August 12th, 2025History with historian Natalie Poole

Hit me with your best shot ! Trentham Rifle Club No 243

The Victoria Government Gazette of May 25, 1900 paved the way for a rifle club to be set up in Trentham. “The Lieutenant-Governor in Council, has by orders made on May 21, 1900, been pleased to approve the formation of a detachment of a rifle club in Trentham.”
A meeting was called on June 16, 1900 to form a committee for the Rifle Club. The office bearers were: President Dr. Sleeman, Vice President Mr H. McCashney, Treasurer Mr W. S. Twentyman, Secretary Mr A. McCallum, Committeemen Messrrs Cox, Trewhella and Captain Mr Charles Howell. An entrance fee of 2 shillings 6 pence, with a yearly subscription of 2s 6d per member was fixed at the meeting. The range was inspected by Mr Cox, of the Defence Department, and the approval had been given.

The first range was situated in a westerly direction from what is now known as Horvath’s Lane (along the boundary of the current football ground). No signs remain of any shooting mounds which may have existed on the flat where the shooting must have taken place. The initial length of the range is unknown, but it is believed to have been approximately 1100 metres.
A second range was later located at the continuation of Gleeson Street through to and just across Countess Road. The target was about 45 metres south of Countess Road, with a large mound and a trench. This range was over 900 metres long and the shooting direction was from north to south. Today, if you drive down Countess Road to roughly the end of Rahills Road paddocks, an old mullock heap about 10-15 metres off the right side of the road can be seen.
By July 1900, the first range was in full operation and a musketry course focusing on the use of small arms with a revolving target invented by Mr McCallum and Mr Trewhella, was used and worked flawlessly. A similar course was used by the armed forces which included the care and maintenance of guns, a firing discipline and distance judging to prepare soldiers for military combat.
In September 1900, the first competition match occurred between the Blackwood and Trentham clubs. The team consisted of 10 men with 10 shots at 365 metres and seven shots at 460 metres. Blackwood won the match with 488 points to 413 with most participants new to the sport of rifle shooting.
The rifles initially used were Martini-Henry, single shot, lever action with a black powder cartridge of .577/450 calibre. These rifles were later produced in .303 calibre and were used during WWI. The Martini-Henry rifles were then superseded by the .303 calibre Lee-Enfield bolt action rifle with a 10-shot magazine. The government initially subsidised rifle and ammunition purchases as they considered proficiency in the use of firearms to be an asset to the protection of the country.
The local teams continued competitions up until the 1950s when the facilities fell into disrepair and were dismantled and all materials taken to the Kyneton Rifle Club.

Funny incident
One humorous incident which could well have been a tragedy occurred one day while the men were about to shoot when a chap, ignoring the red flags, proceeded across the range in a horse and dray totally oblivious to his actions and much to the consternation of the range officer Cecil Robson.

Image: Trentham Rifle Club c1907, standing G Hammond, W Trewhella, J Matheson, R Elliott, C Murphy, W Dunn, B Trewhella, J Cartwright and J T Robson, kneeling, P Drummond and F Robson, lying, H McCashney Jnr

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