Westernport Field & Game Inc is a friendly club located in the heart of Phillip Island on the corner of Rhyll Newhaven Road and McFees Road Rhyll.
With approximately 280 members we are an active club who run simulated field competition shoots on the third Sunday of each month, with nominations commencing at 9:30am.
Westernport Field & Game are in the fortunate position to own our ground, and the facilities and equipment are constantly improving due to a grant from the Shooting Sports Facility Program, along with the support of local businesses who sponsor the club.
The site is a fantastic environment for simulated field shooting, set overlooking the Rhyll inlet with a wide variety of targets.
Our clubrooms offer a relaxed place to sit between rounds with a cosy fire in the winter months. Our canteen offers a variety of hot and cold food on shoot days and our club is also licensed. Family and friends of competitors are also welcome to enjoy our facilities.
Westernport Field & Game has a long and proud history of involvement in conservation of local wetlands, and recently replaced nesting boxes in the lake at the local cemetery providing habitat for waterbirds.
History of the club
A meeting held on 30th July 1971 at the Westernport Hotel in San Remo, with around 100 people in attendance, saw the formation of Westernport Field & Game. Phillip Island councillor Greg Orr presided over the meeting at which, the then state president of the Field & Game Association, Phil Brown, was a quest speaker along with local wildlife officer Bob Eames.
Stan McFee moved that a branch be formed and be known as the Westernport Club. The motion was seconded by David Johnson (Yardo) and carried unanimously. Election of office bearers followed with Alan Cleeland elected as president, John Fenton, Vice President, Stan McFee, Secretary/Treasurer and committee members: John Dixon, John Oswin, Tom Gannon, Jim McFee and Bernard Williams.
This group of men were passionate conservationist who saw the true value in protecting our game species and habitat for all and future generations.
In the early days of trap shooting, manual traps were used with young boys being roped in to operate the traps and were called ‘trappers’. The call ‘pull’, when you want the clay released to shoot, comes from the ‘trapper’ pulling a leaver to load and release the clay on command. Our first tower trap was built in an old pine tree, and other traps were spread about the grounds hidden behind barriers to protect the trappers.
In 1973 Stan McFee organised the purchase of 1 acre of land from Jim McFee to build the first club rooms. Unfortunately, the club rooms burnt down in 1998 due to an electrical fault and were rebuilt in 1999, and are now enjoyed by over 260 members and guests. A further 6 acres were purchased from Jim McFee in 1985 which puts our club in a unique position, as most other clubs use/lease government or shire lands.
Stan McFee was a very passionate man who believed in our club, that sporting shooting should be available to everyone and was instrumental in attracting young people to our club and prompting the “juniors shoot for free” policy at our club.
Stan McFee passed away in 1981 and our club championship, which is held over two days in January, is named after him.
