The Gisborne Archery club was formed in 1942 during the war years when ammunition was difficult to obtain. It continued in conjunction with the Rifle Club until 1952 when they went their separate ways.

The Archery Club continued to grow and in 1970 the Gisborne Archery Club’s indoor range opened in Disraeli Street. The opening was a result of ten years of solid work by a band of dedicated archers lead by Jim Burton. Fundraising efforts included thousands of hours of volunteer work hosting Housie in the building next door to the main hall amongst other fundraising ventures.

The hall was purpose built for archery. The main hall is 6,000 square feet and has a 30-metre indoor shooting range. The original design saw the ceiling built to deflect light from the archer’s eyes as they were shooting. This original ceiling has now been replaced with a flat ceiling with LED lighting.

Archers in the district are still benefiting from the foresight of Jim Burton and the dedicated archers who made it happen.

We have had our ups and downs over the years and in 1994 nearly closed but fortunately with a new committee and a new batch of dedicated archers the club has worked its way back to a thriving club.

We not only have an amazing indoor range but have an outdoor range at Gisborne Intermediate School Grounds, back entrance Disraeli Street.

Since 1994 we have had nine juniors represent New Zealand at Trans-Tasman Tests (a youth competition including the best from NZ and Australia). We have also had managers run the Trans-Tasman Test and were the host club in 2008.The club has also had representatives at the youth worlds as well as senior worlds and many world cups since 1994. As well as this, the club also had one archer and one coach represent New Zealand at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

We have a really good crew of dedicated seniors who enjoy relaxed and competitive shooting.

We have a strong affiliation to the Eastern Central Bay of Plenty Archery Association of which all members are affiliated to. We are also affiliated to the national body Archery NZ of whom all members are also affiliated.

We welcome anyone, no matter your ability. We have found over time that if you would like to do archery, we can find a way. The club offers coaching and training sessions for beginners with qualified coaches, as well as advanced coaching for more experienced archers looking to improve their skills.