Wagga Wagga AUDIO/VISUAL curator John Riddell is excited for the Wagga community to experience the new exhibition. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
Gone are the days of film cameras, VHS and even CDs.
Instead, much of the audiovisual world relies on mobile phones, the internet, cameras smaller than one’s hand and microphones with ultra-clear quality.
Fortunately for those who wish to explore the rich history of audio and visual devices as well as how news was delivered in Wagga, the Museum of the Riverina’s newest exhibition, Wagga Wagga AUDIO/VISUAL, has just launched at the Historic Council Chambers site.
Curated by former 2WG radio producer turned history buff John Riddell, the new exhibition explores the Riverina’s rich audio and visual history, ranging from print media and newspapers in the 1870s, to radio in the mid-1900s and Wagga’s first colour TV program in the 1970s.
“I’ve been working on this project for a couple of years, on and off. It was born out of COVID, where I was getting into some old tech during lockdown,” Mr Riddell said.
“I was just like, geez, that’d be a great idea. It then snowballed into looking at Wagga media history, which turned into a job that I didn’t want to end.
“There was so much to look at and so much archival material to go through. It’s just a fascinating piece of local history.”
Mr Riddell and the Museum of the Riverina team looked through thousands of pieces from bygone eras, ultimately choosing a couple of hundred for the exhibition.
“We were lucky enough to get some objects from the old Prime building,” he said.
“We also had a great outpouring from people who actually worked in the industry. They have helped us out incredibly; it’s amazing to still see that mentality of just helping someone out, which I always saw, was part of the Wagga media history, where people would help each other, and this was no exception.
“I wanted to capture a world where the names behind the paper, the voices on the radio and the faces on the TV were recognisable on the street.
“Wagga loves seeing itself on screen and hearing itself on the radio. This exhibition provides a snapshot tour of 150 years of the local media landscape.”
The Wagga Wagga AUDIO/VISUAL exhibition also marks the first installation since the Museum of the Riverina’s new manager, Tim Kurylowicz, took the mantle from Luke Grealy.
Mr Kurylowicz said it was a fascinating experience working with Mr Riddell and the team to get the exhibition up and running.
“This is an exhibition – I think that’s really exciting and kind of important,” he said.
“We probably don’t think enough about the really vital role that the media plays in us as a society and as a community, understanding ourselves, reckoning with the challenges and the achievements that are made by local people.
“There’s something for everybody in this exhibition. I’ve come on at the end of it, and it’s a delight to see the work that’s been done over many years by a hardworking staff at the museum.
“An awful lot of objects were collected from various media outlets that are part of our landscape, our history, specifically for this exhibition.
“I would encourage people to come down, this is the perfect opportunity, whatever age you are, to have your ‘when I was a kid moment’, and to tell someone younger than you how it was back in your day.”
As part of the exhibition, a special curator’s talk and tour with John Riddell will take place on Saturday 21 June at 11 am. RSVPs are appreciated here.
Wagga Wagga AUDIO/VISUAL runs until 14 December 2025 at the Museum of the Riverina, 243 Baylis St, Wagga Wagga. Entry is free.
