Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Every May is history month in South Australia. As part of the festival, I was delighted to accept an invitation to the Hahndorf Rifle Club's heritage day. Much of Mayo has a distinctive German heritage due to the Prussian Lutheran families who immigrated in the 19th century to escape religious persecution. Part of their culture was their unique style of target shooting, using a ring target over a 180-metre range. Even today, competitors must not use telescopic rifles. The first king shoot was conducted in 1864, the prize being a silver medal and three pounds and three shillings. Ever since the first competition, the winner of the king shoot has placed a medal onto the existing apron of medals, and the apron is now very long. Today, the Hahndorf Rifle Club is believed to be the only club in the Southern Hemisphere that still shoots using the original target style. I thank the club for their invitation to attend and for allowing me to have a shot. The heritage shotguns and rifles truly are works of art. It is unlikely my name will ever appear on the winner's apron—I am not a very good shot—but I'm richer for having learnt about the history and I commend the Hahndorf Rifle Club for preserving the memorabilia, firearm skills and culture of our Prussian past.