Sir Arthur Roden Cutler VC was a rifle shooter from a strong shooting family before the Great War and would continue his support for the sport becoming Patron...
Sport History
Percy Pavey – Outstanding Marksman of 20th Century
1952 1st shooter to win both the NSWRA Jamieson Match and NSWRA Queen's Prize. Kolapore Match Percy Pavey was a member of two winning Kolapore Teams: 1937 -...
The 1907 International Match – Brisbane
The Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum[1] is located on Wharf Street, Maryborough and contains a large collection of militaria including a badge from an...
Early Australian Team Selection and The Bisley “Tests”
Following Federation, attention turned to sending an Australian representative team to international competitions including Bisley. Prior to this, each...
Controversy at the 1910 NSW King’s Prize
The last range at the 1910 NSW Kings proved to be controversial with one John Piggott declared the winner after a score of 49 was recorded at 1000yds. It came...
HMS Renown & Rifle Team Matches
HMS Renown was a battle-cruiser in the Royal Navy Fleet and although delivered in 1916 she did not see combat during WW1. Renown was refitted to act as a...
Recent Posts
Remembering Sir Roden Cutler VC
Sir Arthur Roden Cutler VC was a rifle shooter from a strong shooting family before the Great War and would continue his support for the sport becoming Patron of NSWRA while he was Governor of NSW. The article below was published by the Australian War Memorial on 19...
Percy Pavey – Outstanding Marksman of 20th Century
1952 1st shooter to win both the NSWRA Jamieson Match and NSWRA Queen's Prize. Kolapore Match Percy Pavey was a member of two winning Kolapore Teams: 1937 - Coach & Shooter 1953 - Shooter Percy Pavey was one of Australia’s outstanding long range rifle shooters of...
The 1907 International Match – Brisbane
The Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum[1] is located on Wharf Street, Maryborough and contains a large collection of militaria including a badge from an International Rifle Teams Match won by Nikolai Theodor Svensen in 1907. The British and Australian Rifle...
Early Australian Team Selection and The Bisley “Tests”
Following Federation, attention turned to sending an Australian representative team to international competitions including Bisley. Prior to this, each colonial State might field its own team such as the Victorian Team that won the Kolapore Cup in 1897. Indeed, the...
Controversy at the 1910 NSW King’s Prize
The last range at the 1910 NSW Kings proved to be controversial with one John Piggott declared the winner after a score of 49 was recorded at 1000yds. It came to be known that Piggott did not shoot at the 1000yds range but he had handed in a card with the score of 49...
HMS Renown & Rifle Team Matches
HMS Renown was a battle-cruiser in the Royal Navy Fleet and although delivered in 1916 she did not see combat during WW1. Renown was refitted to act as a Royal Yacht, firstly for the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII in 1920 and then in 1927 for the Duke and...
Records Broken at the 1934 King’s
The newspapers shouted out that records were being broken at the 1934 King’s starting with the three way tie for the “Prince of Wales” being the 1st Stage of the Kings. Seven shots at 300, 500 and 600 yards. H.W. (Bert) Berman, A.C. Brain and F.R. Agate all scored the...
RIFLE SHOOTERS REMEMBER THOSE CLUB MEMBERS WHO SERVED OUR NATION DURING ALL CONFLICTS
Remembrance Day falls on 11th November each year. On the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, a minutes’ silence is observed and dedicated to those soldiers who died fighting to protect the nation. In Australia and other allied countries, including New...
The WW2 Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) and Rifle Clubs
During the Second World War, beginning in May of 1940, the Returned Services League undertook to organise a volunteer organisation for national defence if it was permitted by the Commonwealth[1]. Harry Chauvel (left) was recalled to serve as the Inspector In Chief of...
The 1937 Bisley Team & John Woolcott-Forbes
An Australian Rifle team was sent to Bisley in 1937 containing some notable shots in the form of Pat Lee, Hilton James, and Percey Pavey. The full team was: Col. Sir Charles Merrett (Vic.) as Commandant, Mr W. G. Duncan (Qld.), as Shooting Captain: Mr A. S. Spencer...
Victorian Rifle Association – The Founding Committee
The first movement towards the formation of the Victorian Rifle association appear in a newspaper Letter to the Editor[1] of 1st October 1860 in The Argus. The writer naming himself as “Kent” suggests that a rifle association be formed along the lines of the national...
Ladies Bracelet Shoots – 1885 to 1955
During the period 2016 to 2018, North Queensland Rifle Association (NQRA) clubs provided photographs they thought might be suitable for inclusion in the NQRA History book. As expected many old photographs came with little or no information. There was one photograph,...
The New South Wales Rifle Association of 1860
From the 1850’s onwards it was perceived that the colonies should take some responsibility for their own security. The presence of the French in the Pacific, the Crimean War (1853-1856) and the Māori Wars (1845-1872) all contributed to an unease leading to the raising...
Frederick George Harrison
Frederick George Harrison was born 1882 in Mt Gambier, South Australia to parents Thomas Lawrence Harrison and Emily Agnes O’Brien. Other children in the family were Elizabeth b1884, Albert, b1886, Leslie b1888, Percy b1891, Arthur b1894 and Edith b1897. The NSW BDM...
The David Syme Aggregate
The Syme has long been included in the Victorian Rifle Association annual meeting in later years taking pride of place as the leadup to the King's/Queen's and subsequently a part of the Percy Pavey Grand Aggregate. The Syme matches commenced in 1901 with the donation...
The Origin of the Corangamite Challenge Shield
The Corangamite Shield is a well know competition in rural Victoria with a spectacular trophy. The trophy was first shot for in 1903 so at the time of writing it has been in competition for 120 years. The competition for the Corangamite Shield was announced on the...
ANZAC DAY 2023 ‘Rifle Shooters remember the sacrifice and commitment’
It has often been said that Australia came of age on a Turkish shore one morning some 14 years after Federation. That may be true and perhaps this is why we hold Anzac Day in such high regard in our national calendar. It certainly is not to celebrate a great...
Harry Motton
Harry (Henry [1]) Motton proved himself to be an all round sportsman achieving success in a variety of sports throughout his life. As a successful Rifleman he won 3 King’s Prizes in Australia and travelled to Bisley on two occasions. Harry was born in Westbury,...
Sargood and Sargar
Two of the most prestigious names in team shooting are the “Sargood” and “Sargard” trophies for team shooting. The names for the trophies comes from the name of the original donor, F.T. Sargood, his family having a soft-goods manufacturing business with premises in...
Long Toms, Cutdowns and Stumpies Rifles & Ammunition used by Rifle Clubs
Around 1915 when some Rifle Clubs were formed to encourage enlistment we find a number of obsolete rifles being used for drills most probably beginning with Martini Henry Rifles. The Martini Enfield Carbine (ME) was also available in limited numbers . The ME was a...