Sister Cities
Wagga Wagga has three sister Cities: Leavenworth in the USA, Nördlingen in Germany and Kunming in China.
Wagga Wagga has a Sister City Walkway commemorating the relationship with these cities, located on the western side of Baylis Street, between Morgan and Forsyth Streets (adjacent to the ANZ Bank).
Nördlingen, Bavaria, Germany
In 1967, the Nördlingen's Oberbürgermeister (Lord Mayor) afforded his personal assistance and hosted Miss Wagga Wagga in his own home. She was given a wonderful reception in the ancient walled city and returned with a pressing invitation for the two cities of Wagga Wagga and Nordlingen to join as sister cities.
Nördlingen is one of the classic medieval cities of Germany with a history dating back more than 1,100 years and which for almost 600 years has been a Free Imperial City. Nördlingen has a population over 20,000.
Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
The Sister City relationship with the City of Kunming in Yunnan Province, China, was established in 1988, and visits on an official basis and by private citizens have already been exchanged.
Kunming has hosted several exchange events and festivals drawing on her Sister City relationship with Wagga Wagga, including the international Horticultural Expo in 1999 and the international Tourism Festival in 2000.
Kunming is the capital of Yunnan province in China. It is a modern metropolis built around an ancient, previously walled city dating back 2400 years. Nearby stands the remarkable Kunming Stone Forest, a world-heritage listed limestone formation.
Leavenworth, Kansas, USA
People to People Programme for the Promotion of International Friendship for Peace
The affiliation of Wagga Wagga with Leavenworth was established in 1962.
A Conference was held at the white house, Washington, D.C., in 1956 when President Eisenhower emphasised the need for a programme to bring the people of the world closer together in the interests of peace.
From this conference came the People to People Programme and the Sister City Affiliation movement. Visitations of official representatives have been exchanged between the two cities and inter-city visits by private citizens are becoming increasingly popular.
Museum of the Riverina – Historic Council Chambers site
