History - Paringa Archers

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History
Paringa's own history
The Launceston Archery Club was formed 1958 and became the Paringa Archery club 8th Feb 1961 (Minutes) after an initial meeting 17th Dec 1960 (Minutes). .
Paringa is an Aboriginal name for girls, meaning "Home at the river". In 1960 Miss. V Klye introduced the sport to Launceston High School Students, who practised in Royal Park. 
Another northern club was formed at Beaconsfield in 1964 and lasted until the early 1980s. Tasmanian archers founded the Archery Society of Tasmania in the early 1950s and held its first state championships in 1962.

The club has been built by many active members, with facilities being constructed during many a working BBQ. Of recent years the efforts of the Freeman family, 
Ray Denton, Shirley and Wally Morphett, Peter Fisher, Murray Frith and Jeff Garner have enabled the club to build upon it's simple base and provide one of the most picturesque ranges in the country.

Life Members
Name Year
Ray Denton 1988
Jan Bown 1991
John Bown 1991
Geoff Dyer 2020
Peter Fisher 2017
Andrew Fluck 2022
Clint Freeman 2004
Les Freeman 1998
Tricia Freeman 2006
Murray Frith 1998
Jeff Garner 2018
Barrie Peers 2020
Paul Korosi 2018
Paul Malinowski 2020
Bruce McCaskill 1972
Shirley Morphett 2012
Wal Morphett 2012
Vallan Reid 1988
Geoff Singline 1998
Brian Swinton 2019
Clint Freeman
The first archer to be inducted into the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame, Clint Freeman, of Trevallyn, was also the first Tasmanian to hold a national title in the sport and the first selected for an Australian team. He represented Australia from 1992 to 2010 winning two world titles and setting 12 world records.The Examiner link. Congratulations Clint.

The 2003 World Target Champion
Extracts from minutes 1960 to 1992 with regard to club grounds and buildings. Compiled by Shirley Morphett - April 2018

13 Oct 2018  Indoor Range Grand Opening


13 June 2017Everett prepared for World Cup Stage 3 in Salt Lake City

6 April 2016Launceston archer Matthew Everett grabs medals at 2016 national youth championships

15 March 2006Lethal bows stolen from archery club

15 May 1986Club incorporated

Ray was a Life Member from 1988,  former vice president ( 1989 -1993) president ( 1994 2004)  . 
Examiner Junior Sports Awards  Service to Sport (Archery) winner 2008 . Tasmanian Sports Awards 2010  Local Hero Award winner  (Paringa Archery Club)

Ray's years of dedication and committment alongside other volunteers, has helped make Paringa  Archery club what it is today .
Tracia Freeman setup the  Group and Schools Program at Paringa and Ray coordinated and ran it from 2003 to 2014 as Schools and Group coordinator .
 Ray also organised other community events outside of the club venue  such as the Deloraine Craft Fair (4days) Steam fest at Sheffield (3 days ) and others that came along from time to time.
 Ray also helped maintain the club's equipment, was on the Roster for Saturday Come N Try sessions  as well as running courses for community coaches and AA Instructors . 
Ray was also a long serving  National Judge and ran courses for new Judges.
Some Tasmanian Archery History
"In the second half of the nineteenth century, several other women s sports were established in Tasmania.

The first was archery, formalised in 1857, when the Tasmanian Archery club formed in Hobart with Mrs. T Gore Browne, the governor s wife, as president.

By 1862 Invermay Club was functioning in Launceston, and the Great Western Archery Association was in Hagley, where Lady Dry (wife of premier) was president. 

Although these clubs were not exclusively for females, committees and membership were largely female. 
As early as 1860 Walch s of Hobart were selling equipment for ladies, and in the spring of 1865 women and men were practising on the Charles Butler s Battery Point paddock (soon to be home of the Break of Day Cricket Club)"*
* Most of this has been sourced from Sporting Island A History of Sport & Recreation in Tasmania - David Young 2005
Publisher : Tasmanian Government - Sport & Recreation
References : Mercury 9 Dec 1857
Tas Weekly News 6 Feb. 1858
Tas Telegraph 16 June & 7 August 1858
Extracts from early Paringa meeting minutes
Provisional committee meeting reported that a bank balance of nine pounds, eight shillings and nine pence 
still existed for the Launceston archery club of the 50s and would become available.

17 Dec 1960      Royal Park was reserved for shooting 1-4 P.M. Saturdays - Insurance was considered unpractical tho signs would be erected.

8 Feb 1961        Burnie and Hobart clubs had assisted with information, the name Paringa Archers was adopted

26 Apr 1961      Two club bows were purchased from T.Charlton with one dozen 26 arrows

7 Jun 1961   Letter received from Aubrey Brigg (still active with Taroona Archers) of Van Dieman Archers regarding Southern Tas. Championships 
                   Calico used for target faces! (to be painted)  Palm Grove hall under consideration as an indoor venue

9 Aug 1961  Arrangements for Northern Tas championships - November long weekend
                   Saturday A.M. American Round
                   Saturday P.M. American Round
                   Sunday A.M. 180 yds men s clout, 140 yds ladies clout
                   Sunday P.M. 160yds Men s clout , 140yds ladies clout


9 Aug 1961  Arrangements for Northern Tas championships - November long weekend

                   Saturday A.M. American Round

                   Saturday P.M. American Round

                   Sunday A.M. 180 yds men s clout, 140 yds ladies clout

                   Sunday P.M. 160yds Men s clout , 140yds ladies clout

30 Apr 1963      Club motto adopted Swift, Silent and True . An affiliation by clubs of King Island and Flinders Island were noted.

28 Jul 1963       An invitation received to the opening of a new club at Beaconsfield

22 Jun 1964     The first mention of a boy member Murray Frith (the current president of Archery Society of Tasmania) with a handicap of 34.

22 Jul 1964      The Apple Isle Postal shoot first mooted.

24 Sept1964     An archery versus pistol shoot proposed by Van Diemans pistol club.

16-17 Oct 1965 Visit by Hans Wright - he became Australia s first international medalist (bronze) in the FITA World target championships in 1969 and was still competing at the 2002 World Masters Games.
 
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