For those who are interested, I have completed the first of a very frustrating process of applying for my gun licence.  After struggling over which category (there are about ten with ABCD section in each)  to put myself in, I decided that I was a Primary Producer and that I have what is called rimfire guns i.e. the .22 and the shotgun.  I tried going to the local police station but each time I went there it was unattended – ha! no crime where I live!!

Finally after going through many on-line forms and information and with Anthea’s help I found the right form only to fill it out and discover that it’s an “email us” form only.  Right!  that’s ok!  Filled it out – email button won’t send!  After trying numerous times, I read something obscure about “if you have trouble sending your form”….. RIGHT!!  It has to be sent via Adobe and through Google Chrome.  Of course!!  I don’t have Adobe on my new laptop.  Download Adobe.  Send it again – still won’t send!  AAaaaaaggggghhhhh! This has been going on now for about 3 weeks and I am no further advanced!  In desperation I found a 1300 number and called. “You are in a queue.  You are the fifth caller.  Please wait”!  Eventually, counting down, I get a really nice guy who tells me that if I am having trouble emailing the request form, I can do it over the phone…. (bang phone against head)  “Oh that’s great, thank you” says I.  All done in 10 minutes and the forms will be sent out in a week.

What a palaver!  One has to have both intuition and deciphering skills to fill out the forms and persistence just to get to the first stage Yes, this is only stage one.  I must have proof of my property ownership and tax advice that I am a primary producer just to get a form to get a form to get a licence.  Then I have to attend a safety training course and then if I pass, I then rock up to the RMA to get my licence.  Then and only then am I allowed to go and get Pete’s guns back from the Police station in Bathurst.

I wonder how this would go down in the US of A??  I think the gun lobby there would have a field day! I am very glad though that this is the only way to legally get a gun in this country!