|
Queensland Rifle Association is the
Oldest Sporting Association in Queensland
formed 15 May 1861
History Project - The
Queensland Rifle Association 1927-2002
The
QRA has established a Historical Committee to collect and catalogue
documentary evidence, which will be used to research the history of the
Queensland Rifle Association since 1861. If any members,
past or present, have documents that contain material which relates to
the Association, and that they wish to donate or loan to the Committee,
please deliver to the QRA office at Belmont Range or post to:
QRA,
PO Box 38, Carina Qld 4152
Please ensure you include the following:
Name, Address, Contact Phone Number, List of Documents, Instructions for
donation or return to sender.
Any
enquiries should be directed to John Johnstone via the QRA office.
|
QRA
History Update from Bill Casey 29/04/10
Queensland's 1884 Defence Act changed the colony's status as
one military jurisdiction. From February 1885, it split into
Northern and Southern Military districts, with Rockhampton the
beginning of ‘the north’. This seemed fitting: when the QRA's
first President, Maurice O’Connell, sought donations
for Dublin's Daniel O’Connell monument, a party of Rockhampton
residents celebrated their own generosity with considerable
libation and a toast to ‘North Queensland and Separation from
the Brisbanites!’ (Courier 15/7/1863, p. 2) In Townsville, a
North Queensland Rifle Association (NQRA, the same initials as
the North Queensland Racing Association) was prospering by May
1886, with rules adopted from the QRA, and Colonel Blaxland
rendering ‘very valuable assistance’. (Courier 11/5/1886, p. 3)
The
sense of northern ‘camaraderie’ with the south continued. The
Northern Miner pointed out, ‘We sell absolutely nothing to
Brisbane and were the Southern division to disappear from the
map of Queensland our markets would not be affected one whit.’
(Northern Miner 29/8/1891 p 2) In December 1891, the Northern
District shifted HQ to Townsville where the NQRA was already
operating. A third military district, the Central Military
District, was created, (Courier 7/12/1891, p. 5) with
Rockhampton its headquarters.
A
Central Queensland Rifle Association (CQRA, the same initials as
the Central Queensland Racing Association) was founded on 26
October 1894 at the Staff Office, Rockhampton. (Jackson, p. 27)
Its first President was Lt-Col J. S. Armitage, soon to be
appointed staff officer for the Central District. The CQRA’s
first competition was in July 1895. The CQRA fell into disuse
before the First World War, but was revived in the early 1920s
as the Central Queensland Rifle Clubs Union. (Courier 30/3/1922,
p. 4)
Despite
the emergence of the two new rifle associations, the QRA
continued to be the colony’s senior rifle-shooting organisation,
responsible for Queensland’s inter-colonial and international
teams. The QRA was advisor on rifle-shooting to the Defence
Authorities. It was also Queensland’s senior representative at
meetings of the Federal Council of Rifle Associations.
Administration of rifle-shooting in Queensland grew parallel to
a new administrative level between the colonies. Delegates from
four colonial rifle associations operated as a defacto Federal
Council at a Sydney inter-colonial match in October 1884. In an
important first for Queensland, their delegates, French and
Thynne, set the rules and conditions for inter-colonials for the
next three years. (Courier 22/10/1884, p. 6, 10/11/1884, p. 5)
Queensland’s template was successful, so delegates then proposed
a Federal Council at an Adelaide inter-colonial in August 1887,
and formalised its creation in Hobart in December 1888. This
council was a contemporary of the Federal Council of
Australasia, colonial politics’ first cooperative council,
established in 1885 as a forum for Australian colonies and South
Pacific islands. |
QRA
History Update from Bill Casey 10/7/09
According to newspaper records the Queensland Rifle Association was
inaugurated at a meeting at Cowell’s Victoria Hotel, Brisbane on
Wednesday, 15th May, 1861. (Courier 16/5/1861, p. 2) Its birthday makes it the oldest sporting association in
Queensland.
The QRA’s nearest rival, the Queensland Turf Club, appeared in July
1863. (Courier 22/7/1863, p. 3) Two years later came the Queensland
Cricket Association. (Courier 6/5/1865, p. 4)
The Brisbane Courier reported the QRA would encourage ‘rifle practise
throughout the colony’, and support the volunteer movement ‘by enrolling
… those whose avocations or age do not permit them to give personal
service’. (Courier 16/5/1861, p. 2) The association would be ‘modelled
on the plan of the National Rifle Association in Great Britain’. It
would have as Patron, His Excellency, Sir George Bowen, Governor of
Queensland. Its President would be the Commander of the Queensland
Volunteer Rifle Corps, and President of Queensland’s Legislative
Council, the Honourable Lt.-Col. Maurice Charles O’Connell.
A Little History of
Rifle Shooting
Every August, over
300 long range fullbore target rifle shooters compete
in the Queensland Rifle Association ‘Queens Prize Meeting’ in
a contest of endurance over seven days at Belmont Range in Brisbane.
Using both old fashioned iron sights and modern telescopes mounted on
.308 calibre rifles, men and women fired shoulder to shoulder at targets
over a kilometre away. This event has been run annually
since 1878, with the exception of the war years, making it the oldest
Queens Prize Meeting and possibly one of the oldest sporting
championships in Australia.
Target
shooting is one of the oldest organized sports in Australia with records
dating back to British Marines at Sydney Cove in 1788. According
to newspapers in the 1800’s, the three most popular sports in Queensland
were Lacrosse, Horse Racing and Shooting. Early competitive matches
were often conducted in the grounds of local hotels with substantial
prizes offered by patrons.
In order
to increase the ability of Britain’s marksmen following the Crimean War,
Queen Victoria inaugurated the first Queen’s Prize Shoot by offering
£250 to the best marksmen in Britain. The first long range shooting
match was held at Wimbledon in 1860 and other Commonwealth countries
followed suit soon after.
In 1860,
the first Queensland Volunteer Force was formed by the Governor of the
Colony and members were occasionally permitted to use the single target
military range at Kelvin Grove. Rifle Clubs flourished throughout the
volunteer period and the Russo-Turkish War led many British colonies to
form Rifle Associations.
The
John Oxley Library contains a copy of the first annual report of the
Queensland Rifle Association for the year ending 31 December 1863 which
states that the Association originated in 1860 and was formed in 1861.
According
to later history books, the
Queensland Rifle Association was officially constituted in 1877,
securing a site for the Brisbane Rifle Range at York’s Hollow, now known
as Victoria Park. The first prize meeting was held there on the 20th
– 24th August 1878 with the most important match being the
Queen’s Aggregate over 200, 500 and 600 yards. Badges were awarded
to the top ten competitors and a total of £100 in prize money was
distributed. The metropolitan rifle range was moved to Toowong in
1887, then to Enoggera in 1910 and finally to Belmont in 1964. The
competition has been named the Queen’s or King’s Prize depending on the
reigning monarch.
Teams competed in the National Rifle Association
matches in England at Wimbledon for the first time in 1886 and at Bisley
in 1902. In 1876, Australia competed for the Centennial trophy in
the first world long range championships at the Creedmoor Range in the
USA, using muzzle loaders at 800, 900 and 1000 yards. The Palma match
as it is now known is believed to be the oldest international shooting
match in the world. The
Australian
Rifle Team competed for the trophy in
Canada in 2007 and won a Bronze medal. The match will be hosted by the National Rifle
Association of Australia at Belmont in 2011.
|

Bill Casey, the QRA Historian
More History
History
of Shooting in Australia
Australian Rifle Team
Aust Army Queens Medal Winners
.303 Rifle
Commonwealth Games
Creedmoor
Evolution of TR Shooting in Australia
Match Rifle
NRA of
America
NRA UK
QRA Queens Winners
Palma
Match Records
Paramount/RPA
SABU
SASC
Shooting Badges
Sydney High School
Target Shooting in the UK
The Great International Match of 1874
The
Swiss Club
VRA

Colin Cole with the No 1 Queens Badge

Colin Cole firing with .308 cal target rifle

Shooters on the firing point

Markers in the butts

Shooting from 300 yards on Duncan Range
Vale Neville Holt
Australia's oldest Olympian, Neville Holt
passed away on 6 Feb 2008 aged 95.
Neville was a small bore rifle shooter
at the 1948 London Olympics
He Captained the Australian Full Bore Rifle Team from 1973-1977 and was
Chairman of the NSWRA
|