Snippets of SARA history supplied by Jim Caspers
Radium Hill (No. 288):
The Club was formed in February 1953 with Police Sergeant K.G. McRae as captain and 46 enrolled members.
The range was constructed to the north of the town with firing points from 300 to 900 yards. The target facilities comprised a twin pair of target frames which each carried two targets thus allowing four people to be lying on the shooting mound at any one time.
Club members were very active in competition matches and prize meetings with other Clubs both at Radium Hill and when visiting other Clubs. Competitions were held with Clubs including Yunta, Cockburn, Medindee, Broken Hill, Mildura and Waikerie.
Although individual shooters often made their marks at various meetings, the smaller clubs like Yunta, Cockburn, Menindee and Radium Hill, in team’s matches, were never a match against the big clubs at Broken Hill. As a result, George Wilkin from Cutana Station, a staunch and active member of the Radium Hill Rifle Club, in 1958, donated a shield for annual competition between Radium Hill, Yunta, Cockburn and Menindee Clubs. Radium Hill won the shield for three consecutive years, 1958/59, 1959/60 and 1960/61.
With the closing of the mine, the Radium Hill Rifle Club passed the ‘Cutana Shield’ to the Yunta Rifle Club to be used for competition amongst local clubs an in doing so, perpetuate the names of the Radium Hill Club and Cutana Station in the local area.
One of the typical gestures and support for the Club from George Wilkin was that once a year he would clean up all the empty beer bottles from around his stations and transport them to Adelaide to collect the refunds available. The proceeds of this activity he would donate to the Club. This was a very valuable source of financial support following the withdrawal of subsidies and general funding from the Department of the Army in early 1961.
The final club shooting activities closed at the ‘Xmas Shoot’ held on Saturday 10th December 1961. The club closed its operation with a ‘Wind Up’ and Trophy Presentation Social/Dance in the R.A.O.B. Hall on Tuesday evening the 19th December 1961. The Club was officially disbanded in June 1962.