ANZAC Rifle Range


The ANZAC Rifle Range is a rifle range located on the Malabar Headland, Malabar, in the City of Randwick local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It is headquarters to the New South Wales Rifle Association, and hosts the annual NSW Queen's Prize shooting competitions. The range is located on land owned by the Commonwealth of Australia.

Chronology of the ANZAC Rifle Range

attended by 1,300 competitors including teams from Great Britain, New Zealand and South Africa. 337,150 rounds fired.
The following organisations are current or past users of the ANZAC Rifle Range located on the headland site:
  1. Alpine Hunting & Target Shooting Club Pty Ltd
  2. Australian Protective Services
  3. Aviation Industry Rifle Club Inc, former QANTAS Staff Shooting Club
  4. Bankstown Chatswood Rifle Club, includes Bankstown RC 1915 and Chatswood RC 1915
  5. Bexley Smallbore Rifle Club
  6. Bradmill Rifle Club
  7. Cabra-Vale Diggers Rifle Club
  8. Concord Rifle Club
  9. Cronulla Rifle Club
  10. Daily Telegraph Rifle Club
  11. Drummoyne RSL Pistol Club
  12. Earlwood Bardwell Park Rifle Club
  13. Endeavour Rifle Club, includes the Sydney Naval Rifle Establishment 1946 and Sutherland RC 1914
  14. Friends of Malabar Headland, formed 2000
  15. Holsworthy Rifle Club, includes the former Sydney Volunteer Defence Corps RC 1946, the Randwick RC 1901 and Wunderlich RC 1910
  16. Hurstville Rifle Club
  17. Malabar Riding School, formed 1993 South East Equestrian Club, lease terminated November 2011
  18. Malabar Rifle Club
  19. Malabar RSL Rifle Club
  20. Maroubra RSL Rifle Club
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  1. Metropolitan District Rifle Association, formed c1898
  2. Military Rifle Clubs Association Inc, formed 1923
  3. Mosman Neutral Bay Rifle Club, formed 1915
  4. NSW Police Rifle Club
  5. NSW Rifle Association, formed 1860
  6. NSW Smallbore and Air Rifle Association, lease terminated November 2011
  7. NSW Sydney Air Rifle Association, lease terminated November 2011
  8. Penshurst Rifle Club
  9. Port Jackson Rifle Club, includes the former University of NSW RC and Cronulla RC
  10. Prospect Rifle Club
  11. Railway and Tramways Institute Rifle Club, includes the former Workshops RC, Loco RC and Traffic RC. This club is a lot older than 1910
  12. Rockdale Rifle Club
  13. Rose Bay Rifle Club
  14. Royal Australian Engineers Rifle Club Inc.
  15. Royal Australian Navy Rifle Reserve Club,
  16. Scots College Rifle Club, formed 1922
  17. Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, formed 1948, lease terminated November 2011
  18. State Penitentiary Rifle Club
  19. State Protection Group Rifle Club
  20. Sydney City Smallbore Club, lease terminated November 2011
  21. Sydney County Council Rifle Club
  22. Sydney Grammar School,
  23. Sydney High School Rifle Club, formed 1883, lease terminated November 2011
  24. Sydney Model Aero Club, formed 1982, lease terminated November 2011
  25. Sydney Naval Establishments Rifle Club
  26. Sydney Pistol Club
  27. Sydney Rifle Club, formed 1844
  28. Sydney Services Rifle Club
  29. Sydney University Rifle Club
  30. United Services Institute Rifle Club Inc.
  31. Woollahra Rifle Club, lease terminated November 2011
  32. Yorkshire Society Rifle Club

    Sydney Model Aero Club

Miniature aircraft have been flown on the Malabar headland since the 1920s. The Sydney Model Aero Club operated on the ANZAC Rifle Range from 1982 until their lease was terminated by the federal government in November 2011.

Former Malabar Riding School

The Malabar Riding School operated on the Malabar headland from 1993 until their lease was terminated by the federal government in November 2011. The riding school assisted local community groups, including seniors, at risk teens, local indigenous groups, people with disabilities, apprentice jockeys, Pony Club, TAFE and university students. They also participated in parades for the local RSL Clubs and other groups such as the Australian Light Horse Association and the Reserve Forces Day Parades attended by the NSW Governor and the Governor-General.
The rifle range caretaker's cottage was built around 1890. The heritage cottage, horse stables and army huts were demolished by the federal government in October 2012.

Australian Light Horse and the Reserve Forces Day Parade

In the latter part of 1884 the venerable citizens of Sydney came together to form a cavalry unit. Initially they met in the Oxford Hotel located in Queen's Square. They then went on to train at Moore Park and the Malabar Headland. The Australian Light Horse have a historical attachment to the Malabar Headland which dates back over 100 years. The training for the Australian Light Horse involvement in the Reserve Forces Day Parade has been conducted at the headland for almost a decade. The Australian Light Horse Association provide Mounted Vice-Regal Escorts in Sydney for the Governor of NSW, Professor Marie Bashir AC and for Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Great Public School Rifle Clubs

The Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales is an association of mostly private boys schools in New South Wales formed in 1892 currently comprising King's School, Sydney Grammar School, Newington College, Saint Ignatius' College, St Joseph's College, Sydney Boys High School, Sydney Church of England Grammar School, Scots College and Armidale School. Several GPS Rifle Clubs have used the Malabar rifle range since the 1920s competing for the Rawson Cup, the NRA Shield, the Buchanan Shield and the GPS Premiership. Sydney Boys High School started with cadet shooting in 1883, they were granted permission to shoot at Malabar in the 1920s. Sydney Grammar School was founded in 1854 and used the Malabar rifle range until 2011. Scots College Rifle Club was formed in 1922 and has a membership of 60-70 members. Scots College continue to use the ANZAC Rifle Range to this day.

Full Bore Rifle Range

The Full Bore range is used for the long distance, 300 metre to 800 metre, target shooting disciplines using precision target rifles fitted with aperture or telescopic sights. The term Full Bore refers to the military calibres including;.303 British, 7.62×51mm NATO /.308 Winchester and 5.56×45mm NATO /.223 Remington as sanctioned by the NRAA rules although other calibres are also used. This range is used for national and international target rifle competitions, the most notable of which was the Australian Bicentenary Celebrations attended by approximately 900 competitors from Australia, Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Channel Islands, Scotland, USA, Wales and Kenya in 1988. Two matches were held, The Australia Match on 14 April 1988 and the US Palma Match on 16 April 1988 with a prize of $100,000 and the Palma Trophy. The range also hosts the annual NSW Queen's prize competition. The Queen's Prize was originally sponsored by Queen Victoria in 1860, the competition has been held annually by "The Empire" countries and all states in Australia since 1878.

Military Rifle Club Range

"The Military Rifle Clubs Association are a group of rifle clubs who have been shooting Service Rifle competitions on the Malabar headland since 1923. The competitions are shot at 100, 200 and 300 metres in the standing, sitting, kneeling and prone positions. The firearms used were predominantly semi-automatic, such as the SLR, up to the ban by the federal government and bolt-action military rifles from WWI and WWII such as the Short Magazine Lee–Enfield No.1 and No. 5, The Rifle No. 4, various Mauser rifles and Springfields etc."

Former SSAA Rifle Range

The Sporting Shooters Association of Australia operated on the Malabar headland from 1975 until their lease was terminated by the federal government in November 2011. The SSAA range was located on the southern end of the ANZAC Rifle Range. This area provided facilities for shotgun clay target shooting, metallic silhouette and bench rest rifle shooting. The bench rest stands were used for sighting in rifles and for precision bench rest target shooting at 100 metres. The bench rest range facilities were demolished by the federal labor government in October 2012.

Former Smallbore Rifle Range

The Smallbore Range was used by clubs associated with the NSW Smallbore and Air Rifle Association until their lease was terminated by the federal government in November 2011. The term "smallbore" refers to the 5.56 / 0.22 and 4.5 / 0.177 calibres, with the latter being predominantly air rifle. This range was used by shooters competing in the 50-metre bench rest, prone and three-position rifle shooting disciplines. The Smallbore and Air Rifle Range facilities were demolished by the federal government in October 2012.

Pistol range

The pistol range is used for ISPC pistol and rimfire metallic silhouette competitions.

ANZAC Memorial Gates

The Long Bay Rifle Range at Malabar was renamed the "ANZAC Rifle Range" by the Army in 1970 to commemorate the Australian Rifle Club members who served during the two World Wars and the Korean Campaign. The National Rifle Association records show that as of 31 December 1916, 6486 members of the NSW Rifle Clubs had enlisted for active service during WWI. The total number of Australian Rifle Club members who enlisted for WWII is believed to be between 33,000 and 38,000. The "Memorial Gates" are dedicated to the "Fallen Riflemen" of these wars.

ANZAC Range Memorial Plaques

NSW Rifle Club Members Awarded the Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy".
Private George Cartwright

Near Peronne France

31 August 1918

4th Battalion Rifle Club
Corporal Arthur Charles Hall

Peronne France

1–2 September 1918

Coolabah Rifle Club
Lieutenant Arthur Roden Cutler

Merdjayoun-Damour, Lebanon

19 June – 6 July 1941

Manly Rifle Club
Corporal John Hurst Edmondson

Tobruk Libya

13 April 1941

Liverpool Cabravale Rifle Club
Flight Lieutenant Rawdon Hume Middleton RAAF

Italy 28–29 November 1942

Rocky Dam Rifle Club
Captain Alfred Shout

Lone Pine Gallipoli

9 August 1915

Australian Rifles Regiment

NSW Rifle Club Members Awarded the George Cross

The George Cross is an award for civilians; it is the second highest award of the United Kingdom honours system, ranking immediately after the Victoria Cross.
Benjamin Gower Hardy

Cowra NSW

4–5 August 1944

Rifle Club Chatswood Rifle Club

Military history

Details TBA