Rifle Shooting
With the outbreak of the Boer War in 1900, patriotic men formed rifle clubs and built rifle ranges. The Doncaster Rifle Range was built at the end of McGowans Road on Deep Creek. A smaller club built a miniature rifle range and clubhouse on Doncaster Road near the present intersection with Whittens Lane, and was looked after by the Thiele brothers. Also, ladies rifle shoots were conducted in a paddock alongside Koonung Creek.
1900-1914 Doncaster Rifle Club Miniature Rifle Range, Doncaster Road, opposite Henry Thiele's store. The range was for use of .22 calibre rifles. Small shed with 12-paned window. Verandahs front and back. Open shed in the back at a distance. The range is fenced approx 12 feet wide. Henry Thiele's sons looked after the range. DP0621
Early 1900s. Doncaster Rifle Club. Ladies shooting in a paddock adjacent to the Koonung Creek. DP0299
Source: Doncaster - A Short History By Eric Collyer (2013) Published by Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society, 12 Blair Street Warrandyte VIC 3113. National Library of Australia Card Number and ISBN 978 0 947353 04 9 - Original Scan
Doncaster Rifle Club
The usual monthly spoon competition will be fired at Port Melbourne next Saturday, May 27, at 5-600 yards. On Saturday, June 3, a match will be fired at 2-300 yards against the Toora rifle club at Port Melbourne, to be followed by a dinner and theatre party. On Monday, June 5, the Donecaster team will visit Cockatoo Creek, where a match will be fired against the Emerald rifle club. Members of the club desiring to attend the above mentioned functions are requested to communicate with the vice-captain at once.1911 'Doncaster Rifle Club.', The Reporter (Box Hill, Vic. : 1889 - 1925), 26 May, p. 4. , viewed 05 Feb 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89696689
Doncaster Rifle Club
TThe deferred spoon shoot of above was held on Saturday, March 3. The veteran shot, in the person of Mr. J. Smith, who is always a consistent shot, secured the honors of tho day by win-ing first spoon. The shooting was well up to the average. Scores:— Score. Hcp. Total. J. Smith .. .. .. .. 48 3 50 E. Miles .. .. .. .. 43 7 50 A. Thiele .. .. .. .. 47 1 48 W. Reischeck .. .. 46 1 47 P. H. Sharp .. .. .. 43 3 46 J. Hewish .. .. .. .. 45 1 46 W. P. Vettler .. .. 43 3 46 J. R. Smith .. .. .. 40 5 45 J. Russell .. .. .. 38 7 43 H. Thiele .. .. .. .. 36 7 43 O. Zerbe .. .. .. .. 37 5 42 H. J. Bleauchue .. 29 8 37 Musketry, March 10. "I have something to tell you," said the young man, with a slightly embarrassed air, to the small daughter of the house. "After the party last night your sister Kitty promised to marry me. I hope you won't bear me any grudge for taking her away from you?" "Of course not," replied the small sister cheerfully. "Why, that's what the party was for!"1917 'DONCASTER RIFLE CLUB.', The Reporter (Box Hill, Vic. : 1889 - 1925), 9 March, p. 5. , viewed 05 Feb 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75167156
Rifle range c1914. Group of shooters at the Templestowe Rifle Range situated north of Warrandyte Road in the vicinity of Target Road. The club was formed in 1914. Nearly all the men have suits and hats, and there is one man in army uniform. DP0530
Rifle Club Meet c1900-1910? Group of men, women and children, all very well dressed, attending a function possibly a Rifle Club event. There is an orchard in the background presumably in the Doncaster area. Four women are holding rifles, also four men. There is a man dressed in military uniform. All the people are probably locals but only John Tully and August Zerbe can be identified. DP1405
Rifle club
THE north side of Warrandyte Rd.. Templestowe, west of the end of Blackburn Rd. was once a rifle club.
A pet park and animal farm now occupies this site which is just to the west and opposite the SEC terminal station at Templestowe Doncaster and Templestowe City Council depot. It is not far from the Deep Creek Reserve.
The declaration of war in 1914 gave the citizens of Templestowe the idea to form a rifle club. The aim was to encourage those on the home front to take an active part in the war effort should the need arise. Members had to take the oath of allegiance and promise to assist in the war effort on the local sphere if called upon.
The land for the site of the rifle club was then an estate of a Mr A. Andrews and it was rented for the Club. There were no houses in that region then.
In 1915 work started on constructing a target pit and firing mound. Intending members attended working bees and with axes cleared the scrub. With horses, scoops, picks and shovels they soon had the site in readiness. A telephone line erected for communication between the firing mound and the markers in the target trench. Trench timbers were cut from local red box was timber and were sawn by Charles Rouch's timber mill at Heidelberg.
In the late Spring of 1915 a trial run was held. The club was issued with 10 Lee Enfield single shot bolt action .303 service rifles, plus 1000 rounds of .303 Mark 6 (blunt nose) ammunition."
Early in 1916 the wife of the rifle club captain, Mrs Ross, fired the first shot, a blank cartridge from the 200 yard mound.
Interest in the club increased and around 1925 the Templestowe club became affiliated with the Evelyn District Rifle Association which incorporated clubs from Kinglake, Lilydale,
Christmas Hills and Yarra Junction. The club then extended its range capacity so an extra set of targets was added to enable four men to shoot at the one time.
Club contests were held and visits to the various ranges entailed a lot of travelling which was done on fruit growers trucks and private cars.
The Templestowe club also travelled to the Williamstown range to shoot with them.
The annual Cup Day shoot with the visiting Fairfield club was held in a picnic atmosphere. Visitors would bring a large battery radio, toss a length of wire up a tree and at the appointed hour would gather round and listen through a horn speaker to the Melbourne Cup.
During the depression the club activities waned a lot. There was a club at Doncaster which lost its range due to closer settlement at Donvale and their members transferred to Templestowe. Combined Templestowe and Doncaster club carried on till just before the start of World War II.
On January 13, 1939, (Black Friday) a disastrous bushfire, which had started only two miles from the rifle club, swept through the district. In doing so it destroyed the rifle range and dealt the final blow to the club which had been in existence for 23 years.
Source: Joan Seppings/ Webster BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY, May 25 1982. (Acknowledgement to Mr. Bill Ross and Mrs Hazel Poulter.)
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