| History
of the SSAA |
|
| On
April15, 1948, about 100 shooters met in the Railway Institute Building
in Elizabeth Street, Sydney to form the SSAA. Since that time, many
changes have taken place. |
| One
of the most notable changes is the number of members in the Association,
which continues to increase each year. In 1959 it had a mere, but
mighty, 250 members - a drop in the bucket by today's numbers. Membership
fees, unfortunately, have also increased since the Association was
first formed. Back in 1948, city members paid ten shillings and
country members paid 7/6. |
| The
SSAA began in NSW because of the government's increasing involvement
in firearms legislation. In 1950, NSW had adopted the title the
Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia so everyone was clear
that it was not just a 'one state organisation'. |
| State
branches came into being at different times. Victoria formed in
1951, Queensland in '57, South Australia in '65-66, ACT in '65,
Western Australia in '67 and Tasmania in 1969. . |
| In
1962, the National SSAA came to life as a result of a meeting consisting
of 12 people. The group agreed that there was a need for a federal
body, whose purpose would be to assist and advise state bodies.
|
| At
that time, the Association had no official magazine but rather a
quarterly newsletter, called the Report, which was first
printed in 1959. The first Australian Shooters Journal appeared
in 1968 and has since gone through a number of changes and improvements. |
 |
| For
a more indepth look at the Association's history, see the February
1998 edition of the Australian Shooters Journal. |
|
|
