in 1971, following pressure from the wagga wagga community for a university, the teachers' college established in 1947 became the riverina college of advanced education and was relocated to a site adjacent to the wagga agricultural college, with which it amalgamated in 1975. in 1989, the college amalgamated with the college of advanced education at bathurst to become charles sturt university. in 1981, the new south wales government forced the amalgamation of wagga wagga city council with neighbouring kyeamba shire and mitchell shire to form the new city of wagga wagga local government area, containing 4,886 square kilometres.