State Library of South Australia

South African War [B 8822] • Photograph

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Summary

This group, which departed for South Africa on the Medic on November 2nd, 1899 is part of the South Australian Mounted Rifles which comprised the first two contingents sent off to the South African war. The men, all wearing their slouch hats are seated in tiers. [On back of photograph] 'South African War / 1899-1902 / First South Australian Contingent / see Chronicle illustrations November 4th 1899'. The following information was provided by a researcher: "This photograph was taken at the Old Exhibition Grounds on the eastern side of Frome Road, Adelaide, in front of the city's original Exhibition Building. All South Australian contingents for South Africa trained here. The officers and men of the 1st South Australian Mounted Rifles, commanded by Captain F.H. Howland of Mount Gambier, are shown only a few days before embarkation on 2 November 1899. Their uniforms, manufactured at Lobethal, were brand new. 1SAMR comprised five officers and 121 NCOs and men, most with service in the South Australian Military Forces. Later contingents took many more men without military experience. 1SAMR was an infantry unit and only converted to a mounted infantry role in January 1900, a belated recognition by the British general staff that mounted infantry had to be the priority in a country as large as South Africa". [Information from Dr. Tony Stimson, President, South Australian Boer War Association]

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Physical description

Negative (glass);
25.3 x 30.3 cm

Dates / Publication details

Approximately 1899

Photographer

Gazard, John

Collection

Part of General Collection

Subject

Soldiers -- South Australia.
Military uniforms -- South Australia.
South African War, 1899-1902 -- Participation, South Australian

Catalogue record

Return to catalogue

General notes

Also exists in digital form, accessible via the Internet, and as a photograph, 19.2 cm x 30 cm

Digitisation information

Date

10/03/2009

Format

image/tiff

Resolution

3,652 x 3,055 pixels (11.2 MP)

Size

34.15 MB

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