left school. His grandfather, Charles Hardy, who settled in Wagga Wagga in 1862, founded the company which was responsible for the construction of most of the major civic and private buildings in and around Wagga Wagga. Educated at Wagga Wagga High School and the Geelong Church of England Grammar School, Hardy jnr returned to Wagga Wagga in 1915 and secured an apprenticeship as a carpenter. During the First World War he enlisted as a sapper in the Australian Imperial Force, serving in the 1st Pioneer Training Battalion and 1st Field Company Australian Engineers before being gassed in March 1918. He remained in London after the war and gained experience in concrete engineering and draughtsmanship. On 11 July 1922, Hardy jnr married Alice Margaret Ann Trim at St Hilary's Anglican Church in Melbourne. Later in 1924, he travelled to the USA to study afforestation, timber-handling techniques and industrial relations. After his father died in 1934, Hardy jnr took over the firm.

Hardy jnr also took a keen interest in politics, forming the Riverina Development League in 1928, joining the United Australia Association in 1930, and becoming leader of the Riverina Movement in 1931. The success of the river bank rally at Wagga Wagga encouraged Hardy jnr and other active members of the Movement to conduct similar rallies at Narrandera and later Deniliquin, Hay, Tocumwal and Jerilderie, prompting Smith's Weekly to comment: "the countryside is blazing more and more with dangerous passions of resentment against city politicians". By the time the Riverina Movement was placed on a more permanent footing, a number of key players, including Hardy jnr, were beginning to soften their stance on action. Hardy jnr no longer advocated secession. What Hardy jnr did want was to abolish all state governments and replace them with self-governing provincial councils. The New England Movement, which had been active since the 1920s, rejected the provincial plan, and instead, continued to push for new statism in the north. Over the following months, Hardy jnr came to blows with the New England Movement leaders on just what model would suit provincial and regional NSW should both regions break away from the rest of the state.
Meanwhile, Hardy jnr kept busy and employed the services of O'Brien Publicity Co. to campaign and promote the Movement around the state. He flew around in an aeroplane and delivered his 'demagogic speeches' of hope and salvation, earning him the title 'Cromwell of the Riverina'. Further, he did not shy away from describing himself as a Fascist at the time, nor did he deny a 'Silent Division' within the movement. Hardy dubbed this division 'the country method of upholding law and order', which others have interpreted as a secret paramilitary force much like the New Guard. Not surprisingly, his 'truculent oratory' drew the attention of the Commonwealth Investigation Branch.

The failure of the petition to the Commonwealth Government calling for the abolition of state parliament and the creation of provincial units, forced Hardy jnr and his fellow new staters in New England to merge the Riverina, New England, Western and Monaro-South Coast movements as the United Country Movement (UCM). The UCM continued to press for reforms and establish a political base. Shortly afterwards, consensus was reached between the regional movements to merge the UCM with the Country Party. Not all within the Riverina Movement were happy. For many, the politicisation of the United Country Movement represented a step back from its anti-political idealism.

After the demise of the Lang government, Hardy jnr's political career was more conventional. He stood as a United Country Party (UCP) candidate in the Federal election of 1932 and won a seat in the Senate. As UCP leader in the Upper House from October 1935 to June 1938, Hardy jnr initiated a number of debates on the issue of separatism but experienced a sense of frustration concerning the attitude of Senators from other states. After his defeat in 1938, Hardy jnr served as honorary coordinator of works with the Royal Australian Air Force and as liaison officer to the business member of the Air Board during World War Two. He was then seconded to Department of Defence, and was killed in an air crash at Coen, Queensland, on 27 August 1941. He was survived by his wife and two sons.

Compiled by : James Logan.

Sources : Ellis, Ulrich, The Country Party: a political and social history of the party in New South Wales. F. W. Cheshire: Melbourne, 1958; Moore, Andrew, 'Charles Downey Hardy (1898-1941)', in Bede Nairn and Geoffery Serle (Eds.). Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol. 9, 1891-1939, Gil-Las. Melbourne University Press: Melbourne, 1983; Moore, Andrew, The Secret Army and the Premier: conservation paramilitary organisations in New South Wales 1930-32. NSW University Press: Kensington, 1989.