In 1964 there was a promotional booklet aimed at enticing industry, tourists and new residents to Wodonga. It bore a price of three shillings.
“Wodonga township is the municipal centre of Wodonga Shire, an area of 134 square miles with a population of nearly 11,000.”
The map of the township ended with House Creek in the west, Pearce Street in the South and Huon Street in the east.
The Shire rates on the unimproved value were 7½ pennies in the Pound, water 2½ pennies in the Pound and sewerage 10 pennies in the Pound.
You could stay at any of four hotels and three motels. Carriers Arms had recently added four double motel units complete with own shower and toilet with plans for 10 more single units. The recently rebuilt Terminus Hotel had 28 rooms.
Donga Meats, the Kelly Street meatworks was to commence operations in mid 1965, in the interim enquiries could be made at the subsidiary boning works and freezers at 4-12 Athol Street.
Stiff and Gannon was the supplier for school uniforms. There were three doctors’ surgeries, Dr Grant in Stanley Street, Drs Taverney, Schlink, Buckmaster and Caro at the corner of High and Lawrence and Dr Nichols in Woodland Street. Three chemists, McSwiney, Wodonga Pharmacy and John Hadden were spread along High Street. There were 12 churches.
J Mann & Son was the place to purchase everything you needed to build and maintain your house and feed the family.
Hall’s Modern Bakery which had been established in 1930 advertised the new Sunicrust Sliced bread, the bread with the sunny flavour.
Rocla Concrete Pipes was Wodonga’s largest secondary industry. Established in this district in 1929, expanding to another site in 1949 to make pipes for the new township of Tallangatta and then consolidating both works at the present free-hold location in 1957.
For entertainment there was the drive-in theatre, dances held in the Shire Hall, the RSL Hall, Citizens’ Band Hall, Baranduda Community Hall and on several farm properties.
Housing costs in 1964 ranged from 6500-8500 Pounds for new brick homes, with older ones selling for 4300 to 5500 Pounds.