LORRAINE, the first of three children of Kristoffer and Berenice Studsrod, was born in the NSW wheat-belt town of Binnaway, on the 17th of October, 1951. Her father had come to Australia from Norway in 1947 and soon thereafter married a young Binnaway girl.
After completing her education at Binnaway, she trained in the medical profession at Dubbo Hospital, qualifying as a fully registered nurse in November 1971.
Lorraine met Ian Bell at Binnaway in 1968. Waiting until Lorraine had completed her training, they were married at Binnaway in January 1972.
Lorraine, Ian and their children, Adam and Leonie, lived in the Tullamore district of NSW for several years where Lorraine was employed in her profession at the Tullamore Hospital.
In 1981, the family moved to North Queensland and took up residence in the Mackay suburb of Andergrove.
Ian, having been a member of the Rifle Club at Binnaway, joined the Sarina Rifle Club in about 1982. Frequently accompanying Ian to the range, Lorraine became bored of sitting and waiting for the completion of shooting. Adopting the adage “If you can’t beat-’em join-‘em”, Lorraine began shooting with the Sarina Rifle Club in 1984 and quickly developed her skills as a shooter.
Lorraine was an inaugural member of the North Queensland Rifle Association (NQRA) Ladies Team, formed to compete with the Great Britain Ladies Team at Mackay in 1988.
She was a member of this team at Bendigo in 1995, at Darwin in 1996, Mackay in 1998 and Brisbane in 2005. Further to this list of achievements, Lorraine also participated as a member of the NQRA Target Rifle Team at Perth in 1992, at Brisbane in 1994, Darwin in 1996, Adelaide in 1998, Bendigo in 2000, Sydney in 2004, Brisbane 2006 and Adelaide in 2012.
Lorraine travelled with and supported the NQRA Team on many occasions as an attached member providing scoring duties as well as assisting with on-range and off-range sundry tasks for the team, as she did at Brisbane as recently as June 2021.
Except for Tasmania, Lorraine participated at various times in the Queens Prize Meetings of all the States and Territories Associations and travelled extensively throughout Queensland, from Cairns to Brisbane, competing in the Annual Prize Meetings of the many clubs.
She won the eighteenth badge with the highest score for a lady in the Queen’s Prize Meeting at Brisbane in 1991 and was successful in winning at the Gemfields and the Townsville Annual Prize Meetings.
During the years 1982 to 1990, while still residing at Andergrove, in addition to her housekeeping, parenting and shooting, Lorraine found the time to contribute to her club’s administration. She was frequently, for years at a time, Honourable Secretary of the Sarina Rifle Club and was the incumbent, at the time of her passing.
Lorraine was at the same time, Secretary for the Mackay District Target Rifle Association (MDTRA), a position she filled more than just once.
As the Mackay District Delegate, Lorraine served as a member of the North Queensland Rifle Association Council from 2000 to end of 2007.
Lorraine passed away peacefully in the Mackay Base Hospital, during the late evening of Thursday 15th of July 2021, a few months before her 70th birthday. She is survived by her mother Berenice, her sister Sonia, brother Anders, husband Ian, her two children Adam and Leonie and their immediate families, which includes Lorraine’s three loving grandchildren.
She is sadly missed by all members of the resident clubs at Mt. Vince, Walkerston, and all others who made her acquaintance at the many ranges she visited throughout her shooting career.
Prepared by the Mackay District Target Rifle Association
