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Before Swan Island became home to a Naval Base, Queenscliff Golf Club shared the landscape with a rifle range.
The firing range was built in 1907 and was officially opened in November 1908 with a match featuring the Queenscliff Rifle Club and Royal Australian Defence personnel. The Range was located just north of the golf course, with a track from the second bridge to the range, which also served as an extension of the Swan Island tramway line. An underground telephone cable was also installed between each rifle mound and the target butts allowing for communication between all the butts and Fort Queenscliff.
The Royal Australian Artillery constructed the range to encourage membership of the Queenscliff Rifle Club, whose numbers were dwindling due to the lack of a practice range. The range was popular with Fort Queenscliff troops as a venue for shooting practice on their sports days and was regularly used by the Royal Australian Engineers. It was not opened for public use until 1910 when the Queenscliff Rifle Club finally used it.
A notice was posted that golfers played the course during rifle practice at their own risk… now that puts a whole new spin on “FORE”.
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