Brett: You're a champ mate! Once the paperwork arrives, I'll be sure to PM if I get hit with a load of bureaucratic nonsense and my brain has an aneurysm (which I'm sure it will).
Juststarting: No apologies needed at all! You've been a great help with all the advice you've given.
Re; the difference in laws, it's actually quite surprising. I was assuming the majority of the laws would be very much the same, especially if it came to something as sensitive as firearms.
Turns out it isn't so! I had a look at the VIC GMA website and you're right, their system is a LOT simpler than the whole twisted labyrinth that NSW employs. It seems that the major difference is that in NSW, it's mandatory for most people (i.e. those who don't have permission from a rural landowner; who don't own any rural property; who aren't employed as a professional hunter) to join a hunting club to actually get a hunting licence.
Moreover, as an additional layer of bureaucratic nonsense in NSW, you can't use a firearm for a purpose that isn't recorded on your licence. So a category A/B firearms licence for hunting purposes in NSW doesn't allow you to visit a range to practice target shooting. To be able to do so (from what I'm reading on the NSW Firearms website), you'll need to include target/sport purposes in your licence, and to be eligible, one needs to be a member of an appropriate target/sport club! Hence Brett's recommendation to have both target/hunting done at once to spare myself any frustration down the line.
My situation is a little more odd, as I'll be applying to two clubs (1) one at the Sydney International Shooting Centre for cat A for the purposes of target/sport; and (2) the NSW SSAA (most likely their St Mary's range) for cat A and B for target/sport and hunting.
Signing up for a club at the SISC seems a bit redundant, but it's a lot closer to home than the SSAA's St Mary's shooting range, and much more convenient for when I want to nip by for some quick practice.
But the Sydney International Shooting Centre doesn't cater for hunting or cat B licences (centrefire rifles are verboten). So that requires me to sign up with the NSW SSAA.
The participation requirements are a bit simpler now that I've managed to decode all the legal-speak: I'll need attend four times a year for practice (apparently participation in competitions aren't mandatory, thank God!) at either club, but I'll need to assign one as the 'principal club'. For hunting, I'll need to attend two events (which can involve 'hunting, shooting or firearms training' as saith the Firearms Registry) at - specifically - the hunting club at the SSAA's St Mary's range.
What a mess.
I talked to a mate on Sunday: older bloke in his early seventies, had a stint in the army, was stationed in West Germany. He mentioned that his gun licence was granted at his local police station with a brief questionnaire. I bet those were the days.
Nonetheless, I think I've got a firm grip on how to approach the licence now!