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

Hi, I’m Erin

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 mother Vicki was a psychiatric nurse in Riverina Community Mental Health, my father Lee was a public servant, or as he used to call himself “a “fatcat”, for what was then known as Soil Conservation Services.

I recently returned home for my graduation ceremony at Charles Sturt University, 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. My studies in Indigenous Cultural Competency concluded with a subject on research methodologies, and I am passionate about putting the skills I’ve learnt to work to benefit my community.

A last minute change of heart had us checking in to Mates Gully 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 to Sydney, a journey I have travelled countless times, I did my usual thing of going down a rabbit hole, and discovered with delight that the history of the manor 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 these women must have in an era that a child of the eighties

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 and community spirit.

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