Camera IconCredit: Supplied/Supplied, Marie Nirme

Gosnells Archers to rebuilt club after fire destroys clubrooms

Francis CurroComment News

GOSNELLS Archers have vowed to rebuild the club and continue to shoot bows despite their clubhouse being gutted by a fire.

A suspicious fire destroyed the clubrooms on September 30 after a car smashed into the steel shed structure, which is owned by the City of Gosnells.

Most of the club’s belongings, including the history boards, were destroyed.

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The club managed to save some targets and as members have their own bows they can continue to shoot .

Club vice president Ray Houlcroft said the entire history of the club had gone with it as the club housed honour boards of the former presidents and members.

“It’s a bit hard to tell people how much work was involved,” he said.

“It has taken us a long time to build this up and it took them two hours to destroy.”

The City estimated the fire caused $90,000 damage.

Club secretary Elaine Napier said the saddest bit was losing the memorabilia along with all the work they had done with the clubhouse.

“We have to start all over again,” she said.

“Its not going to stop us shooting.”

Mr Houlcroft said he was woken at 4am on the morning of the fire as the alarm went off inside the clubhouse.

“By the time we got down there at 5am the whole place was in flames. Nobody else was there,” he said.

“It was going up in flames, it was like a movie.”

He said the club had never had any previous issues with only a break-in three years ago.

City of Gosnells Mayor Olwen Searle said the Kenwick Football Club would loan furniture to the Gosnells Archers and the City would give them the opportunity to use the Huntingdale Community Centre.