State Library of South Australia

South African War [B 9095] • Photograph

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Summary

South African War, departure of the South Australian Imperial Contingent leaving Adelaide. A large crowd of wellwishers fill King William Street. A researcher who is President of the South Australian Booer War Association disputes the 1902 date on the photograph. 'This photograph was taken after 3 pm on 30 April 1900, two days before the 4th South Australian Imperial Bushmen sailed for South Africa. The cart's canopy is clearly labelled 'Imperial Contingent.' Earlier contingents were financed by either the South Australian Government (1st South Australian Mounted Rifles -1SAMR - and 2SAMR) or the public (3rd South Australian Bushmen) but the fourth and subsequent contingents were financed by the Imperial Government in London. Hence the moniker 'Imperial Bushmen' was coined for this mounted infantry unit. 4SAIB was followed by 5SAIB and 6SAIB and, after Federation in 1901, by the Australian Commonwealth Horse. Press reports refer to gigantic crowds. Special trains were laid on from country districts, all mounted police within 20 miles were brought in for the occasion, and public service offices shut at 3 pm when the parade began. Reports also refer to the banner of the Australian Natives Association slung across King William Street from the Clarence Hotel to the balcony of the United Services Club (see photograph). The troops were converging on the Town Hall where a very popular Lord Tennyson, Governor, was about to take the salute from the balcony. The press was enormous and some horses reacted badly; Trooper Herbert Prosser found it difficult to control his steed which a few weeks later threw him on the Durban as the contingent disembarked. A passing trolley's iron wheels ran over Prosser and broke his neck. There is a memorial to him in St. John's Halifax Street, Adelaide.'

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Physical description

Negative (glass);
25.3 x 30.4 cm

Dates / Publication details

1900

Photographer

Gazard, John

Collection

Part of General Collection

Subject

Soldiers -- 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, 15.8 cm x 20.6 cm

Digitisation information

Date

10/03/2009

Format

image/tiff

Resolution

3,651 x 3,066 pixels (11.2 MP)

Size

34.26 MB

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