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The story that put Wagga on the map
Get to Know Us
In the 1860s, a butcher working in Wagga Wagga claimed to be a missing English aristocrat. And he almost pulled it off.
Roger Tichborne was the heir to one of England’s oldest baronetcies. He disappeared at sea in 1854. His mother refused to accept he was dead and spent years placing advertisements across the world, searching for her son.
A decade later, a response came from Wagga. A large, barely literate man who’d been working behind a butcher’s counter wrote to say he was Roger Tichborne. But was he?
Join us in Wagga on 12-13 June and dive into the story.
How it works
Hands-on-History Experiences are weekend-long events in regional Australia, built around a local story and the people who know it best.
Friday is a half-day workshop for local heritage groups. Saturday is a full private day — talks, guided experiences, behind-the-scenes access and good food — for a small group who've come to get closer to a place and its past.
The next one is in Wagga Wagga in June 2026.
The Discovery Day
Saturday 13 June 2026 | Museum of the Riverina, Historic Council Chambers | From 10am
A full day of private, curated experiences in Wagga, guided by people who genuinely know this place and its past.
Brad Argent leads the group through the Tichborne Claimant story across the morning, revealing the records and sharing his perspective on what the case tells us about colonial Australia and the Riverina. After a private lunch, guests choose two of four curated 90-minute afternoon experiences. The day closes with cocktails and canàpes at The Riverine Club, joined by the expert guides and Brad.
Schedule
10.00am Welcome and introductions
10.15am The Tichborne Claimant: setting the scene (Brad Argent)
11.15am Morning tea, featuring Riverina produce and drinks
11.30am This is Wiradjuri Country: what was happening here at the same time
12.00pm Private behind the scenes tours at the Museum of the Riverina
12.30pm Lunch in a private dining room
1.30pm Curated afternoon experiences — choose 2 × 90-minute options
5.00pm Cocktails and canàpes at The Riverine Club
What’s included
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Two nights’ accommodation at The Houston Boutique Hotel (Friday and Saturday, twin share)
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Morning sessions with Brad Argent
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Morning tea featuring local Riverina produce
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Private lunch
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Two curated 90-minute afternoon experiences
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Cocktails and canàpes at The Riverine Club
Single supplement available. Terms and conditions apply.
Price
$500 per guest (twin share)
Meet our guest family historian
Brad Argent
Brad Argent has been mining history for stories for almost 20 years. He’s appeared in multiple TV series, including Who Do You Think You Are?, Every Family Has a Secret, DNA Journey, My Family Secrets Revealed and The Secret DNA of Us. He has a passion for making history personal, accessible, and relatable.
Choose your afternoon
On Saturday afternoon, choose two of four 90-minute experiences, each guided by a local expert. Groups are small and each experience offers a different way into Wagga’s past.
Option 1: Heritage walk around old Wagga
Guided by local registered architect and heritage specialist, Noel Thomson. More details to come.
Option 2: Stories from the cemetery
Guided by Free Roam Theatre. More details to come.
Option 3: Special access to the Riverina Archives
Guided by Wayne Doubleday, head archivist at Charles Sturt University. More details to come.
Option 4: Aboriginal river walk
More details to come.
The Workshop
Friday 12 June 2026 | Museum of the Riverina, Historic Council Chambers | 10am to 3pm
For local heritage groups and history organisations
A half-day educational session led by Brad Argent, designed for members of historical societies, museum volunteers, genealogy groups and local archivists.
Brad digs into the Tichborne Claimant story and what it reveals about Wagga and the Riverina, including a First Nations perspective on what was happening on Wiradjuri Country at the same time. The session is educational, hands-on and designed to spark new thinking about how local stories can be told and shared.
The goal is to share knowledge, make connections and give local heritage volunteers a different way of looking at the work they already do.
Schedule
10.00am Welcome to the Historic Council Chambers
10.15am The Tichborne Claimant, Part 1: setting the scene
11.15am Morning tea, featuring Riverina produce
11.30am This is Wiradjuri Country: the First Nations perspective
12.00pm The Tichborne Claimant, Part 2
1.00pm Lunch, featuring Riverina produce
1.30pm The Tichborne Claimant, Part 3
2.30pm Private behind the scenes tour at the Museum of the Riverina
2.45pm The next steps: a new way to look at local history
3.00pm Workshop wraps up
What’s included
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Workshop sessions with Brad Argent
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Morning tea featuring local Riverina produce
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Light lunch
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Behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum of the Riverina
Price
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$30 per person — local history group members
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$50 per person — non-members
Terms and conditions apply.
About Family History Holidays
Family History Holidays started with five suitcases of old papers found in a grandmother’s garage. It’s run by Kate Shilling, a tourism industry professional with more than 25 years’ experience developing products and partnerships across regional Australia. Kate lives on Wiradjuri Country near Wagga Wagga and her family has been in the Riverina for generations.
Hands-on-History events are a new way of connecting curious people with the real stories of regional Australia.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a family connection to Wagga or Tichborne to attend the Discovery Day?
No. Some guests will come with a clear link to the Riverina. Others will come because the Tichborne Claimant story is genuinely gripping, or because they have a hunch worth following up. The day is designed to be worthwhile either way.
Will this help me research my own family history?
The Discovery Day is not a personalised genealogy research session. It is a day alongside one of Australia’s leading family historians, access to experts and archives you wouldn’t normally reach and a clear starting point if you want to continue your own research. You may leave with more questions than you arrived with. You’ll also leave knowing who to ask.
Is the Workshop only for members of heritage groups?
No. The $30 rate applies to members of local history groups. Anyone interested in attending can register at $50 per person.
What's the cancellation policy?
Tickets are non-refundable. Travel insurance is recommended.
Hands-on-History Experiences: The Tichborne Claimant in Wagga Wagga | 12-13 June 2026
Workshop
Friday 12 June | $30 members / $50 non-members
Discovery Day
Saturday 13 June | $500 per guest (twin share) | 20 places only
Questions? Contact Kate: kate@familyhistoryholidays.com.au