On my first day in Wagga, my husband was showing me around and our first stop was the Civic Center. The complex is situated beside the Wollundry Lagoon and consists of the City Library, the Regional Art gallery, the National Art Glass gallery, the Museum of the Riverina and the Civic Administration. Little did I know then that this was the place (specially the library) where I would be spending most of my time during the duration of my stay.
The library was such a wonderful place. The collection of books, CDs, DVDs, audio books, and magazines was just amazing! And you could loan these too. There are also computer terminals that can be booked. It was unfortunate that the lower floor of the library was flooded just a few weeks prior to my visit; the carpeting had to be removed. I hope that not many books were damaged. There were other areas in New South Wales that had also experienced flooding. Later on during my stay in Australia, Queensland was hit with floods and the residents of Wagga joined in the relief efforts. There was a growing pile of goods near the library entrance and a local jazz band even performed in front of the library in order to raise funds.
There are two art galleries and a museum just a few steps from the library and one can browse through their displays for free.
The Museum of the Riverina operates from two sites, one of which was at the Civic Center (the other one was close to the Botanic Gardens). At the time of my visit, the exhibit at the Civic Center Museum was about the history of Chinese migration and settlement in the Riverina (“Tracking the Dragon - A history of the Chinese in the Riverina”).
The glass art pieces at the National Art Glass gallery were so beautiful! However, they did not allow photos to be taken so I just took a picture from outside the building.
Also close by are the Civic Theater and the Wollundry Amphitheater.
On some weekends, especially during the summer, they hold a farmer’s market on the grounds near the lagoon. There are all sorts of goodies that can be purchased; there was also live entertainment when we visited that Saturday morning.
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