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Leavenworth, Kansas USA - established May 1962
In the autumn of 1956, President Eisenhower, invited to the White House fifty leaders in various fields of American life. He emphasised the need for a programme to bring the peoples of the world closer together in the interest of peace. He told them “There is no problem before the American people - indeed, before the world - that so colours everything we do, so colours our thinking , our actions, as does the problem of preserving the peace and providing for our own security.”
The President called for a massive programme of communication between Americans and the peoples of other lands, to establish two way relationships to build better understanding.
Out of this White House Conference came the People to People Programme. It is directed by 33 Committees, non-partisan and outside of government control. One of these is the Civic Committee, with which the American Municipal Association works closely to develop the Town Affiliation Programme.
The affiliation of Wagga Wagga with Leavenworth came about as far as Wagga Wagga is concerned, purely by accident. In May 1961, Lt Col W H Wansley, Commanding Officer of Kapooka Military Area (located in close proximity to the City of Wagga Wagga) called upon the Mayor prior to relinquishing his command on the eve of his departure from Australia en route to the United States of America, to undergo a course of military training at Fort Leavenworth - the United States Army Command and General Staff College. The Colonel consented to take with him a letter of introduction and greetings from the Mayor of Wagga Wagga to the Mayor of Leavenworth. On 19th May 1962, the Mayor of Leavenworth, the Hon J F Mitchell, wrote acknowledging this letter of greeting, and issued an invitation for the City of Wagga Wagga to join with the City of Leavenworth as Sister Cities under the People to People Programme. The invitation was wholeheartedly accepted by the Wagga Wagga City Council, and an appeal was then addressed to many schools, clubs, sporting bodies and other organisations to make endeavours to contact their own counterparts in Leavenworth.
Council decided that the general administration of the Sister City affiliation should be carried on and maintained in the name of the Council. It decided that, in the event of interest waning in any way, or any special arrangements required to be made, the Council would, when warranted, convene a conference of interested organisations and citizens, or a public meeting for the purpose.
Great practical support to the affiliation came about in 1963 when the Community Advancement Fund - a Committee of the Wagga Wagga and District Chamber of Commerce - decided that the prize for the winner of the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest would be a return air flight to Leavenworth. All arrangements for this were made by the Chamber of Commerce, with minor assistance from the Rotary and Quota Clubs, and the City Council co-operated by gaining the active support to the visit of Miss Wagga Wagga from the Mayor and City Council of Leavenworth. A very comprehensive itinerary embracing receptions, social engagements and general hospitality was drawn up by the Mayor of Leavenworth and his
Committee. This provided for Miss Wagga Wagga to be hosted at private homes of prominent citizens.
In May 1963, Miss Jeanette McGarry, the winner of the Miss Wagga Wagga 1963 Quest, travelled by Qantas Airways to the USA. She spent a total of six weeks in America, spending four weeks in Leavenworth and visiting San Francisco, New York, Washington and Honolulu.
In September 1963, Miss Leavenworth 1963, Miss Vera Lee McGinnis, flew by Qantas Airways to Australia. Similar arrangements were made in Wagga Wagga for her reception, entertainment and attendance at social gatherings, etc. She spent four weeks in Wagga Wagga, and in addition visited Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, the Snowy Mountains Scheme, as well as local district centres. Miss Leavenworth’s whole visit was an outstanding success, and she was the recipient of so many gifts from individual citizens, clubs, schools, etc that these had to be forwarded in numerous cartons following her departure.
Alderman R L Brunskill and his wife visited Leavenworth in August 1964.
Numbers of individual citizens of Wagga Wagga and district have made calls at Leavenworth while travelling in the United States. Without exception, they have received ready hospitality at the hands of our Leavenworth friends.
Council has twice (as a result of the Sister City link) participated with hosting visiting American students staying in Australia under the American Field Scholarship Scheme, with the visitors all billeted in private homes.
During the Vietnam Campaign, on various occasions the Council assisted the Australian-American Association by hosting a number of American Servicemen in Wagga Wagga during their five day R and R leave. The home town of several of these servicemen was Leavenworth.
Then, too, individual visitors from Leavenworth, whilst travelling in Australia, have called to see their Sister City when it has been possible to arrange social functions in their honour, meet people, and in some cases for the visitors to be hosted in private homes.
On various occasions since the first Miss Wagga Wagga visited Leavenworth, the Chamber of Commerce has arranged for successive Miss Wagga’s to journey to Leavenworth and spend some time there as the prize for this most successful and highly competitive quest.
The Australian Army sends an Officer (of the rank of Major or above) each year to attend a course of Military Training at Fort Leavenworth (the USA Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth). Army Officers attend these year long courses from most of the Nations of the Western World. The Australian Government maintains a residence in the City of Leavenworth for occupation by the Australian Officer during his stay, and this home is popularly known locally in Leavenworth as “Australia House”.
It is interesting to note that early in their career, both General Douglas MacArthur and President Dwight D Eisenhower passed through Fort Leavenworth when their respective rank was that of Major.
The Australian Army lends its practical support to the affiliation and it is now accepted annual practice for an Australian Army Officer, before departing to undergo a course of military training at Fort Leavenworth, to first call at Wagga Wagga to interview the Mayor and learn of the City at first hand. Without exception, these Australian Army Officers have come to know the Mayor of Leavenworth and prominent citizens in the Sister City after their arrival.
Streets have been named in both cities in honour of the other Sister City. Wagga Wagga and Leavenworth have much in common, they:
· Are inland independent centres of comparable population;
· Are situated on important rivers (the Murrumbidgee and Missouri respectively)
· Are located in or near the wheat producing and grazing areas;
· Have large important military establishments close at hand.
Mayor of Leavenworth, Mr Ray H Miller and his wife; former Mayor, Jack Mitchell and his wife; and the City Clerk, Mrs Marguerite Strange and her eight year old son Mike visited Wagga Wagga to represent their city on the occasion of the Centenary of Local Government held in March 1970. The delegation was greeted on arrival by the Member for Wagga Wagga and Minister for Mines, Mr W C Fife; Ald R J Harris and Mrs Harris, City Aldermen, Town Clerk Mr Bill Ellis and the St Andrew’s Heather Pipe Band. A Civic Reception was held for the delegation on 13 March 1970.
Town Clerk, W R Ellis visited Leavenworth in April 1972 and again in 1977 and stayed two weeks each visit.
A branch of the Australian-American Association was established in Wagga Wagga in 1974, and this Committee has been a very active one in it’s efforts to promote the sister city ideals, by meetings, social gatherings and fund-raising activities. This local Committee, with encouragement from the Australian-American Association in Sydney, decided to organise local celebrations in 1976, in honour of the 200th Anniversary of the Declaration of the American Independence - when the local Committee’s hopes for an interchange of citizens between the two Cities were realised.
In April 1976, a Civic Reception was held for visitors from Leavenworth who travelled to Wagga Wagga to take part of the local celebrations for the American Bi-Centennial celebrations in. The visitors included The Hon. John Denny, Mayor of Leavenworth and Mrs Denny; Mrs Rosemary Miller, former Mayoress of Leavenworth; Mrs Lucile Atchinson, former Mayoress of Leavenworth; Mrs Judy Jahn; Mrs Lillian Hyde; Mr and Mrs Bob Hyde.
Leavenworth’s City Clerk, Mrs Marguerite Strange and the wife of former Mayor, Mrs Rosemary Miller visited Wagga Wagga in June 1984 to attend the Civic Reception held for retiring Town Clerk, Mr Ellis.
A six member delegation from Leavenworth visited Wagga Wagga in February and March 1988 to join in on the Gumi Week festivities including a street parade.
In 1992 a delegation from Leavenworth visited Wagga Wagga to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the relationship.
The Mayor of Wagga Wagga, Cr Pat Brassil and his wife visited Leavenworth in June 1995. Cr & Mrs Brassil toured St Mary’s College and visited Fort Leavenworth. The Mayor of Leavenworth gave Cr & Mrs Brassil a Civic Reception. Cr Brassil was the first Mayor of Wagga to visit Leavenworth.
Alderman Joseph Mason Cox and his wife visited Leavenworth in July 1998. He was well received and brought back well wishes from the Mayor and officials of Leavenworth.
The Mayor of Leavenworth led a small delegation to Wagga Wagga in 1999 to attend the opening of the new Civic Centre. The Leavenworth room at the Bob Osborne Training Centre was officially opened during their visit.
On alternate years the reigning Miss Wagga Wagga and Community Princess are hosted in Leavenworth as part of their prize.
The whole affiliation has been a most interesting exchange between the two communities. Though separated by vast distance, the people of both cities have been drawn closer one to the other. This interchange of ideas on a people to people basis must surely be a real method of promoting international understanding and goodwill.
Leavenworth has a population of over 72,000.
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Nordlingen, Bavaria Germany - established December 1967
Following the establishment of a Sister City affiliation with Leavenworth, the Wagga Wagga Chamber of Commerce decided that the prize for the winner of the Miss Wagga Wagga crown should be a visit to Leavenworth. The success which attended the Quest as a result of the overseas trip and the hospitality and kindness received by her in Leavenworth, prompted the Chamber of Commerce to each year make the prize an overseas trip. Subsequently Miss Wagga Wagga visited Great Britain, Japan, France and then Germany was suggested.
By the good grace of the German Consul in Sydney (who was approached by the then Local State Member) the City of Nordlingen was suggested as the City which Miss Wagga Wagga for the particular year might visit. In 1967, the Oberburgermeister (Dr Hermann Kessler) afforded his personal assistance and hosted Miss Wagga Wagga in his own home. She was given a wonderful reception in the ancient wall city and returned with a pressing invitation for the two cities of Wagga Wagga and Nordlingen to join as sister cities.
Subsequently, suggestions for the joining together of the two cities was suggested and ultimately the German Consul recommended such action to this
Council and so the official resolutions were exchanged between the two local government Councils and the sister city link was officially established.
Nordlingen is one of the classic medieval cities of Germany with a history dating back more than 1,000 years.
The first visitor from Nordlingen was “Miss Nordlingen” - Miss Hannelore Sauer - who spent several weeks in Wagga Wagga at the time of the Wagga Wagga Centenary of Local Government in 1970.
Other dignitaries to visit Wagga Wagga have included the Oberburgermeister, Mr Paul Kling and Mrs Kling, the former Oberburgermeister, Dr Hermann Kessler and Mrs Kessler, and the former Burgermeister, Mr Oskar Schneider and Mrs Schneider.
In April 1981 and April 1988, the City was privileged to receive visits by the renowned St George choir from Nordlingen. Concerts were staged in Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre.
In September 1990, the Mayor, Alderman Pat Brassil, and the Town Clerk, Mr Brian Andrews and Mrs Andrews, visited Nordlingen for the Stadtmauerfest, along with Miss Wagga Wagga 1990, Miss Stephanie Blackett and Community Princess, Tanya Kelly. Also visiting Nordlingen at that time were 80 students and parents from the Kooringal High School Band.
In 1992 a delegation led by the Oberburgermeister visited Wagga Wagga to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the relationship. Eighty members of the Knabenkapelle Boys Band made up the delegation.
In 1999 the Oberburgermeister led a delegation to attend the opening of the new Civic Centre. The Nordlingen room at the Bob Osborne Training Centre was officially opened during their visit.
On alternate years the reigning Miss Wagga Wagga and Community Princess are hosted in Nordlingen as part of their prize.
Mr Paul Kling, Lord Mayor of Nordlingen, invited the Mayor, Cr Pascoe, General Manager, Phillip Perram and specifically Mrs Norma Gray to attend the “Historisches Stadtmauerfest” (Historic City Wall Festival) in Nordlingen Germany in September 2004. The delegation also included John Gray; Joy and Cr Brian Andrews, Bev and Jeff Tye, Elisabeth and John Rorrison, Jill and Robert Hartwig, Miss Wagga Alicia Richardson and Community Princess Melanie Richards.