by Gary Somerville, Mosman-Neutral Bay Rifle Club
In his book “96 Years of Progress” C.H. Cromack tells us that in 1949 he took a NSW “Goodwill Team” to New Zealand to compete in their King’s Prize. Cromack took 3 Goodwill Teams to New Zealand with the intention of “cementing more firmly the friendships between N.Z. and the Australian Riflemen”.
In the January 1960 Marksman Magazine it was reported that, that year’s team would be the 63rd Goodwill Team to cross the Tasman so the visits of teams to New Zealand were quite frequent over the years.
A member of Cromack’s first team in 1949, Stanley Kanaar of Parramatta Club went on to win the New Zealand King’s, the first Australian and second only international visitor to do so. Kanaar’s win made the banner headlines in New Zealand’s Southern Cross Newspaper.
Cromack went on to report that in the 2 years following the 1949 team visit, more than 60 New Zealand Riflemen travelled to Australia to compete.
Kings Prize Won by Australian Rifleman[i]
Yesterday, for the first time in the history of the National Rifle Association , the King’s Prize went to an Australian when A. Kanaar, who was in the leading 50 on Thursday, retained his position in spite of some good shooting by W.. Oakley, Christchurch.
Kanaar went down in the second detail at 3.49 p.m. and shot steadily, finishing before Oakley, who then had a grand chance of winning.
An outer with his fifth shot proved costly and a four with his seventh cost him the match.
The last time a competitor from outside New Zealand won the King’s Prize was in 1938 when Colonel R. Bodley from South Africa was successful.
Stan Kanaar began his shooting career in 1934 and was a protégé of Charlie O’Neil and Harry Motton. After just 1 year of shooting he won 13th badge at the NRA Prize Meeting. He appeared often in prize lists and represented in NSW Teams[ii] 7 times (Baggy Blue No. 262):
1949 – Brisbane
1950 – Hobart
1956 – Perth as Captain
1956 – NSW as Captain
1957 – VIC as Captain
1957 – Perth as Captain
1963 – Sydney as Captain
He also served as Chairman of the NSWRA from 1957 to 1968 and in the 1960’s he manufactured and sold his own design “Premier” Rifle sight[iii]. The main feature of the Premier sight was the eyepiece being on top of the wind arm.
Stan Kanaar passed away on the 31st December 1988 aged 81.
From the Mosman Neutral Bay Collection
[1] Image of Stan Kanaar courtesy of Yorkshire Society Rifle Club
[1] From a New Zealand Newspaper article of the time, possibly the Southern Cross
[1] Details of NSW Teams provided by Angus Bell of Port Jackson Rifle Club
[1] Details of the Premier Rifle Sight from John Brooker of Yorkshire Society Rifle Club
