HISTORY of  NZAAA AUCKLAND BRANCH                     by John Carter

The New Zealand Antique Arms Association was first started in Christchurch in 1959, see the commemorative booklet “The First Ten Years 1959-1969” and also the Twentieth Anniversary Publication “New Zealand Cavalcade of Antique Arms 1959-1979” I met Les Perham in 1960 when on leave in ChCh, as I had just recently bought a .36 Colt Navy whilst in England with the Royal NZ Navy. He said I should join the NZAAA and gave me an application form; I was posted overseas soon after and never completed the form.

I first became aware of a group of collectors in Auckland after attending a Field Day out at Clevedon, where apart from archery, shotgun shooting, fly casting etc was a large Marquee full of antique weapons, and the stall was manned by Ed Smith. After some conversation he invited me along to the next monthly meeting. Now I can’t recall the date but the meeting was held in the Vintage Car Club Hall, Penrose. The meetings were casual, no subscription, no minutes and members just gathered to show off their collections and talk about their hobby. I think Ed Smith was the organiser but not sure.(They had been meeting long before I discovered them)

At one meeting in or around 1969-70 something? I remember it was suggested that we should formally form an Auckland Branch, it was decided there and then to appoint a president, secretary etc. (results as I remember them)

President     Brian Cameron                                Social Committee   Roger Reading

Secretary     Marsden Robinson (branch Rep)    Social Committee   John Carter

Committee  Ray Carvell                                       Range Officer         Neil Amos                                          

Committee  Doug Dykzeul                                  Range Officer         Gavin Bennett

Committee  Noel Pollard                                     Range Officer         Tony Bond 

Auckland Members of the NZAAA 1972-73 (from the official membership booklet)

N. Amos, K. Anderson, W.M. Angus, D.J. Annadale, N.W. Barton, G.C. Bennett, A. Bond, B.J. Cameron, J.L. Carter, R.J. Carvell, F.G.M. Clark, D. Cohen, A.C. Coleman, G.Collins

R.R. Colliver, A.B. Coughey, G.R. Dreadon, D. Dykzeul, C.J. Egan, C.G. Eglinton,

P.B. Falconer, O.G. Fryer, F.A. Gronwall, R.F. Hart, T.A. Holdsworth, T.H. Hughes,

T.L. Joyce, G.S. King, J.R. Lee, L.M. Lennard, C.D. Lin-Mitchell, D.L. McCann,

V.A. McDonald, I.S. McIntyre, E D.A. Malatios, E.P. Marshall, J.E. Millar, R. Montgomery,

D.C. Murray, J.A. Newsham, I.N. Otto, H.J. Piggott, A. C. H. Poll, N.C. Pollard, R.W. Pulman,

R.J. Reading, B.A. Redwood, M.B. Robinson, N.F. Roderick, I.R. Ross, K. Rusden, T.P. Ryan,

J.L. Sadler, C.J. Sandbrook,  D.J. Scott, D.R. Scott, F.K. Sleeman, E.J. Smith, D.A. Taylor,

G.J. Taylor, P. Thompson, A.S. Trethewey, H.P. Van EEden, B. Webber, D.L. Wright.

Members 1973-74

J.N. Agnew, R.J. Armstrong, N.W. Barnard, R.McK Bleakley, W.N. Ferris, I.A. Johnson,

J.C. Neary, B. O’Carroll, G.P. Oldham, P. Paton, M.A. Powell, B.C. Revell, D.R. Rose,

A.B. Theaker, W.D. Waugh.

To join any Branch you had to be 21 yrs old, attend 3 meetings before being admitted. The Auckland Branch over the years proposed changes to the rules which had to be voted on at an AGM (in Christchurch). Amongst those we proposed lowering the age to 15, and the admitting of females! Later I proposed, and Simon West seconded a change to the organisation by doing away with the 15 man committee (all from Canterbury) and replacing it with just a President, Secretary and one representative from each of the 12 branches. As it exists today.

It took some convincing but we got there in the end.