A fresh way to get celebrations right on target
Euroa Pistol Club is approaching its 50th anniversary and an Inland Rail Community Sponsorships and Donations grant is providing a new freshwater supply.
January 13, 2022
There’s nothing more important than water, and for Euroa Pistol Club a new supply system is helping the club expand as it begins to celebrate its half-century.
Club president Andrew Saxon said he had made a wishlist of things he would like to get done for the club in the approach to the 2024 celebrations.
“The club opened in 1974 and I wanted to get a freshwater system installed before our 50th anniversary, so when I saw the ARTC grants I thought it was fantastic, a way to cross one of those things off the list,” Andrew said.
“At the most basic level it means we can have filtered water in the kitchen and fresh water in the toilets – it’s nice having clean water running through the place.”
But the installation brings so much more to the club than water.
“We don’t generally hold events with other clubs but there’s always a call for clubs to hold state titles – we’ve held one in the last 20 years because the facilities haven’t been up to scratch,” Andrew said.
But now the club can provide fresh water, the hosting of events becomes much more achievable. And that, Andrews says, is a win for more than the club.
“When we have visitors (for events), they’ve got to stay somewhere,” Andrew said. “They’ve got to eat, they’ve got to shop. They will want to go out for a meal in the local pub or a café, and that will help the town.”
The club will also be able to grow by attracting a greater breadth of membership.
“We were, to be honest, a bit of an old man’s club,” Andrew confessed.
“We now have seven women among our 40 members and we are getting younger members, disabled members.
“It’s all about improving facilities, which is what this grant has allowed us to do.”
Andrew described another, more serious, benefit of the water system installation.
“Two years ago we had a massive fire on Balmattum Hill, which is behind Euroa, and the Country Fire Authority used the club as a staging point, so the fresh water increases their capability as well.
“So this grant has been a win-win for us and it’s revitalised the club.”
Find out more about Inland Rail’s Community Sponsorships and Donations program by clicking here.
IMAGE: Euroa Pistol Club President Andrew Saxon with filtered water thanks to an ARTC Inland Rail grant.
