Wagga Girls: A celebration of life, love and friendship at 38 Morrow St

My life in Wagga

I attended Kooringal Public School, Kooringal High School, Riverina Institute of TAFE and completed a traineeship in Business Administration at Kapooka before moving to Sydney to study Media Writing at Macquarie University.

My childhood was spent in Cooinbil Crescent, Kooringal. I played hockey on those freezing cold winter mornings at Jubilee Park, and softball in the hot summer. I was not very good at either. We spent a lot of time camping as a family around Talbingo area, and I have a strong family connection to the Snowy Mountains, where my father in would later build a home.

As a teenager I was a bit naughty, and most of my highschool years were spent wagging school, hanging out at the lake, the river, and anywhere else we thought we could hide. We camped a lot as teenagers, at Blowering Dam, Goobagandra, Adelong, Oura, and a lot of unnamed river reserves – one of which I was recently reminded we just called “Powerpoint” because it was the only reserve where we could plug in our stereo and play our 90s grunge music. There was no bluetooth back then!

When I moved to Sydney I was terribly homesick and missed my family, my friends and our dog Georgie. I would drive down the Hume every second weekend to visit and hang out with my best friend Sharon. She’s still my best mate, and last year I got to be the bridesmaid at her wedding next to her daughter, who was only 3 when I left Wagga.

I have lived a happy and purposeful life in Sydney as an adult, and have always been conscious of my roots in the Riverina as being very formative in my personality and life choices. I do not have aspirations of wealth or prestige, I just enjoy meeting new people, travelling Australia and trying new things. I work for a charity that supports people who are struggling with addiction, and I have volunteered with Tribal Warrior in Redfern, and I am an active volunteer in the Strongwoman community.

Why I want to do this project

I recently returned home to Wagga for my graduation ceremony at Charles Sturt University. I was a profoundly moving experience for me as I reminisced and reflected on my own journey as a girl growing up on the mighty Murrumbidgee River. I realised I have come so far, but am still the same girl who wants to be outside with the birds and the trees. My studies in Indigenous Cultural Competency concluded with a subject on research methodologies, and I am keen to use the skills I’ve learnt to benefit my community.

A last minute change of heart had us checking in to Mates Gully Boutique Accomodation at 38 Morrow St, known by most people of my generation as “The Manor”. As we walked through the beautiful doors with the owner, Marcia, I was instantly drawn in to a place of calm, warmth and nostalgia. In fact I was so taken by the space we changed our plans to spend more time at the Manor, bringing back local produce from Knights Deli, lebanese food from the institution that is Nabiha’s Kitchen, and beautiful wines from female winemakers in local regions from Bidgee and Vine.

As we drove back up the Hume, a journey I have travelled countless times, I went down a rabbit hole, and discovered with delight that the history of 38 Morrow St had women at the fore at every step. Trawling through social media posts I found countless women sharing fond memories of boarding at the manor. As we drove past the Dog on the Tuckerbox drinking our Riverina Fresh strawberry milk, I daydreamed about the stories of love, loss and life that unfolded between these walls.

I’m a sentimental lass. I have every birthday card, every concert ticket, every love letter and boxes of photos albums carefully labelled, just like my Dad used to with our family holidays. I have always had a strong desire to hold onto memories so I can reflect back in my later years. The thought of all of the beautiful stories of 38 Morrow St being lost to time is what compelled me to explore this project. I want people to have the chance to know their mums, nannas, aunties, and great-grandmothers in a way I never got to know mine – as young women experiencing an era we will never fully understand.

I am a strong believer in community and reciprocity as the most important part of a harmonious and healthy society, and it would bring me immense joy to collaborate with Wagga locals in creating a book that uplifts the stories of the women who walked through those same beautiful doors.

I am not a professional researcher or author. I am not a web developer or a graphic designer. Everything you see on this website is a DIY labour of love, borne out of a deep desire for reciprocity.

I’m just a Wagga girl who wants to give back to a community that shaped her, and I can’t wait to hear all your stories and celebrate the Wagga Girls of 38 Morrow St.