Joan and Brien McKenzie

What inspired you to become a member?

Brien joined the club about six months prior to my joining, and I used to go to the Air Pistol Club with him every Friday evening when it was situated under the Castle Hill Bowls Club. Rob Tomkins and Tony Hodge said I should join instead of just watching every Friday, so I did.

What were your early experiences like? Any standout memories?

The club and its regular members were more like family and after we locked the doors of the air pistol range at the close of our Friday shoots, quite a few of us would all go up to the restaurant on the second floor of the RSL Club for dinner and laughs. After a while that venue was changed to Tony Hodges house where his wife, Ann, would have supper ready for a few of us die hard regulars that were serving on the committee. Friendships that have stood the test of time for quite a few of us.

I also have great memories of Club Christmas parties when Paul Stuart would don his red outfit and play Santa for all the children. The club purchased presents for each and every child in attendance.

I also vividly remember attending a gun rally in the city, with quite a few of our club members, when the government were trying to take away our sport. There were thousands of gun owners in attendance on the day, and I pride myself for being able to participate in something that helped save our sport. Attending such a huge rally like that was something I never thought I would ever do.

Above all, my standout memories are of the respect and friendship Brien and I received from almost every single member in those earlier years. Knowing every single name of every single member, and the closeness I felt back then is something that I will never forget till the day I die.

What is / was your favourite caliber and shooting event?
I loved going to the air pistol range with my own air pistol every single Friday evening, and I loved going to the Auburn range almost every single Sunday morning to shoot with my own .22 cal Browning Buckmark pistol.

What would you say has been your biggest role or contribution to the club?

Back in May of 1996 when I had been attending the club for a very short time the then Club Treasurer stood down from his position, and I was asked if I could take the position on until the AGM when they could elect someone to fill the position permanently. No-one put their hand up and so I was asked if I would mind staying on as the club could not run without a treasurer. I agreed and I was voted back in as Club Treasurer for 28 further years after that.

I also took over in the position as Club Secretary in 2006 when Tony Hodge sold all his firearms during the big gun buyback. I had been working close with Tony for a couple of years due to his large work commitments and so I had a reasonable idea of what this very important position entailed. I was re-elected each year for a further 19 years.

What I feel was one of my biggest contributions to the club was really a combined effort between myself and my Brien when the committee was told our lease under the Bowling Club was not going to be renewed and we had to find a new place for the Air Pistol Range. Brien and I spent hours and hours every weekend driving around all the local districts for a hall or a building that might be suitable. One weekend we went down to the Castle Hill showground for something, and started to look at some of the old buildings. I looked in through a dusty window of the old “Lapidary Club” and called Brien over and I talked him into seeing potential if we could build an extension out the front for the actual range itself. By chance a man in a truck stopped and asked us what we were doing, he happened to be on the committee of the “355 Club”. We chatted for a while and he said that building was not in use and if it was of any use to us maybe we might be able to renovate it.

To cut a long story short we were given permission to use it. Brien drew up all the plans for the extension, and we submitted them to the council. I organised for a lease to be drawn up, and then began chasing around for costs of building materials and ordering all the materials. Thanks to Rob and Paul and several other members that came down to the site and helped with the re-cladding, re-roofing and the building of the extension. After almost 2 years of very hard work by a few clever members with building know-how, we had a big opening day and to this day our club members have the pleasure of attending air pistol shoots in their very own Air Pistol Range.