Wagga

Wagga Wagga, commonly known as Wagga, is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest urban centre in the region and serves as a commercial, educational, and cultural hub.

It sits on the Murrumbidgee River, around 450 kilometers southwest of Sydney. The city has a temperate climate with warm summers and cool winters, and it serves as a service centre for a large agricultural hinterland.

The name comes from the Wiradjuri language and is commonly interpreted as meaning "place of many crows" or "crow." The settlement grew in the mid-19th century and expanded with agriculture and the railway.

The economy is driven by agriculture, processing, education and health services. Key institutions include Charles Sturt University, which operates a major campus in Wagga Wagga, and the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital. The Museum of the Riverina and the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery are notable cultural institutions.

Transport links include the regional Wagga Wagga Airport and road connections via the Hume Highway. The city is the administrative center of the surrounding LGA, which has around 66,000 residents according to the 2021 census. Local events and institutions support tourism and the regional economy.