NSW Gun Club

History & Culture

From the mid to late 1800s organised, but unregistered, pigeon shooting was the domain of the wealthy and influential. Participating fees were the equivalent of almost a year’s basic wage and to purchase a good quality pigeon gun required an outlay of twice as much. It is not surprising therefore that in 1879 the first approaches to form a “Live Bird Shooting Club’ came from the graziers and wealthy businessmen. Part of the estate of Simeon Lord, an early convict turned highly successful businessman, was acquired by the former members. This acreage was situated in the vicinity of the present day Domestic Air Terminals at Mascot. In 1880 Sir Lucas-Lucas Tooth, founder of the Tooth’s Brewery Company, became the first president of the N.S.W. Gun Club. Joining fees were twenty guineas and the exclusivity of the Club was maintained by regular use of the ’black ballot ball’ to exclude undesirable applications for membership.