Collections on Tour, Museums of History NSW
Join experts in the history of the home at an illustrated presentation in Wagga Wagga that draws on the rich collections of Museums of History NSW and Charles Sturt University. This free presentation by Museums of History NSW staff will include a Q&A and an opportunity to view original material. Local Wagga Wagga and Riverina content will be included.
Tuesday 18 June 2024, 10am–11.30am
Charles Sturt University Regional Archives
Level 4, Building 13 (Learning Commons), Nathan Cobb Drive,
Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga NSW 2678
Free, Bookings essential
The Archives is once again open for business to curious history-hunters and serious researchers at our new location on the main campus of Charles Sturt University.
The Archives closed the doors in June 2022 to prepare the collection for the move across the river. Boxes, volumes, albums, and the myriad other items in the collection had to be removed from the shelves, the shelves dismantled then re-built in their new spaces, and the items returned in the correct order! In the end, approximately 22,000 boxes, 120 bays of heavy volumes, and 40 large map cabinets were moved to the new campus.
The part of the University's Art Collection which is not out and about adorning the walls of the University's public spaces and offices is also in its new location, with a brand-new shelving system to house the varied shapes and sizes of framed works in the Art Collection.
A new Search Room for our researchers is now located on the top floor of the campus library (Building 13). Our small library of resources is there, along with the microfilm collection, ScanPro machines and, of course, our Reference Desk. There is wi-fi access available throughout the building, disabled parking and access, and the Pulse Cafe which is open between 7.30am-3pm (card only, no cash).
Directions to the Archives can be found on our Contact Us page.
A grand event was held on 6 June 2023 in the new Search Room to celebrate the re-opening and the 50th anniversary of Regional Archives. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in the morning with speeches made by:
In the afternoon we held a special afternoon tea with as many of our community users, researchers, and Charles Sturt staff as we could fit in the Search Room. It was a great opportunity for everyone to get together and inspect the new facilities.
Some of the media attention we received:
The Charles Sturt University Regional Archives will be closed from 6 June 2022 to undertake our long-awaited relocation. We will re-open in 2023.
The Art Curator will also be moving into the Merrylees Library with us. As part of the renovations, he will be be gaining some dedicated work and storage areas where the University's valuable art collection can be held when not on public display around the campuses.
While the Archives are closed, we will still be attending to mandatory internal and government requests where possible. For other matters, please email us or leave a message on our answering service. While we will be monitoring our email and phone messages, please understand we may not be able to attend to your enquiry during this very busy time.
Charles Sturt University periodically commissions portraits of Senior Executive officers; recently one such oil painting was hung in the board room of The Grange in Bathurst. This process is driven by the University Art Collection and funded by The McDonough Endowment.
Melbourne-based, 2018 Archibald Prize winning artist, Yvette Coppersmith was commissioned to paint the Vice Chancellor of Charles Sturt University (2012-2020), Professor Andrew Vann, in October 2019.
Coppersmith is very familiar with portrait commissions, having painted Rupert Myer, Chair of the Australian Council of the Arts (2012-2018); international law specialist, Gillian Triggs, who was the former President of the Australian Human Rights Commission and is a current Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations; Brian Wilson, the former Chancellor of the University of Technology Sydney; and Emeritus Professor Anne Green of the School of Physics at the University of Technology Sydney.
The first meetings, then three sittings, between the Vice-Chancellor and the artist started on 25 November 2019 at the National Gallery of Victoria. Lockdowns and COVID-19 outbreaks delayed the final three sittings of the portrait, which was completed at the end of 2020 and the work hung in The Grange board room in early 2022.
Read more about Charles Sturt University's Senior Executive Portraits
Charles Sturt University Regional Archives was asked in 2020 to contribute six stories to the Tarcutta Memorial Hall Mural Project. These have been turned into six podcasts by Eastern Riverina Arts.
Sam Brooks was commissioned by Eastern Riverina Arts to complete a mural on the side of the Tarcutta Memorial Hall to commemorate the community's military and soldier settler history.
Tarcutta's Military History Brought to Life in New Mural
In conjuction with the mural, the Charles Sturt University Regional Archives was asked to contribute six stories which tell the story of the Hall, the locals who went to war, and the ones who became part of the community after the war. Those stories were:
The six stories can now be heard via a number of podcast apps and websites, including:
From 2007 until 2017, the Regional Archives submitted a fortnightly article to the Weekend Advertiser.
Each "At the Archives" article featured a short story of relevance to the Wagga Wagga area and its history. It often contained information about certain collections we hold, the resources available in our Search Room, and how to access the records. A pdf copy of most "At the Archives" articles are available online on our website.