BDDA3

Did you know that the Rural Fire Service was originally formed in Berrigan? According to the Berrigan Advocate newspaper, the brigade was formally recorded in November 1900 at a meeting at the Royal Hotel. This is the first official record of a formal bush fire brigade in NSW. During the 19th century, coordinated firefighting was […]

The Lalalty School was officially opened in 1884, although a provisional school was in effect from September 1883 with Patience Leitch the first teacher. The original building and facilities were provided by parents of the children. The school has had many incarnations over its life depending on the amount of children of school age registered […]

The Nangunia South School was established in April 1899 as a provisional school made of logs, joined together by mud. The school was located opposite the Lalalty Hotel near the Lalalty Post Office where the Berrigan Channel bridge, known as Sherwin’s Bridge is now located. The Education Department built a proper school there in 1908 […]

Berrigan township did not have a reliable water supply and in the early days had tremendous problems with water provision. The town relied on surface water or underground aquifers, however these had limited scope and in extreme dry times other methods had to be sought. During periods of the great drought of 1902 water was […]

The first Post Office in Berrigan was a receiving office opened in May 1884. A once weekly mail service was provided between Corowa and Murray Hut at this time. The school teacher Miss Ruddock was the first appointed postmistress as the mail arrived at 4pm and her school duties were finished for the day by […]

The first Berrigan show was held on March 31, 1891, with attendance being positive despite inclement weather and state of the roads. This first show was held in the Hall and adjacent grounds and the popularity of the show encouraged local residents to continue the tradition annually. A few more were held in the Hall, […]

Back over a century ago there was a township between Barooga and Berrigan which was aptly named Lalalty. It was located to the north of the Drop, just south of the Berrigan Channel crossing on the Cobram-Berrigan Road. There are still a few bricks at the site to show that there was once a building […]

In January 1907, following the election of the first Council in November of the year previous, moves were begun to construct Council Chambers. Plans were put in motion for the construction of what was then considered a commodious building to fully cover the needs of the Shire staff. The building however was somewhat delayed owing […]

The Golf Club at Berrigan was first established in 1905. It was originally a nine hole sand green course on what was farmland to the northeast of the township, north of the old saleyards in Corcoran Street and south of the railway line. In 1920 the Berrigan Golf Links Co Ltd was formed by a […]

Shortly after proclamation of Berrigan as a village, Paddy Gleeson, an exuberant character to say the least, built the original Federal Hotel. He was also the licencee of the Nangunia Hotel south of Berrigan at one stage. This first hotel was a wooden structure with a wide veranda at the front, as was the style […]

Born 30th September 1928, Mr Fuzzard was renowned as a local historian, and published a book “Berrigan, Today and Yesterday” in 1965, which has been a primary source of information for our history section. Mr Fuzzard was always amiable to answering questions about historical facts when required. Mr Fuzzard was a very active community member […]

The original Momalong Hotel was built in 1893 by Mr Curtis Drummond with the first licensee Mr John Rees. The destruction of the Momalong Hotel in the early thirties by fire was sensational and spectacular. However, it also carried with it tragedy as an exploding gas cylinder casting fragments in all directions saw a portion […]

In the early pioneering days the adherents to the Roman Catholic Church assembled in private homes for the celebration of Mass, first by a travelling priest from Albury, and later by one from Corowa. The first record of Mass being spoken in the School of Arts was in June 1892, with the Rev Father Fogarty […]