Sadly, on Tuesday 10th June 2025, the NRAA lost another very staunch and committed supporter of our sport. John Schafferius was deeply involved with all aspects of our sport whether it was a leader, administrator, coach, shooter or as a mentor. John’s strength, in later years was his willingness to assist and encourage new shooters, often sourcing equipment for them and providing them with technical advice both on and off the range. One of John’s early successes was his nephew Peter Schafferius who went on to achieve great shooting results at all levels.
The passing of John Schafferius is a sad loss to rifle shooting in Australia.
A Life Well Lived
John grew up in Hervey Bay Queensland enjoying life along the beaches with his younger brother Ned. In 1956 John was introduced to rifle shooting at Maryborough beginning a 65+ year passion. After moving to Victoria John married Kathy and not long after, in 1965, moved to Woomera Rocket Range in South Australia where John was involved with testing and firing of rockets. Woomera became home for the next 15 years providing stability for their two children, Jo and Brendan.
Woomera saw John become actively involved in the SA Rugby League team as both a player and coach. It was a sport he had played with great enthusiasm and flare growing up in Queensland. It was also at Woomera that John cemented his passion for long range rifle shooting joining the Woomera Rifle Club and developing a pride in the sport that would never waiver.
In 1981 John found himself in the Mackay region in Queensland where he nurtured his ever increasing skill as a long range rifle shooter and continued to immerse deeper in the sport’s administration. John joined the Sarina Rifle Club and was elected Club Captain in the years that followed. In 1998 John left the Mackay region moving south, eventually making Brisbane his home.
It was through rifle shooting that John met Helen Griffiths, a lady who matched his passions and would share the last 30 years of his life. Helen and John were instrumental in raising the Pacific Rifle Club in 2004, an achievement John was immensely proud of. Helen and John travelled the world often attending international shooting events along the way which ensured they kept in contact with their many overseas shooting friends.
Shooting Career Highlights
Significant Individual Achievements:
- 1993 – NQRA Queens and Grand Aggregate winner
- 1996 – NQRA Queens and Grand Aggregate winner
Rifle Club Membership:
- Woomera Rifle Club: 1965-1980
- City of Brisbane Rifle Club: 1980 & 1998-2004
- Sarina Rifle Club: 1981-1998
- Pacific Rifle Club: 2004 – 2025 & foundation member
Representative Honours:
- 1973 – SA Rifle Team – National TR Team Matches
- 1983-96 – NQRA Rifle Team – National TR Team Matches
- 1985 – Australian Rifle Team – Palma Match (UK)
- 1987 – Australian Rifle Team – Canada Match (CA)
- 1995 – Australian Rifle Team – Oceania (NZ)
- 1997 – Australian Rifle Team – Australia Match (TAS)
- 1997 – Australian Rifle Team – Oceania (SA)
- 2000 – Queensland Rifle Team – Millennium matches (UK)
- 2001 – QRA Rifle Team – National TR Team Matches
Leadership and Administrative Appointments:
- 1970s – Captain Woomera Rifle Club
- 1973+ – Councillor SARA
- 1985-87 – Captain Sarina Rifle Club
- 1993-94 – President NQRA
- 1994-1998 – Chair NQRA
- 1990s – NRAA Council Member
- In the early 2000s – QRA Board Member
- 2004 & 2005 – President of Pacific Rifle Club
Awards & Recognition:
- 2000 Australian Sports Medal
- Life Memberships: Woomera Rifle Club and Pacific Rifle Club.
A Story or Two
(courtesy of Graeme Bolland, Pacific RC)
Story 1:
1996 Location: Malabar Rifle Range, Sydney
Occasion: Final Range NSWRA Queens
Position: John, First Place
As the story goes, John started the Final in first place, points ahead of the following field, and was a couple of shots into his string and going along successfully with nothing worse than a BULLSEYE, when his target was scored, somewhat inexplicably with a MISS. John, having exhausted all normal recourse of procedural challenges and further examinations of his target, reassessed his rear sight setting, and decided that the 23 MOA on his wind arm must have been his error, and so made his best estimate of what his error may have been, made a change and fired again. This time he hit the target, scoring only a MAGPIE. The rest of his shoot was completed without further drama or loss of points, but the damage was done. John had no possible way to win that day. Upon retiring from the mound, John questioned his scorer regarding the possible explanation of the mystery MISS, “Did I shoot the target next door?”, to which the confident reply was NO, Sir! your shot actually struck a Seagull in flight as it was flying past….. You can see it over there still flapping around near the 600m mound!
Imagine the incredulousness of the situation.
As I understand it, to this day, and to quote John, he is the only shooter in history to have a recorded score BULLSEYE, SEAGULL, MAGPIE, BULLSEYE.
This would have been a disaster for anyone else, but not John. Why you ask? The eventual winner of that Queens Match was none other than one of his many protege, his Nephew Peter Schafferius. As I understand it, Peter had begun shooting only a relative few years earlier, developing under the tutelage of John, or “Unc” as he called him, into a world class shooter in his own right. As far as I know, Peter no longer trains Kamikaze seagulls.
Story 2:
Continuing on in the theme of developing ordinary shooters into winners; another story, this time John as the Coach of a School Boys Rifle Team. The team: The Sydney Church Of England Grammar Rifle Team, a team that couldn’t even win a raffle. John was approached, through his nephew Peter, by a parent of one of the team with a plea for help, and John answered. John agreed to the appointment as coach and so his job began, tasked with turning a group of unfocused, unsuccessful and unskilled boys into a hardened, tough, winning team. And he did, and in the ensuing years the team began to win, match after match. One particular success story within that bunch of kids was a young man, Robert Woods, a boy too small to play the game of rugby, or netball for that matter. Robert was sent, by his parents, to John in Mackay, where in only a matter of days, John was able to instill into young Robert the love of shooting and show him success, and with Robert growing in skill and confidence over the course of three years from 1997-1999, John trained and coached that team into winners.
John Graham Schafferius was a man of principle, integrity, generosity and passion who strove to be the best he could be. He was a proud family man who enjoyed immensely watching his grandchildren grow into fine young adults. Similarly, he was excited and proud of all his shooting proteges’ growth and success on rifle ranges.
John Schafferius is fondly remembered and sadly missed by all rifle shooters who were fortunate enough to have met him. Our sincere condolences go to and prayers are with Helen, Jo and Brendan and the wider Schafferius family.
Thank you for your dedication and service to our sport. Rest in Peace John.
(This Obituary has been prepared from notes taken during the funeral of John Schafferius and from research notes generously provided by John’s Pacific Rifle Club friend, Graeme Bolland, combined with my personal knowledge of John as a fellow NQRA member and shooting friend of many years.)
