Rockhampton Archery Club founder vows club will continue after fifth break-in

Hundreds of dangerous items have been stolen from a Rockhampton sports club after heartless thieves tore a wall off a building. Now the group need the community’s help.

Rockhampton Peace International Archery Club founder John Hans, OAM, 72, said he is devastated that the club has been broken into, after thieves targeted the club's facilities on the weekend of June 14-16.

A decades old Rockhampton sports club is reeling after suffering $7000 in property damage and the theft of bows and 100 arrows in its fifth break-in in two years.

Rockhampton Peace International Archery Club president and founder John Hans OAM said brazen thieves used a car to tear off the entire front wall of a building, stealing bows arrows and other equipment from the club’s shipping container at the weekend.

The rampage has devastated the club’s 120 members, with it also hosting school groups, clients with disabilities, and a total of 11,000 people annually in one form or another.

“We’ve cancelled all disability organisations for at least two weeks til we can get up and running again,” he said.

The Rockhampton Peace International Archery Club storage container has been left destroyed thieves targeted the club's facilities on the weekend of June 14-16, stealing six bows and 80-100 arrows. Picture by John Hans.

“We work with 42 disability agencies which culminates in an annual tournament (in September this year) and that’s in jeopardy now because the tournament is one of the largest disability tournaments around and we don’t have enough gear to simply run the tournament.”

The 72-year-old said regular club members are upset and frustrated and feel it is a never-ending cycle of repair before they are hit again.

Mr Hans, who has been doing archery for 62 years, said he is worried about what will become of the stolen bows, none of which have surfaced, noting that despite their recreational use they do have the capacity to kill.

“The bows are around $350 to $400 a piece, arrows are $4 or $5 a piece and we’re looking at now 200 arrows missing all up,” he said.

“They are still a weapon… they can do some serious damage, they’re not toys.”

Rockhampton Peace International Archery Club founder John Hans, OAM, 72, said he is devastated that the club has been broken into, noting along with the archery equipment the thieves also stole from the cash box. Picture by John Hans.

The club, which was founded in 1982, was targeted four times in 2024, and with the latest incident a total of 15 bows have been stolen in just 18 months.

“They hooked onto the building and literally tore the entire front wall off the building to break in,” Mr Hans said.

“They have then broken into an inner room, busted through the padlock and the reinforcing on the inner room and stolen six more bows and broken open the cashbox… and then got out back through the wall.

“It would have had to have been done with a vehicle. I’d say it would take a lot of force to tear the wall out of the building.

“All the framework is smashed on the inside, it’s going to take a total rebuild.”

Mr Hans, who received an OAM for services to the community, said the club will replace what they can but they will also need a need shipping container.

They are calling out to any businesses that can assist them.

The destruction caused to Rockhampton Peace International Archery Club’s storage from its fifth break-in.

“We have to rebuild the front of this (the current container) in the meantime,” he said.

The club founder is unsure how they will proceed in terms of securing the site in the future.

“How much security do we need?” Mr Hans said.

“Our locks held, our reinforcing held, so they tear the front of the building off.”

Despite the difficulties, Mr Hans vowed the club and the tournament will continue, even if the latter has to be adjusted to deal with the current circumstances.

“We’ll fight on,” he said.

Mr Hans said he is concerned about what will become of the bows and arrows stolen over the last 18 months, the latest theft occurring around June 14-16, noting that despite their recreational use, they can still be deadly. Picture by John Hans.

“You can’t let these guys or whoever beat us and they won’t.”

Mr Hans hopes the offenders are caught and punished for their crimes.

“Bring the stuff back, or I hope you get caught and we get our stuff back,” he said.

“Or both preferably.”

Rockhampton Police said they are investigating the latest break-in and anyone with information is urged to contact them.

Call PoliceLink on 131 444 if you have any information.

Originally published as Rockhampton Archery Club founder vows club will continue after fifth break-in