Description
The Auckland Archery Club is mainly a Target Archery Club, however the club does also involve itself in clout, indoor and field archery.
The club has 14 outdoor target buttresses and 1 indoor practice buttress. There is also a 12 target portable field course which was kindly built by some of the members.
For coaching purposes, the club holds a number of bows which are used mainly on Saturday mornings during the club coaching course. These beginners’ bows range from 8lb to 30lb in draw weight and are built for both children and adult archers.
The club is open all day on Saturday and on Sunday afternoons. Saturday is set aside as a practice day with the morning giving preference to junior and novice archers. On Saturday afternoons, the club organises short-range shoots so that the junior and novice archers can become integrated into the club and become more accustomed to shooting the longer-ranged distances.
Sunday is the official club day where a long-range shoot is usually organised. This is when the more experienced club members compete against one another.
The official competition season (or outdoor season) is from Labour Weekend until Easter Weekend. During this time, archery clubs from all over the country host major tournaments where the more experienced archers travel to these and compete.
The type of tournament most commonly held is a FITA Star Tournament which is a two day competition made up of four different distances. The Men's division shoot 90m, 70m, 50m and 30m while the Ladies' division shoot 70m, 60m, 50m and 30m. Junior archers are also able to participate in these tournaments and special shoots have been added for them. The Under 18 and Under 16 archers shoot the Men's and Ladies' lines respectively while the Under 14 archers shoot an Intermediate FITA 55m, 45m, 35m and 25m and the U12 archers shoot a Horsham 40m, 35m, 30m and 25m.
Club History:
The Auckland Archery Club began its shooting history on the slopes of One Tree Hill in 1944. It is believed that a club existed on the same site in earlier years but no known records of this exist. At one stage in its history, the Auckland Club was the largest in the British Commonwealth.
Historically the oldest surviving club is the Dunedin Archery Club formed in 1938 but letters to various newspapers at that time indicate the existence of an Auckland Archery Club in the 1870's.
A letter to The Star written by a Mr. H. Browne in July of 1957, states that the first archery contest in the country was held in Auckland at Parnell in 1870. It was held on a property owned by the Honorable William Swainston (an early Attorney General ) which is now the park overlooking Judges Bay. Spectators were Prince Alfred (Duke of Edinburgh), Lord Beresford and the Misses Balmavis. After the match guests were entertained in the Swainston home which had been bought from England in 1853.
An article written in the Sandringham Star in July 1959 states that the first shoot held by the then Auckland Archery Club was held on the farm owned by Alan Kerr-Taylor on the 9th December 1871. It was attended by 80 people, most of whom were participants. A further article from the New Zealand Herald in August 1970 states that the Auckland Archery Club held a number of shoots on this farm and these were believed to be the first shoots held in the Mt Albert District. The Alan Kerr-Taylor farm originally covered approximately 1,000 acres. All that remains today is the Alberton Homestead.
Auckland Archery Club is mainly a Target Archery club. This means that we specialise in shooting at specified distances from a target set out in an open field. At present we cater for recurve, compound, crossbow, longbow and now more recently, the hosting of field shooting events.
The club is now the largest target archery club in New Zealand having a rather roller coaster ride with membership over the last thirty odd years. In the early days, the club did have a fixed field shooting course through the trees on the southern slopes of One Tree Hill to compliment the target range, but that has long since gone with the park becoming increasingly popular as an outing venue for Aucklanders and tourists.
The main part of the club rooms was built in 1946, ex army, and an addition to the main room was effected several years later to enable the members to shoot a full indoor FITA of 18 metres. So over the years many members have devoted many hours of time with maintenance and general improvements.
Over the last four or five years the clubs membership has increased and is steadily growing.
The club has 14 outdoor target buttresses and 1 indoor practice buttress. There is also a 12 target portable field course which was kindly built by some of the members.
For coaching purposes, the club holds a number of bows which are used mainly on Saturday mornings during the club coaching course. These beginners’ bows range from 8lb to 30lb in draw weight and are built for both children and adult archers.
The club is open all day on Saturday and on Sunday afternoons. Saturday is set aside as a practice day with the morning giving preference to junior and novice archers. On Saturday afternoons, the club organises short-range shoots so that the junior and novice archers can become integrated into the club and become more accustomed to shooting the longer-ranged distances.
Sunday is the official club day where a long-range shoot is usually organised. This is when the more experienced club members compete against one another.
The official competition season (or outdoor season) is from Labour Weekend until Easter Weekend. During this time, archery clubs from all over the country host major tournaments where the more experienced archers travel to these and compete.
The type of tournament most commonly held is a FITA Star Tournament which is a two day competition made up of four different distances. The Men's division shoot 90m, 70m, 50m and 30m while the Ladies' division shoot 70m, 60m, 50m and 30m. Junior archers are also able to participate in these tournaments and special shoots have been added for them. The Under 18 and Under 16 archers shoot the Men's and Ladies' lines respectively while the Under 14 archers shoot an Intermediate FITA 55m, 45m, 35m and 25m and the U12 archers shoot a Horsham 40m, 35m, 30m and 25m.
Club History:
The Auckland Archery Club began its shooting history on the slopes of One Tree Hill in 1944. It is believed that a club existed on the same site in earlier years but no known records of this exist. At one stage in its history, the Auckland Club was the largest in the British Commonwealth.
Historically the oldest surviving club is the Dunedin Archery Club formed in 1938 but letters to various newspapers at that time indicate the existence of an Auckland Archery Club in the 1870's.
A letter to The Star written by a Mr. H. Browne in July of 1957, states that the first archery contest in the country was held in Auckland at Parnell in 1870. It was held on a property owned by the Honorable William Swainston (an early Attorney General ) which is now the park overlooking Judges Bay. Spectators were Prince Alfred (Duke of Edinburgh), Lord Beresford and the Misses Balmavis. After the match guests were entertained in the Swainston home which had been bought from England in 1853.
An article written in the Sandringham Star in July 1959 states that the first shoot held by the then Auckland Archery Club was held on the farm owned by Alan Kerr-Taylor on the 9th December 1871. It was attended by 80 people, most of whom were participants. A further article from the New Zealand Herald in August 1970 states that the Auckland Archery Club held a number of shoots on this farm and these were believed to be the first shoots held in the Mt Albert District. The Alan Kerr-Taylor farm originally covered approximately 1,000 acres. All that remains today is the Alberton Homestead.
Auckland Archery Club is mainly a Target Archery club. This means that we specialise in shooting at specified distances from a target set out in an open field. At present we cater for recurve, compound, crossbow, longbow and now more recently, the hosting of field shooting events.
The club is now the largest target archery club in New Zealand having a rather roller coaster ride with membership over the last thirty odd years. In the early days, the club did have a fixed field shooting course through the trees on the southern slopes of One Tree Hill to compliment the target range, but that has long since gone with the park becoming increasingly popular as an outing venue for Aucklanders and tourists.
The main part of the club rooms was built in 1946, ex army, and an addition to the main room was effected several years later to enable the members to shoot a full indoor FITA of 18 metres. So over the years many members have devoted many hours of time with maintenance and general improvements.
Over the last four or five years the clubs membership has increased and is steadily growing.
Contact Details
Our Website:
Auckland Archery Club
http://www.aucklandarchery.org.nz
Photos
