Visitors eager to see jersies, trophies, photographs and autographs are in for a treat, with contributions from some of Australia’s sporting titans on display (think Michael Slater, Steve Mortimer, Scobie Breasely and Arthur Summons).

As the saying goes, “No Guts, No Glory”, and the Hall of Fame has plenty of objects on show that reveal the gritty, unglamorous moments behind great sporting achievement. You’ll see, for example, a piece of shattered boat hull from the yacht Gary Williams skippered during a National Title event. After a wave catapulted a competitor’s boat into his own, Williams had to guide his boat – now missing its rudder and a sizeable section of its rear hull – the 1.5km distance back to the boat club.

Bill Robertson’s 1980s cycling helmet, emblazoned with the word “WAGGA”, is covered with an alarming number of scuffs, scratches and scrapes. Bill remained philosophical about the dangers of his sport, pointing out that he never broke a bone, just dislocated a couple!

Other items on display operate as a window into the ways times, and technologies, have changed. A “hero fax” sent to Wagga’s Athlete Patrick Dwyer from a local law firm during the 2000 Olympics show how Australians cheered on our athletes before the advent of social media.

The Sporting Hall of Fame isn’t limited to the more popular sporting codes, with inductees having made grand achievements in a broad range of sports, including white water canoeing, pistol shooting, croquet, dirt bike riding, and even competitive dancing.

Each year, a new inductee is added to the Wagga Wagga Sporting Hall of Fame, which now has 90 inductees. Each is a sportsperson who distinguished themselves at the national or international level of their given sport. 

An overhaul of the exhibition in 2016 saw never-before seen objects placed on display, and showcasing the achievements of some of Wagga’s finest female sportspeople, including Sally Shipard, Alyisha House, Robyn Puckett and Melanie Wells (Twitt).