Joined: Unknown
Member number: Can’t remember
Club Positions Held:
Range officer at Auburn and Scorer at Castle Hill
My top suggestions:
Participate in the organisation of the club. Pay attention to the rules and regulations.
What inspired you to become a member and what were your early experiences like?
I can’t remember exactly when I joined, but I do remember it was when we were at the Nirimba base.
I requested to be a range officer with the Castle Hill RSL after being a member of the Auburn Academy.
What is/was your favourite caliber and shooting event?
.22 and the air pistols. My first pistol was the Colt air revolver which I had for a long while. Then I acquired a Ruger which I used right up until recently.
What would you say has been your biggest role or contribution to the club?
I was part of the group that negotiated with the executive of the Castle Hill Bowling Club to use the space under the bowling alley. In doing that, we developed that space putting in toilets and a kitchenette. Rob and the boys did the range itself and put in the motorised targets.
How has the club evolved?
It’s evolved into a friendly, family affair.
Are there any traditions or values you hope future members will preserve?
Keep the competitions and comradeship.
Who were some of the most memorable characters or mentors in the club’s history?
So many people, John Liotta, Rob Tomkins, Joan and Brien McKenzie come to mind.
Can you share a story from your time with the club?
There’s a few:
I was a member of the Bowling Club at Castle Hill and the Pistol Club, and when we were under the Bowling Club, I remember having to go and maintain the building structure above us by ensuring that the buildings (which were portable and joined together with cables and rods) were in alignment by adjusting the turnbuckles.
I also remember going out as a member of the Castle Hill Pistol Club joining with the Castle Hill Fishing Club members for days out in the Hawkesbury River. Tom Garrick was a member of both (and a boot maker in Castle Hill) and had a large fishing vessel that he used to take us out on fishing excursions.
The man I looked up to the most was the local licensing police officer who was also a member of the pistol club. We were very mindful not to step out of line!
John Liotta, when we moved to the Showground he did the external walls and the roof structure – he did the whole lot. Joan and Brien McKenzie put so much into the club in the early days.
What advice would you give to new members just starting out?
Participate in the organisation of the club. Pay attention to the rules and regulations.
I think that all our members should also be members of the SSAA, because that is the most informative organisation for shooters and shooter’s rights.