Sydney Rifle Club has documented roots in the earliest years of organised rifle shooting in colonial Sydney and today continues that tradition at the ANZAC Rifle Range, Malabar.
The Club retains 1844 as its traditional establishment year, although surviving newspaper records and later historical research trace its beginnings to shooting activity in 1843.
The Earliest Records: 1843–1845
Historical research published by the National Rifle Association of Australia traces the Club’s origins to January 1843, when an informal rifle match was held at the Red House Inn at Bedlam Ferry, near present-day Abbotsford Point, while plans were being made for a permanent rifle club.
The research records that Sydney Rifle Club was formed soon afterwards and held an early competition on Easter Monday 1843. These references pre-date the Club’s traditional 1844 establishment year and give important context to its beginnings.
December 1844
On 23 December 1844, a general meeting of Sydney Rifle Club was held at the Emu Inn, George Street.
The Club resolved to hold its Annual Match at the Red House on the Parramatta River on 1 January 1845. The public notice was signed by the chairman, William Turton, and published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 25 December.
1 January 1845
The match went ahead at the Red House as announced. Competitors fired three shots each at 100 yards.
After a closely contested match, Mr A. Craig, builder, won the principal prize — a rifle with accompanying equipment — and also won a sweepstakes. The result was reported by the Sydney Morning Herald on 4 January 1845.
Why “Est. 1844”? Sydney Rifle Club has traditionally used 1844 as its establishment year and continues to do so. Earlier newspaper research traces the beginnings of the Club to 1843, while the December 1844 notice provides clear contemporary evidence of an organised Sydney Rifle Club holding meetings, appointing a chairman and conducting an Annual Match.
The Red House and Bedlam Ferry
The Red House was an important landmark on the southern side of the Parramatta River at what is now Abbotsford Point. The site is today occupied by Sydney Rowing Club.
In the 1840s the area formed part of the wider Five Dock estate and sat beside the Bedlam Ferry crossing of the Great North Road. Travellers could reach the area by road, ferry and river transport, and the Red House operated as a recognised stopping place.
A Five Dock estate advertisement from 1841 specifically noted the advantages of Parramatta River transport and road access. This helps explain why the Red House was a practical location for an organised shooting gathering only a few years later.
From a Colonial Rifle Club to an Established Institution
By 1846, contemporary reports place the Club’s annual Easter Monday meeting at the Sydney Water Reserve, part of Sydney Common and probably within what is now the Moore Park area.
By 1851, Sydney Rifle Club was holding competitions on an informal range beside the military garden south of Victoria Barracks. A military rifle range was established in the same area in 1852, beginning the Club’s long association with the Paddington and Moore Park shooting grounds.
The Club also appears in the wider history of the colonial volunteer movement. In 1851, an application made on behalf of Sydney Rifle Club proposed the formation of a Volunteer Rifle Company. Approval from Britain was recorded later that year.
In 1854, Joseph Pettingell of Sydney Rifle Club and fellow Club member Michael Golden were among the witnesses examined by a committee of the NSW Legislative Council considering the formation of volunteer and yeomanry forces.
This reflects the character of rifle shooting in the nineteenth century, when civilian sport, marksmanship and colonial defence were closely connected. The modern Club is a sporting organisation, but that historical context forms an important part of its early story.
Following Sydney’s Rifle Ranges
As Sydney expanded, its long-range rifle shooting grounds repeatedly moved farther from the growing city. Sydney Rifle Club moved with them.
| Period | Club and Range History |
|---|---|
| 1843–1845 | Early matches and meetings associated with the Red House at Bedlam Ferry on the Parramatta River. |
| 1846 | The annual Easter Monday meeting was being held at the Sydney Water Reserve, in the Sydney Common / Moore Park area. |
| 1851–1890 | Sydney Rifle Club became associated with the Paddington and Moore Park shooting grounds beside Victoria Barracks. |
| 1890–1892 | The Paddington Rifle Range closed in 1890 as surrounding development and safety concerns made the site unsuitable. A replacement range at Randwick opened in the early 1890s. |
| 1923 | With the closure of the Randwick range, Sydney Rifle Club moved to the ANZAC Rifle Range at Liverpool. |
| 1968 | Following the closure of the Liverpool range, the Club moved to the Malabar headland and its present home at the ANZAC Rifle Range. |
| Today | Sydney Rifle Club continues long-range target shooting at Malabar across Target Rifle, F Class and Sporter disciplines. |
A Continuing Sporting Tradition
Surviving records show Sydney Rifle Club continuing to compete through the nineteenth century. In 1886, for example, Sydney Rifle Club teams shot several friendly matches against students from St Ignatius’ College, including contests at 500 and 600 yards.
The rifles, targets and equipment have changed enormously since three-shot matches at 100 yards in the 1840s, but precision, competition and the judgement required to shoot well remain at the centre of the sport.
Sydney Rifle Club Today
Today the Club is based at the ANZAC Rifle Range, Malabar, where members take part in regular club shooting and competition across Target Rifle, F Class and Sporter.
The Club remains centred on responsible shooting, good sportsmanship and members sharing their experience with one another and with people entering the sport.
Historical Sources & Further Research
The Club’s early history has been reconstructed from contemporary newspapers and later archival research. Important sources include:
- Sydney Morning Herald, 4 January 1843 — early Red House rifle match.
- The Australian, 24 April 1843 — early Sydney Rifle Club competition.
- Sydney Morning Herald, 25 December 1844 — Sydney Rifle Club general meeting and Annual Match notice.
- Sydney Morning Herald, 4 January 1845 — report of the Annual Match at the Red House.
- Bell’s Life in Sydney, 11 April 1846 — Easter Monday meeting at the Sydney Water Reserve.
- Sydney Morning Herald, 5 April 1851 and 2 October 1852 — early Paddington-area shooting.
- National Rifle Association of Australia — John W. Ross, The Paddington Rifle Range.
- NSW Legislative Council records — Volunteer and Yeomanry Corps Committee, 1854.
- City of Canada Bay local history — Bedlam Ferry, Five Dock and the Red House at Abbotsford.
Historical research is ongoing. Earlier records may refine the chronology as additional newspaper and archival material is identified.