The Anzac Memorial Gates are positioned central to the facilities at the range at the Anzac Rifle Range, Malabar being located between the NSWRA Building and the Club Rooms.
They are a memorial to Rifle Club members who served in both World Wars and the Korean Campaign and act as a focus point for memorial services on Anzac Day. Winners of the Queen’s and King’s Prize are often chaired through the gates after their victory.
The gates were originally built in 1954 for the Anzac Rifle Range Liverpool by volunteer labour[1] with the original foundations being reinforced with old .303 rifle barrels.
The gates were dedicated and opened at a solemn ceremony held on the 10th October 1954 just prior to the start of that year’s NSW Queen’s series.
With the closure of Anzac Liverpool at the end of December 1967 the NSWRA and Rifle Clubs moved to Long Bay Rifle Range.
Nathan Scudder[2] tells us the gates were one of the last things to be moved to their new home at Malabar. Work began in the 1970s with the gates new home finally established in 1978.
In recent years the gates were refurbished after rust had made an impact and a pair of Anzac Soldier silhouettes shown with reverse arms were added.
References:
[1] A History of Anzac Rifle Range Malabar by Nathan Scudder (edited by Mathew Moses)
[2] A History of Anzac Rifle Range Malabar by Nathan Scudder (edited by Mathew Moses)
