The Business Chamber's History

The Wagga Wagga Business Chamber exists to support its business members, both large and small.  It is a pro-active representative organisation, strongly advocating for all business, new and established, in the Wagga economy.  This has been the purpose behind the Chamber’s existence since its formation in 1936 as the Wagga Wagga Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

A glimpse at the first 30 years of the Chamber’s life shows how it has provided a strong vehicle, not just for local business, but for the Wagga Community to air its voice on important issues facing it.  As the City of Wagga Wagga grew and developed, the Chamber grew and developed alongside it, working hand in hand with the City Council in resolving the important concerns of the day.

The Chamber was formed at a public meeting held on 18 September 1936, and was mainly concerned with the quality of life in the town.  At the first general meeting on 13 November 1936, members discussed such things as the town being an overnight stop for the South Australian centenary motor rally, the extension of mall closing times, a telephone box at the railway station and the establishment of the aerodrome.  It was also concerned about the establishment of a proper technical college in a central position in Wagga Wagga.

A look at some of the minutes from the early meetings reveals some of the pressing concerns that faced the Chamber during those years.  Minutes from one of the first meetings of the Chamber record that there were many matters of interest that the Chamber involved itself in.  Some of the projects included the saleyards in Wagga Wagga, Australia’s 150th birthday celebrations, postal charges, the lighting of postal boxes, state of roads around Wagga, and in particular between Wagga and Albury, as well as the lack of suitable accommodation in Wagga.

Other matters noted included the problem of street hawkers, herd testing, lifesaving activities on the river, hoarding, advertising, fodder conversation, bicycle control, photos of Wagga in railway carriages and late night shopping – that the closing hours be changed from 9:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M.

The early 1940s saw the Chamber grow in membership numbers.  Decentralisation was mentioned for the first time in 1941, with a note that – “The Chamber views, with grave concern, the continued drift to the coastal cities of large numbers of men and women of the inland, by reason of the fact that industries essential for the War and other purposes are almost entirely concentrated in those localities, and that higher wages are offered".

In March 1942, the first references to establishing a “Soil Erosion Research Station” in Southern NSW were mentioned and Wagga stood a very good chance of it being built here.  Bicycle tracks continued to be mentioned in most meetings as was the seeming never ending discussions with the railways department.  Half day shopping on Saturdays was suggested and immediately discounted as being “inconvenient to country interests”.

Neon signs were mentioned as were the first indications of an abattoir, known as the Killing Works being built at Wagga.  Rubbish on footpaths continued to cause concern and the chairman referred to the Council’s proposed action regarding children and pedestrians littering the streets with papers and rubbish.

Seemingly small matters such as ice deliveries and firewood stock piles or lack thereof, was discussed throughout 1943, as well as other topics in the same meetings, on Post War reconstruction.  Taxi services were first discussed around this time, notably that “very often no taxis or other public vehicles met the night trains at the Wagga station, and that the travelling public was thereby seriously inconvenienced. “

By the 1960s, the Chamber and other local bodies were keen to promote secondary industry in Wagga, and the NSW government offered concessions to selected manufacturing industries prepared to establish or expand to country locations.

As shown by the above, through the early years of its life, the Chamber stayed true to its goal of effectively representing the interests and view points of its member-businesses.  This has enabled the Chamber to experience steady growth through the years.  The Chamber’s membership base, comprising of hundreds of local businesses, is extremely diverse and covers every possible industry sector.  This substantial membership has enabled the Chamber to be an effective voice for business not only at the local government level, but also at the state and federal levels.  All these years later, the Chamber remains committed to improving its support, services, and benefits to achieve its main goal of being an effective and respected voice for local businesses whilst providing value for its members.