Colonial forces of Australia
Encyclopedia
Until Australia became a Federation
in 1901, each of the six colonial
governments was responsible for the defence of their own colony. From 1788 until 1870 this was done with British regular forces. In all, 25 British regiments served in the Australian colonies. Each of the Australian colonies gained responsible government
between 1855 and 1890, and while the Colonial Office
in London retained control of some affairs, and the colonies were still firmly within the British Empire
, the Governors of the Australian colonies were required to raise their own colonial militia
. To do this, the colonial Governors had the authority from the British crown to raise military
and naval forces. Initially these were militias in support of British regulars, but British military support for the colonies ended in 1870, and the colonies assumed their own defence. The separate colonies maintained control over their respective militia forces and navies until 1 March 1901, when the colonial forces were all amalgamated into the Commonwealth Forces
following the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia. Colonial forces, including home raised units, saw action in many of the conflicts of the British Empire
during the 19th century. Members from British Regiments stationed in Australia, saw action in India, Afghanistan
, the Maori Wars of New Zealand, the Sudan conflict
, and the Second Boer War
in South Africa.
Despite an undeserved reputation of colonial inferiority, many of the locally raised units were highly organised, disciplined, professional, and well trained. For most of the time from settlement until federation, military defences in Australia revolved around static defence by combined infantry
and artillery
, based on garrisoned coastal forts, however in the 1890s, improved railway communications between all of the eastern mainland colonies (Queensland
, New South Wales
, Victoria, and South Australia
), led Major General Bevan Edwards, who had recently completed a survey of colonial military forces, to state his belief that the colonies could be defended by the rapid mobilisation of standard brigades. He called for a restructure of colonial defences, and defensive agreements to be made between the colonies. He also called for professional units to replace all of the volunteer forces.
By 1901, the Australian colonies had federated
formally joined together to become the Commonwealth of Australia, and the federal government assumed all defensive responsibilities. The Federation of Australia
came into existence on 1 January 1901 and as of that time the constitution of Australia
stated that all defence responsibility was vested in the commonwealth government. Co-ordination of Australia wide defensive efforts in the face of imperial German interest in the pacific ocean was one of the main reasons for federation, and so one of the first decisions made by the newly formed Commonwealth government was to create the Department of Defence
which came into being on 1 March 1901. From that time the Australian Army
under the command of Major General Sir Edward Hutton
came into being, and all of the colonial forces, including those who were already on active service in the Boer War
in South Africa, transferred into the Australian Army
. Badge changing ceremonies were held on the battlefield with colonial emblems being replaced with the Rising Sun Badge
.
RN, however it was not settled until 26 January 1788 with the arrival of the First Fleet
. Frustrated in 1783 by the loss of their American colonies on the signing of the Treaty of Paris
which formally ended the American Revolutionary War
, the British sought a new destination for the transportation
of convicts. The Fleet had arrived in Australia with over 750 convicts under the guard of Marines
, aboard 11 ships to establish a military colony with convict labour at Port Jackson
.
Initially the colony was run as an open prison under the governance of Royal Navy
Captain
Arthur Phillip
. Until between the 1850s when the colonies were granted responsible government
, and the 1870s when the last imperial troops were withdrawn, British regular troops were constantly garrisoned the colonies. During their postings to Australia, most of the regiments rotated duties at the various colonies, and often had detachments located in geographically diverse locations.
were four companies of Marines in all 247, to guard the fledgling colony of Sydney and that of Norfolk Island
(established 6 March 1788 to establish a food base and investigate supply of masts and flax for canvas for the Royal Navy). In 1790 the Second Fleet
arrived, and the marines were relieved by a new force which was created specifically for service in the colony of New South Wales
. They were known as the New South Wales Corps
- being less than a battalion they were given the generic title "Corps" rather than "Regiment".
On 4 March 1804, the New South Wales Corps
was called into action for the first time. The Castle Hill convict rebellion
, also known as the "Irish Rebellion", occurred in which Phillip Cunningham and William Johnston led a rebellion of nearly 500 mostly Irish convicts who wanted to seize ships to return home. The rebellion lasted for just two days, and martial law
was declared. A detachment of the New South Wales Corps
marched all night to the centre of the rebellion, near the modern Sydney suburb of Rouse Hill, where they engaged with 233 of the rebels in what is often called the "Battle of Vinegar Hill
" which dispersed the rebels. In this they were supported by the local militia Parramatta Loyal Association and Active Defence.
Following the events of the Rum Rebellion
, the New South Wales Corps
was disbanded, reformed as the 102nd Regiment, and returned to England.
By 1810 the 73rd Regiment of Foot (MacLeod's Highlanders) became the first line regiment to serve in New South Wales
under the Governorship of Lachlan Macquarie
. They served four years in New South Wales before relocating to Ceylon in 1814. The Highlanders were replaced by the 1st/46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
, known as the "Red Feathers", who would serve in Australia until 1818.
Also formed on 30 April 1810 was the Governor's Guard of Light Horse, mostly drawn from former convicts who had been of excellent behaviour during their sentences. Macquarie formed this unit, although not officially a Regiment, to prevent the events of the Rum Rebellion from re-occurring. The Governor's Guard were mounted troops with the specific duty of being a private bodyguard for the Governor.
The Royal New South Wales Veteran Corps was formed in 1810 for soldiers and marines who were too old "to serve to the best of their capacity", and served mainly as post guards, for the supervision of convicts and other government duties. It was composed of veterans of the 102nd, and other units from veteran soldiers. By 1817 Lachlan Macquarie
felt they were unable to perform even these duties, and recommended their disbandment. This was eventually done on 24 September 1822.http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~garter1/royalnew.htm However, three further Veterans companies were raised in Britain in 1826 for service in New South Wales
, and stayed on duties until 1833.
From 1817 until the withdrawal of British forces from Australia several British regiments undertook garrison duties in Australia on a rotational basis. Although these units were primarily raised in Britain, any Australian born subjects who wished to pursue a military career were obliged to join the British Army
, until the formation of locally raised volunteer militia
units after responsible self government
was granted in each of the Australian colonies. They often attached themselves to whichever regiments were on duty in their colony at the time, and sometimes left the Australian colonies when their regiments were posted elsewhere.
After the departure of the "Red Feathers"
, it was the turn of the 1st/48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
, who saw service in the Australian colonies from 1817 to 1824. This regiment, better known as the Heroes of Talerva
were variously posted at Sydney, Newcastle
, Port Macquarie, Van Diemens Land & Parramatta
, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel J. Erskine. They were the first of 13 Peninsular Regiments
to see service in the Australian colonies. Having been involved in many distinguished actions of the Peninsular War
including the Battle of Talavera, the Battle of Albuera
, the Battle of Salamanca
and the Battle of Vittoria, the Australian posting would have probably seemed a dull experience for the men, many of whom were hardened veterans. However the improving lifestyle of the colonies, and the relative peace after years of European battle appealed to many of the men of the 48th, with ten percent of their numbers eventually settling there following the end of their duties in 1824.
The 1st/3rd Foot The Buffs The East Kent Regiment, were the next Peninsular Regiment
to be posted to the Australian colonies, and they began to arrive in New South Wales
in 1822 to facilitate the departure of the 1st/48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
who were to return to Great Britain. The Buff's were divided into four detachments, and the first detachment began leaving Deptford
for New South Wales
in 1821. The second detachment left Deptford
for Hobart in 1822. The third detachment (The Buffs Head Quarters) left Deptford
for Sydney in 1823, arriving the same year. The fourth detachment arrived in Sydney in 1824 and were stationed at Port Dalrymple, Parramatta
, Liverpool
, Newcastle
, Port Macquarie, Botany Bay
and Bathurst
. While in Australia, the Buff's were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel W. Stewart & Lieutenant-Colonel C. Cameron. The Regiment was reunited before being transferred to Calcutta in 1827, however, following a trend begun during the departure of the 48th, many men wished to remain in New South Wales
, and requested transfers to the 1st/57th Foot West Middlesex Regiment
, who were arriving to replace the Buffs.
In 1823, for the first time more than one regiment was dispatched to the growing colonies. With the 1st/3rd Foot The Buffs The East Kent Regiment primarily stationed throughout New South Wales
, it was felt by the Colonial Office
that more men would be required for the growing populations of New South Wales
and Van Diemens Land. As a result, the 2nd/40th Foot Second Somersetshire Regiment
were dispatched, with detachments commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel H. Thornton and Lieutenant-Colonel Valiant, sent to both Sydney and Hobart, where they were stationed for both garrison and guard duties from 1823 until 1829.
The 1st/57th Foot West Middlesex Regiment
were next to arrive from 1826, to replace The Buffs. Under the command of Lieutenant-Colonels Shadforth, Allen and Carey, the 'Die Hards' were initially stationed at Sydney and Hobart, but were also later sent to Westernport, Victoria
(1829), and Port Albany, Western Australia (1828), following the establishment of those new colonies.
While the 'Die Hards' were still stationed in Australia, the 1st/39th Foot Dorsetshire Regiment
began arriving to also replace the 'Buffs'. This allowed for a staggered overlap of troops, with one regiment fully stationed while the over two swapped. Under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel P. Lindley, the Regiment saw service in Hobart
, Sydney, Western Australia & Bathurst
from 1826 before leaving on 5 July 1832 to see service in India.
Other Regiments who saw service in New South Wales:
By 1855 New South Wales
had been granted responsible self-government and increasingly took responsibility for its own affairs. The colony remained within, and was fiercely loyal to the British Empire
, and while the Colonial Office
continued to take responsibility for matters such as foreign affairs
, the decision was taken in London, that the Australian colonies
would need to take responsibility for their own defence.
For the next 15 years, British infantry and artillery units would continue to garrison New South Wales
. However, even as early as 1854, upon the outbreak of the Crimean War
, a first local voluntary force consisting of one troop of cavalry, one battery of artillery, and six companies of foot, called the 1st Regiment of New South Wales Rifles was raised. Following the cessation of hostilities with Russia in Crimea
, the new regiment struggled to maintain numbers and government funding.
Between 1856 and 1870, several different companies/batteries of the Royal Artillery
served in New South Wales
. Likewise, members of the Royal Engineers Corps
& Royal Corps of Sappers
and Miners Royal Staff Corps
, Royal Commissariat Corps
, Royal Medical Corps
and the Royal Hospital Corps
, who all saw service in New South Wales
between 1856 and 1870.
In 1869 the decision to withdraw all British units had been confirmed, and as a result a second New South Wales Regiment was raised. This force consisted of one troop of mounted rifles, three batteries of artillery, and twenty companies of infantry, with a total strength of 1700 men. Two years later more artillery batteries were added. The entire force was reorganised by the Volunteer Regulation Act of 1867, which also gave provision for land grants in recognition of 5 years service, and for the first time an efficient, large and capable force was being maintained. However they were still volunteers not regulars. By 1871 the withdrawal of British forces from New South Wales was completed, and the local forces assumed total responsibility for the defence of New South Wales
.
The 1870s saw major improvements to the structure and organisation of New South Wales' colonial forces. Land grants for service were abolished, and partial payments introduced. 1876 saw a second permanent artillery battery established, and a year later a third was added. In 1877 Engineers Corps and Signals Corps were established, in 1882 a force of naval artillery volunteers, and in 1891 the Commissariat and Transport Corps, later to be known as the Army Service Corps were raised.
When the government of New South Wales
received news in February, 1885, of the death of General Charles Gordon
at Khartoum
during the short-lived British campaign
against the Dervish
revolt in the eastern Sudan
, they offered the British forces there the service of New South Wales artillery batteries, infantry and ambulance detachments. The offer was gratefully accepted, and within three weeks a force of 768 men comprising an infantry battalion, with artillery and support units was enrolled, re-equipped and dispatched for Africa. They were farewelled from Circular Quay in Sydney on 3 March 1885 by an enormous public gathering and marching bands.
The New South Wales Sudan contingent arrived at Suakin
on the Red Sea
on 29 March 1885. There they joined General Gerald Graham
's two British brigade
's efforts against Oman Digna. Within a month of arriving, the New South Wales detachment had seen action at Tamai
, becoming the first Australian raised military force to do so. By May, 1885, the campaign
had been reduced to a series of small skirmishes, and the contingent had returned to Sydney by June, 1885.
Despite their good service, and their engagements at Tamai
, the New South Wales Sudan contingent was actually ridiculed by the media upon their return to New South Wales
, as having done nothing to aid the war effort. Many cartoons appeared parodying the force as lazy, or as tourists.
In 1885 it was decided to raise a volunteer corps of cavalry
who were to also be partially paid, and had uniforms and weapons supplied, although they had to provide their own horse and equipment. They were eventually formed as a light horse unit and were known as the New South Wales lancers
. Many of the previous mounted rifles
were merged with the Lancers.
A further four batteries of reserve artillery were raised in 1885, but disbanded in 1892. The permanent forces added units of submarine miners and mounted infantry
, which were also soon disbanded. The 1890s saw much restructuring, with many units formed and disbanded soon after, or merged with other units.
Full volunteers were again instituted in 1895. These units started to often have affiliations with expatriate groups, and names such as the Scottish Rifles, the Irish Rifles, the St. George's Rifles, and the Australian Rifles, reflected this. By 1897, there was also the First Australian Volunteer Horse and the Railway Volunteer Corps, and a "National Guard" of volunteer veterans. By 1900 the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, the Civil Service Corps, the Drummoyne Volunteer Company, the Army Nursing Service Reserve and Army Medical Corps had also been added.
Hostilities commenced in the Second Boer War
in October, 1899, and all the Australian colonies agreed to send troops in support of the British cause. The First New South Wales Contingent arrived in South Africa in November, 1899, and consisted of 314 officers, and 5796 men of the New South Wales Lancers, and New South Wales mounted Rifles.
A survey of New South Wales' military forces on 31 December 1900, the day before federation
, found that the forces consisted of 505 regular officers, 130 volunteer officers, 9295 regulars and 8833 volunteers of other ranks, 26 nurses, and 1906 civilian rifle club members.
Philip Gidley King
received news from Europe of the outbreak of war between France and Great Britain on 18 May 1803. Concern was also growing over the number of French explorers
who were being sighted in the South Pacific. The Admiralty
issued him with orders to secure any strategic locations within the southern station of the Pacific Ocean which may be of use to France, and prevent them falling into French possession. He dispatched an expedition to settle at Risdon Cove
, in Van Diemen's Land
.
A young 23 year old Lieutenant
John Bowen
had arrived in Sydney aboard HMS Glatton
, on 11 March 1803. King considered him the right man for the job, and towards the end of August, 1803, he left for Van Diemen's Land
aboard the whaler
HMS Albion
. Accompanying him was 21 male, and three female convicts, guarded by a company of the New South Wales Corps
, as well as a small number of free settlers. A second supply ship, the Lady Nelson
arrived on 8 September 1803, and HMS Albion
arrived on 13 September 1803, subsequently settling Van Diemen's Land
for the British.
At the same time David Collins
departed from England in April, 1803, aboard HMS Calcutta
with orders to establish a colony at Port Phillip
. After establishing a short lived settlement at Sullivan Bay, near the current site of Sorrento
, he wrote to Governor King
, expressing his dissatisfaction with the location, and seeking permission to relocate the settlement to the Derwent River. Realising the fledgling settlement at Risdon Cove
would be well reinforced by Collins
arrival, King
agreed to the proposal.
Collins arrived at the Derwent River on 16 February 1804, aboard HMS Ocean
. The settlement that Bowen had established at Risdon Cove
did not impress Collins, and he decided to relocate the settlement 5 miles (8 km) down river, on the opposite shore of the river. They landed at Sullivans Cove on 21 February 1804, and created the settlement that was to become Hobart, making it the second oldest established colony in Australia.
Before the settlement at Risdon Cove had been abandoned, one of the most violent conflicts between British forces and Australian Aborigines
is alleged to have occurred. The facts of this event are still disputed by historians and the descendants of the Tasmanian Aborigines
, however it is alleged that on the morning of 3 May 1804, a food hunting party of approximately three hundred crested the heavily wooded hills above the Risdon Cove settlement, looking for kangaroo
, in what is now considered to be part of the Oyster Bay tribe
's traditional hunting grounds. It is supposed that both the Marine sentries, and the hunting party surprised each other. It is not clear how the engagement began, with differing accounts being given.
It does seem that feeling threatened by such an overwhelmingly large group, the Marines fired upon the Aborigines in an unprovoked attack. A convict by the name of Edward White claimed to have seen this. Armed with only spear
s and club
s, the Aboriginals were outdone by the firepower of the Marines who were armed with the Brown Bess
smooth bore, muzzle loading musket, many of whom were experienced troops from conflicts in India and the Americas
. It is claimed that between three and fifty of the Aboriginals were killed.http://evatt.labor.net.au/publications/papers/110.html
Soon after the establishment of the settlement, Collins decided that coastal defence was needed. A redoubt was dug not far from the settlement, and two ship's guns were placed within.
When Governor Lachlan Macquarie
toured the Hobart Town settlement in 1811, he was alarmed at the poor state of defence, and the general disorganisation of the colony. Along with planning for a new grid of streets to be laid out, and new administrative and other buildings to be built, he commissioned the building of Anglesea Barracks, which opened in 1814, and is now the oldest continually occupied barracks in Australia.
By 1818, the Mulgrave Battery had been built on Castray Esplanade, on the southern side of Battery Point
upon the orders of Lieutenant Governor William Sorell
. Now the colony had two basic fortifications.
The New South Wales Corps
were also relieved from Van Diemen's Land
when they returned from New South Wales in 1810, and the 73rd Regiment of Foot (MacLeod's Highlanders), rotated duties between Sydney and Hobart. These were likewise replaced in 1814 by the 1st/46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
, the so called "Red Feathers".
The period of 1828 until 1832 was a dark one in the history of Van Diemen's Land
. The rising friction and continuing conflicts over land access between the indigenous Tasmanian Aborigines
and the British settlers, breaches of each others laws and morals, killings and revenge killings, led to a declaration of Martial Law
by Lieutenant Governor George Arthur
. British Regiments were in open conflict with the Aboriginals in what has since been dubbed the Black War
. 1830 saw the fiasco of the notorious Black Line
incident, in which European settlers tried vainly to round up the Tasmanian Aboriginals in an attempt to isolate them, and hopefully prevent further conflicts between the two groups. It failed miserably.
In 1838 plans were drawn up for a more elaborate network of coastal fortifications. Money did not permit all of the batteries to be established, but work was begun on the Queens Battery, located at the site of the regatta ground on the Queens Domain
. The battery was set back by delays and funding problems, and was not completed until 1864.
By 1840, the newly arrived commander of the Royal Engineers
, Major Roger Kelsall was alarmed to discover how inadequately defended the now growing colony was. He drew up plans for the expansion of the Mulgrave Battery, and an additional fortification further up the slops of Battery Point
. Work began the same year using convict labour, and soon the Prince of Wales Battery was completed, and armed now with ten guns.
Despite the improvements of the Prince of Wales Battery, it was located in a faulty position, and didn't have the most desirable firing position. At the height of the Crimean War
in 1854, a third battery, known as the Prince Albert Battery was completed even higher behind the Prince of Wales Battery. Battery Point
now had three firing positions, along with the Queens Battery upon the Queens Domain
.
Following the decline of British military presence in Tasmania
, the Governor of Tasmania felt the need to establish military forces capable of defending the colony.
In 1859 two batteries of "volunteer" artillery, one was the Hobart Town Artillery Company, and the other was the Launceston Volunteer Artillery Company. Twelve companies of "volunteer" infantry were also raised. In 1867 the infantry companies were disbanded, and the artillery increased by one battery.
1870 saw the complete withdrawal of British forces from Tasmania
, which left the colony virtually defenceless. It had also highlighted the state of decay the existing fortresses had become. It had been decided the Prince of Wales and Prince Albert Batteries were inadequate for the defence of the town. By 1878 both had been condemned, and were dismantled by 1880. In 1882 the sites were handed over to Hobart City Council for use as public space, although the tunnels and subterranean magazines remain. Most of the stonework was removed and reused in the construction of the Alexandra battery further to the south.
The arrival of three Russian warships, Africa, Plastun, and Vestnik in 1872 caused a great deal of alarm in the colony. Britain and its empire had only been at war with the Russians 16 years previously. The colony was defenceless, had the Russian had hostile intent. Luckily they were on a good will mission, however, it cause a great deal of debate about the state of the colony's defences. Plans were made for the establishment of volunteer forces.
In 1878 the Tasmanian Volunteer Rifle Regiment was raised in both the north and south of the colony. These were raised as Ranger Infantry units. By 1882 the strength was 634 men. By 1885 it was 1200 men, the maximum permitted by law at a time of peace. However, by 1893, an additional "auxiliary" force of 1500 had also been raised. By 1896, the Regiment had three battalions. They were 1st battalion in Hobart, 2nd battalion in Launceston
, and 3rd battalion in the North West.
Construction of serious fortifications was considered as early as 1840, however no serious construction was carried out. The Kangaroo Bluff Battery was begun in 1881 and complete the following year with the arrival of two massive 14 tonne cannons from England. The first shots were fired on 12 February 1885.
In 1899 the Tasmanian Colonial Military Forces responded to the request for military assistance in South Africa. The initial request was made for two of the colony's three Ranger Infantry units. Colonel Legge, the commandant of the Tasmanian Colonial Military Forces sought to also establish a mounted reconnaissance unit, and toured the colony. He was very impressed by the shooting and riding skills of many of the colonies wealthy young farm boys, and formed a Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen unit from them.
A Tasmanian colonial contingent was sent to the Second Boer War
, consisting of the 1st and 2nd Tasmanian Bushmen. These mounted infantry units were primarily made up of volunteers who had good bushcraft, riding and shooting skills. The first two Victoria Cross
es awarded to Australians in that conflict were earned by Private Bisdee and Lieutenant Wylly, both members of the Tasmanian Bushmen, in action near Warm Bad in 1900.
On 31 December 1900, the day before federation
, a survey of the strength of colonial forces found that the Tasmanian colonial forces consisted of 131 regular and 113 part-paid or volunteer officers, and 2605 regular, and 1911 part-paid or volunteer men of other ranks.
In 1901 the Australian colonies federated and formed the Commonwealth of Australia, and all of the Australian Colonial Forces came under the control of the Federal Government of Australia. The Tasmanian Mounted Infantry units were redesignated as the 12th Australian Light Horse Regiment (12LHR). The three battalions of the Tasmanian Volunteer Rifle Regiment were re-designated as part of the Citizens Military Force
into Derwent Infantry Regiment (Hobart), Launceston Regiment (Launceston
), and Tasmanian Rangers (North West).
Other units which subsequently saw service in Van Diemen's Land
(Tasmania
after 1855):
Members of the Royal Engineers Corps
& Royal Corps of Sappers
and Miners Royal Staff Corps
, Royal Commissariat Corps
Royal Medical Corps
and the Royal Hospital Corps
, all also saw service in Tasmania
between 1856 and 1870.
, on 26 October 1616, the coast of Western Australia had been explored and charted by many Europeans prior to its eventual settlement. Most of whom felt its resources were inadequate to support a permanent settlement.
That changed in the early 19th century, when the fear of French settlement in the area drove British authorities to establish their own colony. In 1827, Captain
James Stirling
sighted the area surrounding the Swan River as being suitable for agriculture, and upon his return to England in July, 1828, lobbied for the establishment of a free settler colony, unlike the penal
settlements of Eastern Australia.
The British Government assented, and a fleet led by Charles Fremantle
, aboard HMS Challenger
returned along with 3 other vessels, arriving to establish the Swan River Colony
on 2 May 1829. The name of the colony was changed to Western Australia in 1832.
Following the establishment of the Swan River Colony
, a detachment of Marines from 2nd/40th Foot Second Somersetshire Regiment
who were garrisoned in Sydney at the time, was dispatched to the new colony. Following them, were detachments from most of the Regiments that were also serving in New South Wales.
Other units which saw service in the Western Australian colonies:
The first local units were volunteers raised in 1861. The British garrison
was to be withdrawn from Western Australia in 1861, and so the local Western Australian Volunteer Force was raised, primarily from Perth
, Fremantle
and Pinjarra
. Training was hard to come by, and although the unit was enthusiastic, records show that discipline and poor attendance was a problem.
By January, 1869, the government
had issued tough regulations to training and attendance, and although the unit was made up of volunteers, allowed for payments to be made to those who met a minimum requirement of attendance. By this time, Pinjarra
had also raised a Pinjarra Mounted Volunteers unit of skilled horsemen.
Although the situation improved, the unit was still very amateurish. A reorganisation followed, and by 17 June 1872 the Metropolitan Rifle Volunteers were formed, with companies in Fremantle
, Guildford
, Albany
, Geraldton
, Northampton
, York
, and in the Wellington District.
By 1875 the officers of the Western Australian Volunteer Force were required to take examinations, prove their suitability for the promotion, and all ranks undertook both practical and field training. Corps were brought together annually, normally over Easter
to practice manoeuvres, and had become highly organised.
In February 1893, the Permanent Force Artillery Company was raised to garrison forts at Albany
, as the Royal Artillery
was being withdrawn. In November, 1893 the infantry units of Perth
, Fremantle
and Guildford
were amalgamated to form the 1st Infantry Volunteer Regiment. Combined with the existing companies of the Western Australian Volunteer Force, the new regiment became part of the newly formed Western Australian Defence Force.
From 1893 to 1898 an annual camp was held in the vicinity of Perth
, bringing together most of the force, although units from remote regions usually undertook the same training in isolation. Although lacking the advantage of training as part of a larger force, they still undertook these training camps with a high level of professionalism.
The Perth
camp had been organised for both 1899, and 1900, but these camps were cancelled as the Western Australian Defence Force was dispatched to the Boer War
in South Africa. By the time the men had returned from war, Australia had federated
and become the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Western Australian Defence Force, which now consisted of one mounted infantry
regiment, two field batteries
, one garrison artillery
company and an infantry
brigade
comprising five battalions were amalgamated into the Australian Army
.
On 31 December 1900, the day before federation
, a survey of the strength of colonial forces found that the Western Australian colonial forces consisted of 140 regular and 135 part-paid or volunteer officers, and 2553 regular, and 2561 part-paid or volunteer men of other ranks.
was the only British colony in Australia which was not a convict colony. It was established as a planned free colony, and began on 28 December 1836. As such, garrisons were not required as prison guards, like in the other colonies. However, Governor John Hindmarsh
was escorted on the HMS Buffalo
by a contingent of nineteen Royal Marines
. They were assigned to protect him and left South Australia when he departed the colony on the HMS Alligator on 14 July 1838. A lack of any form of defence however, led to the creation of the first locally raised military force in Australia. The Royal South Australian Volunteer Militia was raised for this purpose in 1840. The Militia lacked discipline, equipment and training, and was disbanded by 1851.
The idea of self-support was entirely ingrained in the foundation of the South Australian colony though, and so in 1853 the "Militia Act" (1853) was passed, which allowed for compulsory enlistment
of men between the ages of 16 and 46, although this option was never pursued. On 4 November 1854, a new attempt was made to raise local militia forces in South Australia. The government proclaimed a general order that established the South Australian Volunteer Militia Force, which was to be organised into two battalions, each consisting of six companies
of between 50 and 60 men, which would be known as the Adelaide Rifles. The men received 36 days training, and then returned to their civilian jobs until needed. This force was short lived though, being disbanded upon the end of the Crimean War
in 1856.
However, the colonial government felt uneasy about being undefended. The Volunteer Force was reformed in 1859, and soon numbered 14 companies. By the following year, the numbers had increased to 45 companies with a total of 70 officers and 2000 men of other ranks. On 26 April 1860, the Adelaide Regiment of Volunteer Rifles was formed. In 1865 South Australia became the first state to introduce partially paid volunteers, which was a system all of the other colonies were soon to follow. This was brought about by the enacting of "The Volunteer Act" (1865) which divided all military forces into active and reserve forces. Due to organisational problems and lack of equipment, the Adelaide Regiment of Volunteer Rifles was again disbanded in early 1866, only to be reformed again in May 1866. By 16 November 1867, the Adelaide Regiment of Volunteer Rifles had been re-designated as the "Prince Alfred's Rifle Volunteers" following the Duke of Edinburgh's visit to Australia, but lack of funding saw them disbanded. A company of expatriate Scottish immigrants had formed The Scottish Company in 1865, and reformed as The Duke of Edinburgh's Own on 18 November 1867.
The outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
in France on 19 July 1870, led to the South Australian Governor
, Sir James Fergusson
conducting a review of the colonies defences. He determined to reorganise the force into two battalions of 500–600 men, two artillery batteries, and four troops of cavalry. However his proposals received little backing from the colonial parliament, and were rejected by newly re-elected Premier
John Hart
. Some politicians felt it would help alleviate the high unemployment the colony was suffering at the time, but the majority felt the enormous cost outweighed the potential benefits. Once again the issue of funding stood in the way of South Australia having an efficient and ready regular military force.
The issue continued to be debated until 1875 when interest in military expansion was renewed amongst the colonial politicians. The government had been quite unstable for the first five years of the 1870s, but settled in 1875, allowing for more stable planning. Once again affairs of empires played a part. Russia was once again being perceived as a threat by all of the colonial governments following the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78. Politicians came under pressure from the press and campaign groups to expand the defensive capacity of the colony.
Finally in May 1877, the South Australian Volunteer Military Forces was reformed consisting primarily of 10 companies of the Adelaide Rifles. The success of raising those units did not stop the political arguments over the issue with wrangling between Governor
Sir William Jervois
and Premier John Colton
temporarily suspending further development. Despite all of the political setbacks, the Adelaide Rifles had soon grown to 21 companies, and on 4 July 1877 a second battalion was formed. The second battalion comprised the companies from Mount Gambier
, Unley
, and Port Pirie
together with the Duke of Edinburgh's Own of Prince Alfred Rifle Volunteers. Training intensified briefly for the duration of the Russo-Turkish War, and then resumed at normal levels, with the 2nd Battalion being amalgamated with the 1st Battalion.
By 1885, the second battalion was again reformed, consisting of the same companies as previously, and a third battalion was raised in 1889, only to be disbanded in 1895. Up until 1896, all South Australian units trained only once a year at Easter
. The commitment of the men, and constant restructuring and reorganising were in direct response to perceived threats to the colony.
Upon the outbreak of hostilities in the Second Boer War
, many men from various South Australian units volunteers to participate with the Australian contingent. Any regiments whose men participated received King's Colours and battle honour
s.
On 31 December 1900, the day before Federation
, a survey of the strength of colonial forces found that the South Australian colonial forces consisted of 141 regular and 135 part-paid or volunteer officers
, and 2847 regular, and 2797 part-paid or volunteer men of other ranks
. Following South Australia's admission to the Commonwealth of Australia, all of the South Australian forced were drawn into the Australian Army
. The 1st Battalion of the Regiment of Adelaide Rifles being redesignated as the 10th Australian Infantry Regiment (Adelaide Rifles), the 2nd Battalion became the South Australia Infantry Regiment, G Company became South Australia Scottish Infantry (Mount Gambier), and H Company Scottish became G Company (Scottish) South Australia Infantry Regiment.
departed from England in April, 1803, aboard H.M.S. Calcutta with orders to establish a colony at Port Phillip
. It was short lived, as he was unhappy with the location and the inability of his small Marine contingent to defend the site from aggressive local Aborigines
, and he removed it to Van Diemen's Land
.
Several journeys and explorers passed the northern coast of Bass Strait
in the interim, but it was not until John Batman
journeyed from Van Diemen's Land
in 1835 to establish a farming community at what was to become Melbourne that the new colony was established.
The new settlement's prime locality between New South Wales
and Van Diemen's Land
, and the natural resources of the area saw it grow rapidly. Initially the settlement was governed directly by Sydney, but by 1840, it was proposed that it should be self governing. This was achieved on 1 July 1851.
The first home-raised Victorian unit, the Melbourne Rifle Regiment was raised in 1854. Further expansion, primarily through private enterprise, resulted in the addition of Cavalry, Artillery, Engineer, Torpedo and Signal units.
By 1854 the newly formed Victorian Government faced their first crisis. Three years earlier, in 1851, gold
had been discovered in Ballarat
, and soon after in Bendigo
triggering the Victorian gold rush
. The government imposed heavy mining taxes
, which caused a miners revolt, culminating in the Eureka Stockade
. The miners fortified a position, and at 3 am on Sunday, 3 December 1854, a party of 276 members of 1/12 and 2/40 regiments supported by Victorian police under the command of Captain J.W. Thomas
approached the Eureka Stockade
and a battle ensued.
The police took up holding positions on two sides of the stockade, with a further unit of mounted police
held in reserve. On a third side mounted members of the 2nd/40th Foot Second Somersetshire Regiment
pressed in, supported by a combined storming party made up from members of the 2nd/40th Foot Second Somersetshire Regiment
, and the 1st/12th Foot East Suffolk Regiment
. A further contingent of the police troopers, and infantry units was also kept in reserve. Although they were well armed, the miners were no match for the professionalism and organisation of the military, and they were routed within 15 minutes.
A contingent of the 1st/99th Foot Wiltshire Duke of Edinburgh Regiment, then serving in Tasmania
, was dispatched to aid them, however they were not required.
In the 1850s Melbourne was the headquarters of the Australia and New Zealand Military Command, and for a brief period in the early 1860s, Melbourne was the headquarters of the Royal Navy
's Australia Station
. This period also saw the Victorian Government pass the Volunteer Act (1863), authorising the raising of voluntary military forces.
1870 saw the creation of Victoria's first permanent Artillery Corps, which was essentially created to garrison the fortifications throughout the colony following the final departure of British Units garrisoned in Victoria. The Corps never exceeded 300 men in strength.
From the 1870s onwards, the Victorian military expanded and further developed at a steady rate. Increased training led to better efficiency and high standards of the men. Increased numbers of professional soldiers were developed alongside a well maintained militia of citizens.
In 1884 a new system of paid militia who served for a fixed term replaced the old system of volunteers. Although the service remained part time, allowing troops to continue civilian employment, a minimum number of days was set. The following year, the Victorian Mounted Rifles
were formed, primarily recruiting in rural areas where men had establish horsemanship skills. These men were required to provide and maintain their own horse. In 1888, the Victorian Rangers, a rural infantry unit was also raised. Both rural units were not paid well, but did receive small allowances. It seems that members of rural rifle clubs formed the basis of both of these units.
In December, 1892, men of the Echuca
Company of the Victorian Rangers nearly sparked an inter-colonial incident between New South Wales
and Victoria, by accepting a polite invitation to cross the colonial border of the Murray River
to nearby Moama
, to attend a patriotic march. However, crossing the border in uniform and under arms would have legally constituted an "invasion
", and would have been in contravention of the military law of both colonies. Despite the obvious social context of the event, and the seemingly innocent nature of the Rangers acceptance, the incident, now referred to as the "border event" upset members of both colony's governments, who were seemingly both opposed to either colony allowing troops from the other to enter their territory. The event was defused without incident, but served to highlight how tense the colonies were about defence at the time. Eventually permission was granted for the men to enter New South Wales
, and they performed marches and manoeuvres in front of a large reception.
The Victorian Scottish Regiment
was formed in 1898.
Upon the outbreak of the Second Boer War
in South Africa on 12 October 1899, men volunteered for active service from every Australian colony. Victoria's contribution was second only to New South Wales in size, and comprised 193 officers and 3372 men of other ranks. The Victorian contingent were involved in a remarkable victory when they routed the Boers at Johannesburg
on 29 May 1900.
On 31 December 1900, the day before federation
, a survey of the strength of colonial forces found that the Victorian colonial forces consisted of 394 regular and 301 part-paid or volunteer officers, and 6050 regular, and 6,034 part-paid or volunteer men of other ranks.
Upon Federation, the units of the Victorian forces all became units of the Australian Army
.
, and therefore came under New South Wales' military protection.
After being granted self government, Queensland immediately set about raising militia forces. By March, 1860, a troop of volunteer mounted rifles had been raised. They were soon joined by units of infantry and cavalry, and later supplemented by artillery. These men were all volunteers, but unlike the other Australian colonies of the time, they received government subsidies and grants for the purchase of equipment and ammunition. This was soon broadened to include grants of 50 acres (202,343 m²) of land upon completion of five years of consecutive service.
By 1876, the forces amounted to an inadequate 412 men in total. Steps were taken to improve the situation, including the passing of the Volunteer Act (1878), which encouraged citizens to undertake training, and saw the numbers of men increase to 1219 by 1880.
British forces had been stationed at Port Albany, and on Cape York
between 1865 and 1867, because of the recognised strategic importance of Torres Strait
, New Guinea
and King George's Sound. After their withdrawal, Queensland maintained a token force there, but it was widely recognised as inadequate to prevent any serious threat. An administrative centre and more serious force was raised to be stationed upon Thursday Island in 1877.
Like the other Australian colonies, Queensland's government was not satisfied by the volunteer system, and aimed to replace it. A Military Committee of Inquiry was established to determine the best alternatives, and found that the service lacked cohesion and discipline. They recommended a combination of partially paid militia with volunteer corps formed to support them, with all male inhabitants liable for service. This was enacted with the repealing of the Volunteer Act in 1884.
Around the same time the Queensland government felt alarmed by the threat of the expansion by the German colony of German New Guinea
, and felt that by securing the southeastern quarter of the island of New Guinea
, they could provide more safety for shipping through the Torres Strait
.
Queensland Premier Thomas McIlwraith
ordered Henry Chester, who was the then police magistrate on Thursday Island, to proceed to Port Moresby
and take possession of it for Great Britain. He did so, arriving on 4 April 1883, without approval from the Colonial Office
, and much to the astonished consternation of the British Government which was firmly opposed to further colonial expansion, raised the Union Flag
proclaiming the British colony of the Territory of Papua.
The British government initially repudiated the action, but a firmer commitment by the Australian colonial governments finally secured a British Protectorate over southern New Guinea
(Papua) in October 1884, and it was declared an official British protectorate
on 6 November 1884. Causing much consternation in London, an astute Germany annexed the northern portion two weeks later, expanding Kaiser-Wilhelmsland
.
In 1884, the recommendations of the Military Committee of Inquiry were enacted, and a smaller, more cohesive permanent force was established, with volunteer support.
Upon the outbreak of the Second Boer War
on 11 October 1899, Queensland immediately responded by dispatching a contingent of 149 officers, and 2739 men of other ranks, comprising the Queensland Mounted Infantry, and Queensland Bushmen.
On 31 December 1900, the day before federation
, a survey of the strength of colonial forces found that Queensland's colonial forces consisted of 810 regular and 291 part-paid or volunteer officers, and 5035 regular, and 3737 part-paid or volunteer men of other ranks.
As with all of the Australian colonies, the forces of Queensland automatically transferred to Commonwealth control with the enactment of Australian federation on 1 January 1901.
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
in 1901, each of the six colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
governments was responsible for the defence of their own colony. From 1788 until 1870 this was done with British regular forces. In all, 25 British regiments served in the Australian colonies. Each of the Australian colonies gained responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
between 1855 and 1890, and while the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
in London retained control of some affairs, and the colonies were still firmly within the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, the Governors of the Australian colonies were required to raise their own colonial militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
. To do this, the colonial Governors had the authority from the British crown to raise military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
and naval forces. Initially these were militias in support of British regulars, but British military support for the colonies ended in 1870, and the colonies assumed their own defence. The separate colonies maintained control over their respective militia forces and navies until 1 March 1901, when the colonial forces were all amalgamated into the Commonwealth Forces
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
following the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia. Colonial forces, including home raised units, saw action in many of the conflicts of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
during the 19th century. Members from British Regiments stationed in Australia, saw action in India, Afghanistan
First Anglo-Afghan War
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst...
, the Maori Wars of New Zealand, the Sudan conflict
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan referred to the manner by which Sudan was administered between 1899 and 1956, when it was a condominium of Egypt and the United Kingdom.-Union with Egypt:...
, and the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
in South Africa.
Despite an undeserved reputation of colonial inferiority, many of the locally raised units were highly organised, disciplined, professional, and well trained. For most of the time from settlement until federation, military defences in Australia revolved around static defence by combined infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, based on garrisoned coastal forts, however in the 1890s, improved railway communications between all of the eastern mainland colonies (Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Victoria, and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
), led Major General Bevan Edwards, who had recently completed a survey of colonial military forces, to state his belief that the colonies could be defended by the rapid mobilisation of standard brigades. He called for a restructure of colonial defences, and defensive agreements to be made between the colonies. He also called for professional units to replace all of the volunteer forces.
By 1901, the Australian colonies had federated
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
formally joined together to become the Commonwealth of Australia, and the federal government assumed all defensive responsibilities. The Federation of Australia
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
came into existence on 1 January 1901 and as of that time the constitution of Australia
Constitution of Australia
The Constitution of Australia is the supreme law under which the Australian Commonwealth Government operates. It consists of several documents. The most important is the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia...
stated that all defence responsibility was vested in the commonwealth government. Co-ordination of Australia wide defensive efforts in the face of imperial German interest in the pacific ocean was one of the main reasons for federation, and so one of the first decisions made by the newly formed Commonwealth government was to create the Department of Defence
Department of Defence (Australia)
The Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation along with the Australian Defence Force . The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests...
which came into being on 1 March 1901. From that time the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
under the command of Major General Sir Edward Hutton
Edward Hutton (army)
Lieutenant General Sir Edward Thomas Henry Hutton KCB, KCMG was a British military commander, who pioneered the use of mounted infantry in the British Army and later commanded the Canadian Militia and the Australian Army....
came into being, and all of the colonial forces, including those who were already on active service in the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
in South Africa, transferred into the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
. Badge changing ceremonies were held on the battlefield with colonial emblems being replaced with the Rising Sun Badge
Rising Sun (badge)
The Rising Sun badge, also known as the General Service Badge or the Australian Army Badge, is the official insignia of the Australian Army. The badge is worn on the brim of a slouch hat or the front of a peaked cap and is readily identified with the spirit of ANZAC, the legend of the Australian...
.
Background
Australia was first formally claimed by Great Britain on 22 August 1770 by James CookJames Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
RN, however it was not settled until 26 January 1788 with the arrival of the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
. Frustrated in 1783 by the loss of their American colonies on the signing of the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
which formally ended the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, the British sought a new destination for the transportation
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
of convicts. The Fleet had arrived in Australia with over 750 convicts under the guard of Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
, aboard 11 ships to establish a military colony with convict labour at Port Jackson
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
.
Initially the colony was run as an open prison under the governance of Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
Arthur Phillip
Arthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
. Until between the 1850s when the colonies were granted responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
, and the 1870s when the last imperial troops were withdrawn, British regular troops were constantly garrisoned the colonies. During their postings to Australia, most of the regiments rotated duties at the various colonies, and often had detachments located in geographically diverse locations.
New South Wales (1788)
Accompanying the First Fleet to Port JacksonPort Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
were four companies of Marines in all 247, to guard the fledgling colony of Sydney and that of Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
(established 6 March 1788 to establish a food base and investigate supply of masts and flax for canvas for the Royal Navy). In 1790 the Second Fleet
Second Fleet (Australia)
The Second Fleet is the name of the second fleet of ships sent with settlers, convicts and supplies to colony at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson, Australia. The fleet comprised six ships: one Royal Navy escort, four convict ships, and a supply ship....
arrived, and the marines were relieved by a new force which was created specifically for service in the colony of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. They were known as the New South Wales Corps
New South Wales Corps
The New South Wales Corps was formed in England in 1789 as a permanent regiment to relieve the marines who had accompanied the First Fleet to Australia. The regiment, led by Major Francis Grose, consisted of three companies...
- being less than a battalion they were given the generic title "Corps" rather than "Regiment".
On 4 March 1804, the New South Wales Corps
New South Wales Corps
The New South Wales Corps was formed in England in 1789 as a permanent regiment to relieve the marines who had accompanied the First Fleet to Australia. The regiment, led by Major Francis Grose, consisted of three companies...
was called into action for the first time. The Castle Hill convict rebellion
Castle Hill convict rebellion
The Castle Hill Rebellion of 4 March 1804, also called the Second Battle of Vinegar Hill, was a large-scale rebellion by Irish convicts against British colonial authority in Australia...
, also known as the "Irish Rebellion", occurred in which Phillip Cunningham and William Johnston led a rebellion of nearly 500 mostly Irish convicts who wanted to seize ships to return home. The rebellion lasted for just two days, and martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
was declared. A detachment of the New South Wales Corps
New South Wales Corps
The New South Wales Corps was formed in England in 1789 as a permanent regiment to relieve the marines who had accompanied the First Fleet to Australia. The regiment, led by Major Francis Grose, consisted of three companies...
marched all night to the centre of the rebellion, near the modern Sydney suburb of Rouse Hill, where they engaged with 233 of the rebels in what is often called the "Battle of Vinegar Hill
Castle Hill convict rebellion
The Castle Hill Rebellion of 4 March 1804, also called the Second Battle of Vinegar Hill, was a large-scale rebellion by Irish convicts against British colonial authority in Australia...
" which dispersed the rebels. In this they were supported by the local militia Parramatta Loyal Association and Active Defence.
Following the events of the Rum Rebellion
Rum Rebellion
The Rum Rebellion of 1808 was the only successful armed takeover of government in Australia's history. The Governor of New South Wales, William Bligh, was deposed by the New South Wales Corps under the command of Major George Johnston, working closely with John Macarthur, on 26 January 1808, 20...
, the New South Wales Corps
New South Wales Corps
The New South Wales Corps was formed in England in 1789 as a permanent regiment to relieve the marines who had accompanied the First Fleet to Australia. The regiment, led by Major Francis Grose, consisted of three companies...
was disbanded, reformed as the 102nd Regiment, and returned to England.
By 1810 the 73rd Regiment of Foot (MacLeod's Highlanders) became the first line regiment to serve in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
under the Governorship of Lachlan Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
. They served four years in New South Wales before relocating to Ceylon in 1814. The Highlanders were replaced by the 1st/46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
The 46th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, created in 1741 and amalgamated into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in 1881.-History:...
, known as the "Red Feathers", who would serve in Australia until 1818.
Also formed on 30 April 1810 was the Governor's Guard of Light Horse, mostly drawn from former convicts who had been of excellent behaviour during their sentences. Macquarie formed this unit, although not officially a Regiment, to prevent the events of the Rum Rebellion from re-occurring. The Governor's Guard were mounted troops with the specific duty of being a private bodyguard for the Governor.
The Royal New South Wales Veteran Corps was formed in 1810 for soldiers and marines who were too old "to serve to the best of their capacity", and served mainly as post guards, for the supervision of convicts and other government duties. It was composed of veterans of the 102nd, and other units from veteran soldiers. By 1817 Lachlan Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
felt they were unable to perform even these duties, and recommended their disbandment. This was eventually done on 24 September 1822.http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~garter1/royalnew.htm However, three further Veterans companies were raised in Britain in 1826 for service in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, and stayed on duties until 1833.
From 1817 until the withdrawal of British forces from Australia several British regiments undertook garrison duties in Australia on a rotational basis. Although these units were primarily raised in Britain, any Australian born subjects who wished to pursue a military career were obliged to join the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, until the formation of locally raised volunteer militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
units after responsible self government
Self-governance
Self-governance is an abstract concept that refers to several scales of organization.It may refer to personal conduct or family units but more commonly refers to larger scale activities, i.e., professions, industry bodies, religions and political units , up to and including autonomous regions and...
was granted in each of the Australian colonies. They often attached themselves to whichever regiments were on duty in their colony at the time, and sometimes left the Australian colonies when their regiments were posted elsewhere.
After the departure of the "Red Feathers"
46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
The 46th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, created in 1741 and amalgamated into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in 1881.-History:...
, it was the turn of the 1st/48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
-History:The regiment was first raised in 1741 as James Cholmondeley's Regiment of Foot in Norwich, England during the War of Austrian Succession. The regiment first saw action at the Battles of Falkirk and Culloden in 1745-1746, campaigning against the Young Pretender. In 1748, it was renumbered...
, who saw service in the Australian colonies from 1817 to 1824. This regiment, better known as the Heroes of Talerva
48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
-History:The regiment was first raised in 1741 as James Cholmondeley's Regiment of Foot in Norwich, England during the War of Austrian Succession. The regiment first saw action at the Battles of Falkirk and Culloden in 1745-1746, campaigning against the Young Pretender. In 1748, it was renumbered...
were variously posted at Sydney, Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, Port Macquarie, Van Diemens Land & Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel J. Erskine. They were the first of 13 Peninsular Regiments
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
to see service in the Australian colonies. Having been involved in many distinguished actions of the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
including the Battle of Talavera, the Battle of Albuera
Battle of Albuera
The Battle of Albuera was an indecisive battle during the Peninsular War. A mixed British, Spanish and Portuguese corps engaged elements of the French Armée du Midi at the small Spanish village of Albuera, about 20 kilometres south of the frontier fortress-town of Badajoz, Spain.From...
, the Battle of Salamanca
Battle of Salamanca
The Battle of Salamanca saw Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish armies under the Duke of Wellington defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces among the hills around Arapiles south of Salamanca, Spain on July 22, 1812 during the Peninsular War....
and the Battle of Vittoria, the Australian posting would have probably seemed a dull experience for the men, many of whom were hardened veterans. However the improving lifestyle of the colonies, and the relative peace after years of European battle appealed to many of the men of the 48th, with ten percent of their numbers eventually settling there following the end of their duties in 1824.
The 1st/3rd Foot The Buffs The East Kent Regiment, were the next Peninsular Regiment
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
to be posted to the Australian colonies, and they began to arrive in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1822 to facilitate the departure of the 1st/48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot
-History:The regiment was first raised in 1741 as James Cholmondeley's Regiment of Foot in Norwich, England during the War of Austrian Succession. The regiment first saw action at the Battles of Falkirk and Culloden in 1745-1746, campaigning against the Young Pretender. In 1748, it was renumbered...
who were to return to Great Britain. The Buff's were divided into four detachments, and the first detachment began leaving Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
for New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1821. The second detachment left Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
for Hobart in 1822. The third detachment (The Buffs Head Quarters) left Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
for Sydney in 1823, arriving the same year. The fourth detachment arrived in Sydney in 1824 and were stationed at Port Dalrymple, Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, Liverpool
Liverpool, New South Wales
Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...
, Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, Port Macquarie, Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
and Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
. While in Australia, the Buff's were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel W. Stewart & Lieutenant-Colonel C. Cameron. The Regiment was reunited before being transferred to Calcutta in 1827, however, following a trend begun during the departure of the 48th, many men wished to remain in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, and requested transfers to the 1st/57th Foot West Middlesex Regiment
57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot
The 57th Regiment of Foot was a regiment of line infantry in the British Army.-History:The regiment started out as the 59th Regiment of Foot raised in Gloucester in 1755....
, who were arriving to replace the Buffs.
In 1823, for the first time more than one regiment was dispatched to the growing colonies. With the 1st/3rd Foot The Buffs The East Kent Regiment primarily stationed throughout New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, it was felt by the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
that more men would be required for the growing populations of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Van Diemens Land. As a result, the 2nd/40th Foot Second Somersetshire Regiment
40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot
The 40th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1717 and amalgamated into The Prince of Wales's Volunteers in 1881.-Formation:...
were dispatched, with detachments commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel H. Thornton and Lieutenant-Colonel Valiant, sent to both Sydney and Hobart, where they were stationed for both garrison and guard duties from 1823 until 1829.
The 1st/57th Foot West Middlesex Regiment
57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot
The 57th Regiment of Foot was a regiment of line infantry in the British Army.-History:The regiment started out as the 59th Regiment of Foot raised in Gloucester in 1755....
were next to arrive from 1826, to replace The Buffs. Under the command of Lieutenant-Colonels Shadforth, Allen and Carey, the 'Die Hards' were initially stationed at Sydney and Hobart, but were also later sent to Westernport, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
(1829), and Port Albany, Western Australia (1828), following the establishment of those new colonies.
While the 'Die Hards' were still stationed in Australia, the 1st/39th Foot Dorsetshire Regiment
39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot
The 39th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1719 and amalgamated into The Dorsetshire Regiment in 1881.The regiment was raised by Colonel Richard Coote in Ireland in August 1702...
began arriving to also replace the 'Buffs'. This allowed for a staggered overlap of troops, with one regiment fully stationed while the over two swapped. Under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel P. Lindley, the Regiment saw service in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, Sydney, Western Australia & Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
from 1826 before leaving on 5 July 1832 to see service in India.
Other Regiments who saw service in New South Wales:
- 1st/4th Foot Lancaster King's Own Regiment (1832–1837)
- 1st/50th Foot West Kent Queen's Own Regiment50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Footthumb|right|250px|soldier of 50th Regiment about 1740The 50th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1755 to 1881....
(1834–1841 and 1866–1869) - 1st/28th Foot The North Gloucestershire Regiment28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of FootThe 28th Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment from 1782 to 1881.For their conduct at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801 the 28th were given the unique honour of wearing a badge on both the front and rear of their head dress.. They served throughout the Peninsula War including the battles...
(1835–1842) - 2nd/51st Foot (Yorkshire) West Riding Light Infantry Regiment51st Regiment of Foot51st Regiment of Foot may refer to:*51st Regiment of Foot, 1755-1881*51st King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1881-1968...
(1838–1846) - 1st/58th Foot Rutlandshire Regiment58th Regiment of FootThree regiments of the British Army have been numbered the 58th Regiment of Foot:* 47th Regiment of Foot, 58th Regiment of Foot, numbered as the 58th Foot in 1747 and renumbered as the 47th in 1751...
(1844–1847) - 1st/11th Foot North Devonshire Regiment (1845–1857)
- 1st/77th Foot East Middlesex Regiment77th (East Middlesex) Regiment of FootThe 77th Regiment of Foot was a line regiment of the British Army . In 1881 it was united with the 57th Regiment of Foot to form The Middlesex Regiment ....
(1857–1858) - 2nd/14th Foot Buckinghamshire RegimentWest Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Own)The West Yorkshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army. In 1958 it amalgamated with The East Yorkshire Regiment to form The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire...
(1866–1870) - 1st/63rd Foot West Suffolk Regiment63rd Regiment of FootThe 63rd Regiment of Foot known as "The Bloodsuckers", was a British Army regiment in the 18th and 19th centuries.As part of the Childers Reforms, the 63rd and the 96th Regiments of Foot amalgamated in 1881 to form The Manchester Regiment the heritage continuing through to The King's Regiment in...
(1829–1833) - 1st/17th Foot Leicestershire Regiment (1830–1836)
- 1st/80th Foot Staffordshire Volunteers Regiment80th Regiment of Foot (Staffordshire Volunteers)The 80th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, created in 1793 and amalgamated into The South Staffordshire Regiment in 1881....
(1827–1836) - 1st/96th Foot Manchester Regiment96th Regiment of FootThe 96th Regiment of Foot was a regiment of the British Army from 1798 to 1881, when it became the 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment. Its lineage is perpetuated by the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, previously the King's Regiment....
(1839–1849) - 1st/99th Foot Wiltshire Duke of Edinburgh Regiment (1843–1856)
- 2nd/65th Foot Yorkshire , West Riding Light Infantry Regiment65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of FootThe 65th Regiment of Foot was a British Army infantry regiment formed in 1758 from the redesignation of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Regiment of Foot...
(1846–1849) - 1st/12th Foot East Suffolk Regiment (1854–1870)
- 1st/18th Foot Irish Regiment (1870)
- 1st/21st Fusiliers Royal North British Fusiliers RegimentRoyal Scots Fusiliers-The Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot :The regiment was raised in Scotland in 1678 by Stuart loyalist Charles Erskine, de jure 5th Earl of Mar for service against the rebel covenanting forces during the Second Whig Revolt . They were used to keep the peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and...
(1833–1839)
By 1855 New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
had been granted responsible self-government and increasingly took responsibility for its own affairs. The colony remained within, and was fiercely loyal to the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, and while the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
continued to take responsibility for matters such as foreign affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
, the decision was taken in London, that the Australian colonies
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
would need to take responsibility for their own defence.
For the next 15 years, British infantry and artillery units would continue to garrison New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. However, even as early as 1854, upon the outbreak of the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, a first local voluntary force consisting of one troop of cavalry, one battery of artillery, and six companies of foot, called the 1st Regiment of New South Wales Rifles was raised. Following the cessation of hostilities with Russia in Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, the new regiment struggled to maintain numbers and government funding.
Between 1856 and 1870, several different companies/batteries of the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
served in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Likewise, members of the Royal Engineers Corps
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
& Royal Corps of Sappers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and Miners Royal Staff Corps
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, Royal Commissariat Corps
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
, Royal Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
and the Royal Hospital Corps
Army Medical Services
The Army Medical Services is the organisation responsible for administering the four separate corps that deliver medical, veterinary, dental and nursing services in the British Army...
, who all saw service in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
between 1856 and 1870.
In 1869 the decision to withdraw all British units had been confirmed, and as a result a second New South Wales Regiment was raised. This force consisted of one troop of mounted rifles, three batteries of artillery, and twenty companies of infantry, with a total strength of 1700 men. Two years later more artillery batteries were added. The entire force was reorganised by the Volunteer Regulation Act of 1867, which also gave provision for land grants in recognition of 5 years service, and for the first time an efficient, large and capable force was being maintained. However they were still volunteers not regulars. By 1871 the withdrawal of British forces from New South Wales was completed, and the local forces assumed total responsibility for the defence of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
The 1870s saw major improvements to the structure and organisation of New South Wales' colonial forces. Land grants for service were abolished, and partial payments introduced. 1876 saw a second permanent artillery battery established, and a year later a third was added. In 1877 Engineers Corps and Signals Corps were established, in 1882 a force of naval artillery volunteers, and in 1891 the Commissariat and Transport Corps, later to be known as the Army Service Corps were raised.
When the government of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
received news in February, 1885, of the death of General Charles Gordon
Charles George Gordon
Major-General Charles George Gordon, CB , known as "Chinese" Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British army officer and administrator....
at Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
during the short-lived British campaign
Mahdist War
The Mahdist War was a colonial war of the late 19th century. It was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese and the Egyptian and later British forces. It has also been called the Anglo-Sudan War or the Sudanese Mahdist Revolt. The British have called their part in the conflict the Sudan Campaign...
against the Dervish
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
revolt in the eastern Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, they offered the British forces there the service of New South Wales artillery batteries, infantry and ambulance detachments. The offer was gratefully accepted, and within three weeks a force of 768 men comprising an infantry battalion, with artillery and support units was enrolled, re-equipped and dispatched for Africa. They were farewelled from Circular Quay in Sydney on 3 March 1885 by an enormous public gathering and marching bands.
The New South Wales Sudan contingent arrived at Suakin
Suakin
Suakin or Sawakin is a port in north-eastern Sudan, on the west coast of the Red Sea. In 1983 it had a population of 18,030 and the 2009 estimate is 43, 337.It was formerly the region's chief port, but is now secondary to Port Sudan, about 30 miles north. The old city built of coral is in ruins...
on the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
on 29 March 1885. There they joined General Gerald Graham
Gerald Graham
Lieutenant General Sir Gerald Graham, VC GCB GCMG was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early life:He was born in Acton, Middlesex, and after studying at...
's two British brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
's efforts against Oman Digna. Within a month of arriving, the New South Wales detachment had seen action at Tamai
Battle of Tamai
The Battle of Tamai took place on March 13, 1884 between a British force under Sir Gerald Graham and a Mahdist Sudanese army led by Osman Digna....
, becoming the first Australian raised military force to do so. By May, 1885, the campaign
Mahdist War
The Mahdist War was a colonial war of the late 19th century. It was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese and the Egyptian and later British forces. It has also been called the Anglo-Sudan War or the Sudanese Mahdist Revolt. The British have called their part in the conflict the Sudan Campaign...
had been reduced to a series of small skirmishes, and the contingent had returned to Sydney by June, 1885.
Despite their good service, and their engagements at Tamai
Battle of Tamai
The Battle of Tamai took place on March 13, 1884 between a British force under Sir Gerald Graham and a Mahdist Sudanese army led by Osman Digna....
, the New South Wales Sudan contingent was actually ridiculed by the media upon their return to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, as having done nothing to aid the war effort. Many cartoons appeared parodying the force as lazy, or as tourists.
In 1885 it was decided to raise a volunteer corps of cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
who were to also be partially paid, and had uniforms and weapons supplied, although they had to provide their own horse and equipment. They were eventually formed as a light horse unit and were known as the New South Wales lancers
1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers
The 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers is a current Australian Army Reserve Light Cavalry Regiment. The regiment is based at Lancer Barracks in Parramatta, New South Wales. The regiment has recently re-equipped with 4x4 Land Rover patrol vehicles as part of the conversion to a Light Cavalry ...
. Many of the previous mounted rifles
Mounted infantry
Mounted infantry were soldiers who rode horses instead of marching, but actually fought on foot . The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry...
were merged with the Lancers.
A further four batteries of reserve artillery were raised in 1885, but disbanded in 1892. The permanent forces added units of submarine miners and mounted infantry
Mounted infantry
Mounted infantry were soldiers who rode horses instead of marching, but actually fought on foot . The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry...
, which were also soon disbanded. The 1890s saw much restructuring, with many units formed and disbanded soon after, or merged with other units.
Full volunteers were again instituted in 1895. These units started to often have affiliations with expatriate groups, and names such as the Scottish Rifles, the Irish Rifles, the St. George's Rifles, and the Australian Rifles, reflected this. By 1897, there was also the First Australian Volunteer Horse and the Railway Volunteer Corps, and a "National Guard" of volunteer veterans. By 1900 the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, the Civil Service Corps, the Drummoyne Volunteer Company, the Army Nursing Service Reserve and Army Medical Corps had also been added.
Hostilities commenced in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
in October, 1899, and all the Australian colonies agreed to send troops in support of the British cause. The First New South Wales Contingent arrived in South Africa in November, 1899, and consisted of 314 officers, and 5796 men of the New South Wales Lancers, and New South Wales mounted Rifles.
A survey of New South Wales' military forces on 31 December 1900, the day before federation
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
, found that the forces consisted of 505 regular officers, 130 volunteer officers, 9295 regulars and 8833 volunteers of other ranks, 26 nurses, and 1906 civilian rifle club members.
Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) (1803)
The settlement at Sydney was already 15 years old when then GovernorGovernor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Philip Gidley King
Philip Gidley King
Captain Philip Gidley King RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He is best known as the official founder of the first European settlement on Norfolk Island and as the third Governor of New South Wales.-Early years and establishment of Norfolk Island settlement:King was born...
received news from Europe of the outbreak of war between France and Great Britain on 18 May 1803. Concern was also growing over the number of French explorers
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
who were being sighted in the South Pacific. The Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
issued him with orders to secure any strategic locations within the southern station of the Pacific Ocean which may be of use to France, and prevent them falling into French possession. He dispatched an expedition to settle at Risdon Cove
Risdon Cove
Risdon Cove was the site of the first British settlement in Van Diemen's Land, now Tasmania, the smallest Australian state. Risdon Cove, which was named after William Bellamy Risdon, second officer of the ship Duke of Clarence. Risdon served under Lt...
, in Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
.
A young 23 year old Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
John Bowen
John Bowen (colonist)
John Bowen was a naval officer and colonial administrator. Led the first settlement of Tasmania at Risdon Cove. He was the son of James Bowen, and was born at Ilfracombe, Devon, England.-Early career:...
had arrived in Sydney aboard HMS Glatton
HMS Glatton (1795)
HMS Glatton was a 56-gun fourth rate of the Royal Navy. She was launched as the Glatton, an East Indiaman, on 29 November 1792 by Wells & Co. of Blackwell. The Royal Navy bought her in 1795 and converted her into a warship. Glatton was unusual in that for a time she was the only ship-of-the-line...
, on 11 March 1803. King considered him the right man for the job, and towards the end of August, 1803, he left for Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
aboard the whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
HMS Albion
HMS Albion (1802)
HMS Albion was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was launched at Perry's Blackwall Yard on the Thames on 17 June 1802...
. Accompanying him was 21 male, and three female convicts, guarded by a company of the New South Wales Corps
New South Wales Corps
The New South Wales Corps was formed in England in 1789 as a permanent regiment to relieve the marines who had accompanied the First Fleet to Australia. The regiment, led by Major Francis Grose, consisted of three companies...
, as well as a small number of free settlers. A second supply ship, the Lady Nelson
Lady Nelson
The Royal Navy purchased Lady Nelson in 1799. She spent her career exploring the coast of Australia in the early years of the 19th century. She was the first known vessel to sail eastward through Bass Strait, the first to sail along the South coast of Victoria, as well as the first to enter Port...
arrived on 8 September 1803, and HMS Albion
HMS Albion (1802)
HMS Albion was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was launched at Perry's Blackwall Yard on the Thames on 17 June 1802...
arrived on 13 September 1803, subsequently settling Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
for the British.
At the same time David Collins
David Collins (governor)
Colonel David Collins was the first Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Van Diemens Land, founded in 1804, which in 1901 became the state of Tasmania in the Commonwealth of Australia.-Early life and military career:...
departed from England in April, 1803, aboard HMS Calcutta
HMS Calcutta (1795)
HMS Calcutta was an East Indiaman converted to a Royal Navy 56-gun fourth rate. This ship of the line served for a time as an armed transport. She also transported convicts to Australia in a voyage that became a circumnavigation of the world. The French 74-gun Magnanime captured Calcutta in 1805...
with orders to establish a colony at Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
. After establishing a short lived settlement at Sullivan Bay, near the current site of Sorrento
Sorrento
Sorrento is the name of many cities and towns:*Sorrento, Italy*Sorrento, Florida, United States*Sorrento, Louisiana, United States*Sorrento, Maine, United States*Sorrento, Victoria, a township on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia...
, he wrote to Governor King
Philip Gidley King
Captain Philip Gidley King RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He is best known as the official founder of the first European settlement on Norfolk Island and as the third Governor of New South Wales.-Early years and establishment of Norfolk Island settlement:King was born...
, expressing his dissatisfaction with the location, and seeking permission to relocate the settlement to the Derwent River. Realising the fledgling settlement at Risdon Cove
Risdon Cove
Risdon Cove was the site of the first British settlement in Van Diemen's Land, now Tasmania, the smallest Australian state. Risdon Cove, which was named after William Bellamy Risdon, second officer of the ship Duke of Clarence. Risdon served under Lt...
would be well reinforced by Collins
David Collins (governor)
Colonel David Collins was the first Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Van Diemens Land, founded in 1804, which in 1901 became the state of Tasmania in the Commonwealth of Australia.-Early life and military career:...
arrival, King
Philip Gidley King
Captain Philip Gidley King RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He is best known as the official founder of the first European settlement on Norfolk Island and as the third Governor of New South Wales.-Early years and establishment of Norfolk Island settlement:King was born...
agreed to the proposal.
Collins arrived at the Derwent River on 16 February 1804, aboard HMS Ocean
HMS Ocean (1761)
HMS Ocean was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 21 April 1761 at Chatham.She was sold out of the service in 1793....
. The settlement that Bowen had established at Risdon Cove
Risdon Cove
Risdon Cove was the site of the first British settlement in Van Diemen's Land, now Tasmania, the smallest Australian state. Risdon Cove, which was named after William Bellamy Risdon, second officer of the ship Duke of Clarence. Risdon served under Lt...
did not impress Collins, and he decided to relocate the settlement 5 miles (8 km) down river, on the opposite shore of the river. They landed at Sullivans Cove on 21 February 1804, and created the settlement that was to become Hobart, making it the second oldest established colony in Australia.
Before the settlement at Risdon Cove had been abandoned, one of the most violent conflicts between British forces and Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
is alleged to have occurred. The facts of this event are still disputed by historians and the descendants of the Tasmanian Aborigines
Tasmanian Aborigines
The Tasmanian Aborigines were the indigenous people of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Before British colonisation in 1803, there were an estimated 3,000–15,000 Parlevar. A number of historians point to introduced disease as the major cause of the destruction of the full-blooded...
, however it is alleged that on the morning of 3 May 1804, a food hunting party of approximately three hundred crested the heavily wooded hills above the Risdon Cove settlement, looking for kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
, in what is now considered to be part of the Oyster Bay tribe
Tasmanian Aborigines
The Tasmanian Aborigines were the indigenous people of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Before British colonisation in 1803, there were an estimated 3,000–15,000 Parlevar. A number of historians point to introduced disease as the major cause of the destruction of the full-blooded...
's traditional hunting grounds. It is supposed that both the Marine sentries, and the hunting party surprised each other. It is not clear how the engagement began, with differing accounts being given.
It does seem that feeling threatened by such an overwhelmingly large group, the Marines fired upon the Aborigines in an unprovoked attack. A convict by the name of Edward White claimed to have seen this. Armed with only spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
s and club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
s, the Aboriginals were outdone by the firepower of the Marines who were armed with the Brown Bess
Brown Bess
Brown Bess is a nickname of uncertain origin for the British Army's Land Pattern Musket and its derivatives. This musket was used in the era of the expansion of the British Empire and acquired symbolic importance at least as significant as its physical importance. It was in use for over a hundred...
smooth bore, muzzle loading musket, many of whom were experienced troops from conflicts in India and the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. It is claimed that between three and fifty of the Aboriginals were killed.http://evatt.labor.net.au/publications/papers/110.html
Soon after the establishment of the settlement, Collins decided that coastal defence was needed. A redoubt was dug not far from the settlement, and two ship's guns were placed within.
When Governor Lachlan Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
toured the Hobart Town settlement in 1811, he was alarmed at the poor state of defence, and the general disorganisation of the colony. Along with planning for a new grid of streets to be laid out, and new administrative and other buildings to be built, he commissioned the building of Anglesea Barracks, which opened in 1814, and is now the oldest continually occupied barracks in Australia.
By 1818, the Mulgrave Battery had been built on Castray Esplanade, on the southern side of Battery Point
Battery Point, Tasmania
Battery Point is a suburb of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is immediately south of the Central business district. It is in the local government area of City of Hobart....
upon the orders of Lieutenant Governor William Sorell
William Sorell
William Sorell was a soldier and third Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land.-Early life:Sorell was born probably in the West Indies, the eldest son of Lieutenant-general William Alexander Sorell and his wife Jane...
. Now the colony had two basic fortifications.
The New South Wales Corps
New South Wales Corps
The New South Wales Corps was formed in England in 1789 as a permanent regiment to relieve the marines who had accompanied the First Fleet to Australia. The regiment, led by Major Francis Grose, consisted of three companies...
were also relieved from Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
when they returned from New South Wales in 1810, and the 73rd Regiment of Foot (MacLeod's Highlanders), rotated duties between Sydney and Hobart. These were likewise replaced in 1814 by the 1st/46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
The 46th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, created in 1741 and amalgamated into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in 1881.-History:...
, the so called "Red Feathers".
The period of 1828 until 1832 was a dark one in the history of Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
. The rising friction and continuing conflicts over land access between the indigenous Tasmanian Aborigines
Tasmanian Aborigines
The Tasmanian Aborigines were the indigenous people of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Before British colonisation in 1803, there were an estimated 3,000–15,000 Parlevar. A number of historians point to introduced disease as the major cause of the destruction of the full-blooded...
and the British settlers, breaches of each others laws and morals, killings and revenge killings, led to a declaration of Martial Law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
by Lieutenant Governor George Arthur
George Arthur
Lieutenant-General Sir George Arthur, 1st Baronet KCH PC was Lieutenant Governor of British Honduras , Van Diemen's Land and Upper Canada . He also served as Governor of Bombay .-Early life:George Arthur was born in Plymouth, England...
. British Regiments were in open conflict with the Aboriginals in what has since been dubbed the Black War
Black War
The Black War is a term used to describe a period of conflict between British colonists and Tasmanian Aborigines in the early nineteenth century...
. 1830 saw the fiasco of the notorious Black Line
Black Line
The Black Line was an event that occurred in 1830 in Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land as it was then known. After many years of conflict between British colonists and the Aborigines known as the Black War, Lieutenant-Governor George Arthur decided to remove all Aborigines from the settled areas in...
incident, in which European settlers tried vainly to round up the Tasmanian Aboriginals in an attempt to isolate them, and hopefully prevent further conflicts between the two groups. It failed miserably.
In 1838 plans were drawn up for a more elaborate network of coastal fortifications. Money did not permit all of the batteries to be established, but work was begun on the Queens Battery, located at the site of the regatta ground on the Queens Domain
Queens Domain
The Queens Domain, also known as The Domain to locals, is a small hilly area of bushland just north-east of the CBD of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, alongside the Derwent River...
. The battery was set back by delays and funding problems, and was not completed until 1864.
By 1840, the newly arrived commander of the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, Major Roger Kelsall was alarmed to discover how inadequately defended the now growing colony was. He drew up plans for the expansion of the Mulgrave Battery, and an additional fortification further up the slops of Battery Point
Battery Point, Tasmania
Battery Point is a suburb of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is immediately south of the Central business district. It is in the local government area of City of Hobart....
. Work began the same year using convict labour, and soon the Prince of Wales Battery was completed, and armed now with ten guns.
Despite the improvements of the Prince of Wales Battery, it was located in a faulty position, and didn't have the most desirable firing position. At the height of the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
in 1854, a third battery, known as the Prince Albert Battery was completed even higher behind the Prince of Wales Battery. Battery Point
Battery Point, Tasmania
Battery Point is a suburb of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is immediately south of the Central business district. It is in the local government area of City of Hobart....
now had three firing positions, along with the Queens Battery upon the Queens Domain
Queens Domain
The Queens Domain, also known as The Domain to locals, is a small hilly area of bushland just north-east of the CBD of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, alongside the Derwent River...
.
Following the decline of British military presence in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, the Governor of Tasmania felt the need to establish military forces capable of defending the colony.
In 1859 two batteries of "volunteer" artillery, one was the Hobart Town Artillery Company, and the other was the Launceston Volunteer Artillery Company. Twelve companies of "volunteer" infantry were also raised. In 1867 the infantry companies were disbanded, and the artillery increased by one battery.
1870 saw the complete withdrawal of British forces from Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, which left the colony virtually defenceless. It had also highlighted the state of decay the existing fortresses had become. It had been decided the Prince of Wales and Prince Albert Batteries were inadequate for the defence of the town. By 1878 both had been condemned, and were dismantled by 1880. In 1882 the sites were handed over to Hobart City Council for use as public space, although the tunnels and subterranean magazines remain. Most of the stonework was removed and reused in the construction of the Alexandra battery further to the south.
The arrival of three Russian warships, Africa, Plastun, and Vestnik in 1872 caused a great deal of alarm in the colony. Britain and its empire had only been at war with the Russians 16 years previously. The colony was defenceless, had the Russian had hostile intent. Luckily they were on a good will mission, however, it cause a great deal of debate about the state of the colony's defences. Plans were made for the establishment of volunteer forces.
In 1878 the Tasmanian Volunteer Rifle Regiment was raised in both the north and south of the colony. These were raised as Ranger Infantry units. By 1882 the strength was 634 men. By 1885 it was 1200 men, the maximum permitted by law at a time of peace. However, by 1893, an additional "auxiliary" force of 1500 had also been raised. By 1896, the Regiment had three battalions. They were 1st battalion in Hobart, 2nd battalion in Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
, and 3rd battalion in the North West.
Construction of serious fortifications was considered as early as 1840, however no serious construction was carried out. The Kangaroo Bluff Battery was begun in 1881 and complete the following year with the arrival of two massive 14 tonne cannons from England. The first shots were fired on 12 February 1885.
In 1899 the Tasmanian Colonial Military Forces responded to the request for military assistance in South Africa. The initial request was made for two of the colony's three Ranger Infantry units. Colonel Legge, the commandant of the Tasmanian Colonial Military Forces sought to also establish a mounted reconnaissance unit, and toured the colony. He was very impressed by the shooting and riding skills of many of the colonies wealthy young farm boys, and formed a Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen unit from them.
A Tasmanian colonial contingent was sent to the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, consisting of the 1st and 2nd Tasmanian Bushmen. These mounted infantry units were primarily made up of volunteers who had good bushcraft, riding and shooting skills. The first two Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
es awarded to Australians in that conflict were earned by Private Bisdee and Lieutenant Wylly, both members of the Tasmanian Bushmen, in action near Warm Bad in 1900.
On 31 December 1900, the day before federation
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
, a survey of the strength of colonial forces found that the Tasmanian colonial forces consisted of 131 regular and 113 part-paid or volunteer officers, and 2605 regular, and 1911 part-paid or volunteer men of other ranks.
In 1901 the Australian colonies federated and formed the Commonwealth of Australia, and all of the Australian Colonial Forces came under the control of the Federal Government of Australia. The Tasmanian Mounted Infantry units were redesignated as the 12th Australian Light Horse Regiment (12LHR). The three battalions of the Tasmanian Volunteer Rifle Regiment were re-designated as part of the Citizens Military Force
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
into Derwent Infantry Regiment (Hobart), Launceston Regiment (Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
), and Tasmanian Rangers (North West).
Other units which subsequently saw service in Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
(Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
after 1855):
- 1st/48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot-History:The regiment was first raised in 1741 as James Cholmondeley's Regiment of Foot in Norwich, England during the War of Austrian Succession. The regiment first saw action at the Battles of Falkirk and Culloden in 1745-1746, campaigning against the Young Pretender. In 1748, it was renumbered...
; service; 1817–1824 - 2nd/40th Foot Second Somersetshire Regiment40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of FootThe 40th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1717 and amalgamated into The Prince of Wales's Volunteers in 1881.-Formation:...
; service; 1823–1829 & 1852–1860 - 1st/57th Foot West Middlesex Regiment57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of FootThe 57th Regiment of Foot was a regiment of line infantry in the British Army.-History:The regiment started out as the 59th Regiment of Foot raised in Gloucester in 1755....
; service; 1826–1831 - 1st/39th Foot Dorsetshire Regiment39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of FootThe 39th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1719 and amalgamated into The Dorsetshire Regiment in 1881.The regiment was raised by Colonel Richard Coote in Ireland in August 1702...
; service; 1827–1832 - 1st/4th Foot Lancaster King's Own Regiment ; service; 1832–1837
- 1st/50th Foot West Kent Queen's Own Regiment50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Footthumb|right|250px|soldier of 50th Regiment about 1740The 50th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1755 to 1881....
; service; 1834–1841 & 1866–1869 - 1st/28th Foot The North Gloucestershire Regiment28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of FootThe 28th Regiment of Foot was a British infantry regiment from 1782 to 1881.For their conduct at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801 the 28th were given the unique honour of wearing a badge on both the front and rear of their head dress.. They served throughout the Peninsula War including the battles...
; service; 1835–1842 - 2nd/51st Foot (Yorkshire) West Riding Light Infantry Regiment51st Regiment of Foot51st Regiment of Foot may refer to:*51st Regiment of Foot, 1755-1881*51st King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1881-1968...
; service ; 1838–1846 - 1st/11th Foot North Devonshire Regiment ; service; 1845–1857
- 2nd/14th Foot Buckinghamshire RegimentWest Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Own)The West Yorkshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army. In 1958 it amalgamated with The East Yorkshire Regiment to form The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire...
; service; 1866–1870 - 1st/63rd Foot West Suffolk Regiment63rd Regiment of FootThe 63rd Regiment of Foot known as "The Bloodsuckers", was a British Army regiment in the 18th and 19th centuries.As part of the Childers Reforms, the 63rd and the 96th Regiments of Foot amalgamated in 1881 to form The Manchester Regiment the heritage continuing through to The King's Regiment in...
; service; 1829–1833 - 1st/17th Foot Leicestershire Regiment ; service; 1830–1836
- 1st/96th Foot Manchester Regiment96th Regiment of FootThe 96th Regiment of Foot was a regiment of the British Army from 1798 to 1881, when it became the 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment. Its lineage is perpetuated by the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, previously the King's Regiment....
; service; 1839–1849 - 1st/99th Foot Wiltshire Duke of Edinburgh Regiment ; service; 1843–1856
- 2nd/65th Foot Yorkshire , West Riding Light Infantry Regiment65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of FootThe 65th Regiment of Foot was a British Army infantry regiment formed in 1758 from the redesignation of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Regiment of Foot...
; service ; 1846–1849 - 1st/12th Foot East Suffolk Regiment ; service; 1854–1867
- 1st/18th Foot Irish Regiment ; service; 1870–1870
- 1st/21st Fusiliers Royal North British Fusiliers RegimentRoyal Scots Fusiliers-The Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot :The regiment was raised in Scotland in 1678 by Stuart loyalist Charles Erskine, de jure 5th Earl of Mar for service against the rebel covenanting forces during the Second Whig Revolt . They were used to keep the peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and...
; service; 1833–1839
Members of the Royal Engineers Corps
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
& Royal Corps of Sappers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and Miners Royal Staff Corps
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, Royal Commissariat Corps
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
Royal Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
and the Royal Hospital Corps
Army Medical Services
The Army Medical Services is the organisation responsible for administering the four separate corps that deliver medical, veterinary, dental and nursing services in the British Army...
, all also saw service in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
between 1856 and 1870.
Swan River Colony (Western Australia) (1829)
Following its first sighting by Dirk HartogDirk Hartog
Dirk Hartog was a 17th century Dutch sailor and explorer. Dirk Hartog's expedition was the third European group to land on Australian soil. He was the first to leave behind an artifact to record his visit, the Hartog plate. His name is sometimes alternatively spelled Dirck Hartog or Dierick...
, on 26 October 1616, the coast of Western Australia had been explored and charted by many Europeans prior to its eventual settlement. Most of whom felt its resources were inadequate to support a permanent settlement.
That changed in the early 19th century, when the fear of French settlement in the area drove British authorities to establish their own colony. In 1827, Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
James Stirling
James Stirling (Australian governor)
Admiral Sir James Stirling RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. His enthusiasm and persistence persuaded the British Government to establish the Swan River Colony and he became the first Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Western Australia...
sighted the area surrounding the Swan River as being suitable for agriculture, and upon his return to England in July, 1828, lobbied for the establishment of a free settler colony, unlike the penal
Penal
Peneral is a town in south Trinidad. It lies south of San Fernando and Debe, and north of Siparia. Originally a rice and cocoa producing area, Penal has grown into an important town in the past few years and is now a desirable place for corporate expansion...
settlements of Eastern Australia.
The British Government assented, and a fleet led by Charles Fremantle
Charles Fremantle
Admiral Sir Charles Howe Fremantle GCB RN was a British Royal Navy officer. The city of Fremantle in Western Australia is named after him.-Early life:...
, aboard HMS Challenger
HMS Challenger
Eight ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Challenger, most famously the survey vessel Challenger that carried the Challenger expedition from 1872 to 1876....
returned along with 3 other vessels, arriving to establish the Swan River Colony
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
on 2 May 1829. The name of the colony was changed to Western Australia in 1832.
Following the establishment of the Swan River Colony
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
, a detachment of Marines from 2nd/40th Foot Second Somersetshire Regiment
40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot
The 40th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1717 and amalgamated into The Prince of Wales's Volunteers in 1881.-Formation:...
who were garrisoned in Sydney at the time, was dispatched to the new colony. Following them, were detachments from most of the Regiments that were also serving in New South Wales.
Other units which saw service in the Western Australian colonies:
- 1st/57th Foot West Middlesex Regiment57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of FootThe 57th Regiment of Foot was a regiment of line infantry in the British Army.-History:The regiment started out as the 59th Regiment of Foot raised in Gloucester in 1755....
; service; 1826–1831 - 1st/39th Foot Dorsetshire Regiment39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of FootThe 39th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1719 and amalgamated into The Dorsetshire Regiment in 1881.The regiment was raised by Colonel Richard Coote in Ireland in August 1702...
; service; 1827–1832 - 1st/4th Foot Lancaster King's Own Regiment ; service; 1832–1837
- 2nd/51st Foot (Yorkshire) West Riding Light Infantry Regiment51st Regiment of Foot51st Regiment of Foot may refer to:*51st Regiment of Foot, 1755-1881*51st King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1881-1968...
; service ; 1838–1846 - 2nd/14th Foot Buckinghamshire RegimentWest Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Own)The West Yorkshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army. In 1958 it amalgamated with The East Yorkshire Regiment to form The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire...
; service; 1866–1870 - 1st/21st Fusiliers Royal North British Fusiliers RegimentRoyal Scots Fusiliers-The Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot :The regiment was raised in Scotland in 1678 by Stuart loyalist Charles Erskine, de jure 5th Earl of Mar for service against the rebel covenanting forces during the Second Whig Revolt . They were used to keep the peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and...
; service; 1833–1839 - 99th. 1849–1856
The first local units were volunteers raised in 1861. The British garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
was to be withdrawn from Western Australia in 1861, and so the local Western Australian Volunteer Force was raised, primarily from Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
and Pinjarra
Pinjarra, Western Australia
Pinjarra is a town in the Peel region of Western Australia along the South Western Highway, from the state capital, Perth and south-east of the coastal city of Mandurah. Its local government area is the Shire of Murray. At the 2006 census, Pinjarra had a population of 3,279.Pinjarra is an area...
. Training was hard to come by, and although the unit was enthusiastic, records show that discipline and poor attendance was a problem.
By January, 1869, the government
Government of Western Australia
The formation of the Government of Western Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1890, although it has been amended many times since then...
had issued tough regulations to training and attendance, and although the unit was made up of volunteers, allowed for payments to be made to those who met a minimum requirement of attendance. By this time, Pinjarra
Pinjarra, Western Australia
Pinjarra is a town in the Peel region of Western Australia along the South Western Highway, from the state capital, Perth and south-east of the coastal city of Mandurah. Its local government area is the Shire of Murray. At the 2006 census, Pinjarra had a population of 3,279.Pinjarra is an area...
had also raised a Pinjarra Mounted Volunteers unit of skilled horsemen.
Although the situation improved, the unit was still very amateurish. A reorganisation followed, and by 17 June 1872 the Metropolitan Rifle Volunteers were formed, with companies in Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, Guildford
Guildford, Western Australia
Guildford is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located 13 km northeast of the city. Its Local Government Area is the City of Swan.-History:Guildford was established in 1829 on the Swan River, being sited near a permanent fresh water supply...
, Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
, Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
, Northampton
Northampton, Western Australia
Northampton is a town north of Geraldton, in the Mid West region of Western Australia. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 813. It is historic, with an outstanding National Trust building. The town lies on the North West Coastal Highway. Formerly named Gwalla after the location's...
, York
York, Western Australia
York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, situated 97 km east of Perth in the Avon Valley near Northam, and is the seat of the Shire of York...
, and in the Wellington District.
By 1875 the officers of the Western Australian Volunteer Force were required to take examinations, prove their suitability for the promotion, and all ranks undertook both practical and field training. Corps were brought together annually, normally over Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
to practice manoeuvres, and had become highly organised.
In February 1893, the Permanent Force Artillery Company was raised to garrison forts at Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
, as the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
was being withdrawn. In November, 1893 the infantry units of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
and Guildford
Guildford, Western Australia
Guildford is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located 13 km northeast of the city. Its Local Government Area is the City of Swan.-History:Guildford was established in 1829 on the Swan River, being sited near a permanent fresh water supply...
were amalgamated to form the 1st Infantry Volunteer Regiment. Combined with the existing companies of the Western Australian Volunteer Force, the new regiment became part of the newly formed Western Australian Defence Force.
From 1893 to 1898 an annual camp was held in the vicinity of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, bringing together most of the force, although units from remote regions usually undertook the same training in isolation. Although lacking the advantage of training as part of a larger force, they still undertook these training camps with a high level of professionalism.
The Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
camp had been organised for both 1899, and 1900, but these camps were cancelled as the Western Australian Defence Force was dispatched to the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
in South Africa. By the time the men had returned from war, Australia had federated
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
and become the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Western Australian Defence Force, which now consisted of one mounted infantry
Mounted infantry
Mounted infantry were soldiers who rode horses instead of marching, but actually fought on foot . The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry...
regiment, two field batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
, one garrison artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
company and an infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
comprising five battalions were amalgamated into the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
.
On 31 December 1900, the day before federation
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
, a survey of the strength of colonial forces found that the Western Australian colonial forces consisted of 140 regular and 135 part-paid or volunteer officers, and 2553 regular, and 2561 part-paid or volunteer men of other ranks.
South Australia (1836)
South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
was the only British colony in Australia which was not a convict colony. It was established as a planned free colony, and began on 28 December 1836. As such, garrisons were not required as prison guards, like in the other colonies. However, Governor John Hindmarsh
John Hindmarsh
Rear-Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh KH RN was a naval officer and the first Governor of South Australia, from 28 December 1836 to 16 July 1838.-Early life:...
was escorted on the HMS Buffalo
HMS Buffalo (1813)
HMS Buffalo was a storeship of the Royal Navy, originally built in India as the merchant vessel Hindostan. She later served as a convict ship and as transport for immigrants to Australia before being wrecked in 1840.-Launch and purchase:...
by a contingent of nineteen Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. They were assigned to protect him and left South Australia when he departed the colony on the HMS Alligator on 14 July 1838. A lack of any form of defence however, led to the creation of the first locally raised military force in Australia. The Royal South Australian Volunteer Militia was raised for this purpose in 1840. The Militia lacked discipline, equipment and training, and was disbanded by 1851.
The idea of self-support was entirely ingrained in the foundation of the South Australian colony though, and so in 1853 the "Militia Act" (1853) was passed, which allowed for compulsory enlistment
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
of men between the ages of 16 and 46, although this option was never pursued. On 4 November 1854, a new attempt was made to raise local militia forces in South Australia. The government proclaimed a general order that established the South Australian Volunteer Militia Force, which was to be organised into two battalions, each consisting of six companies
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
of between 50 and 60 men, which would be known as the Adelaide Rifles. The men received 36 days training, and then returned to their civilian jobs until needed. This force was short lived though, being disbanded upon the end of the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
in 1856.
However, the colonial government felt uneasy about being undefended. The Volunteer Force was reformed in 1859, and soon numbered 14 companies. By the following year, the numbers had increased to 45 companies with a total of 70 officers and 2000 men of other ranks. On 26 April 1860, the Adelaide Regiment of Volunteer Rifles was formed. In 1865 South Australia became the first state to introduce partially paid volunteers, which was a system all of the other colonies were soon to follow. This was brought about by the enacting of "The Volunteer Act" (1865) which divided all military forces into active and reserve forces. Due to organisational problems and lack of equipment, the Adelaide Regiment of Volunteer Rifles was again disbanded in early 1866, only to be reformed again in May 1866. By 16 November 1867, the Adelaide Regiment of Volunteer Rifles had been re-designated as the "Prince Alfred's Rifle Volunteers" following the Duke of Edinburgh's visit to Australia, but lack of funding saw them disbanded. A company of expatriate Scottish immigrants had formed The Scottish Company in 1865, and reformed as The Duke of Edinburgh's Own on 18 November 1867.
The outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
in France on 19 July 1870, led to the South Australian Governor
Governors of South Australia
The Governor of South Australia is the representative in the Australian state of South Australia of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level.In...
, Sir James Fergusson
Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet
Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet GCSI, PC was a British soldier, Conservative politician and colonial administrator.-Background and education:...
conducting a review of the colonies defences. He determined to reorganise the force into two battalions of 500–600 men, two artillery batteries, and four troops of cavalry. However his proposals received little backing from the colonial parliament, and were rejected by newly re-elected Premier
Premiers of South Australia
Before the 1890s when there was no formal party system in South Australia, MPs tended to have historical liberal or conservative beliefs. The liberals dominated government from 1893 to 1905 with Labor support, with the conservatives mostly in opposition. Labor took government with the support of...
John Hart
John Hart, senior
Captain John Hart was a South Australian politician and a Premier of South Australia.-Early life:The son of journalist/newspaper publisher John Harriott Hart & Mary nee Glanville, John was born on 25 February 1809 probably at 23 Warwick Lane off Newgate Street, London. At Christ Church, Greyfriars...
. Some politicians felt it would help alleviate the high unemployment the colony was suffering at the time, but the majority felt the enormous cost outweighed the potential benefits. Once again the issue of funding stood in the way of South Australia having an efficient and ready regular military force.
The issue continued to be debated until 1875 when interest in military expansion was renewed amongst the colonial politicians. The government had been quite unstable for the first five years of the 1870s, but settled in 1875, allowing for more stable planning. Once again affairs of empires played a part. Russia was once again being perceived as a threat by all of the colonial governments following the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78. Politicians came under pressure from the press and campaign groups to expand the defensive capacity of the colony.
Finally in May 1877, the South Australian Volunteer Military Forces was reformed consisting primarily of 10 companies of the Adelaide Rifles. The success of raising those units did not stop the political arguments over the issue with wrangling between Governor
Governors of South Australia
The Governor of South Australia is the representative in the Australian state of South Australia of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level.In...
Sir William Jervois
William Jervois
Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, GCMG, CB was a British military engineer who saw service, as Second Captain, in South Africa...
and Premier John Colton
John Colton
Sir John Colton KCMG was an Australian politician, Premier of South Australia and philanthropist.Colton, the son of William Colton, a farmer, was born in Devonshire, England. He arrived in South Australia in 1839 with his parents, who went on the land...
temporarily suspending further development. Despite all of the political setbacks, the Adelaide Rifles had soon grown to 21 companies, and on 4 July 1877 a second battalion was formed. The second battalion comprised the companies from Mount Gambier
Mount Gambier, South Australia
Mount Gambier is the largest regional city in South Australia located approximately 450 kilometres south of the capital Adelaide and just 17 kilometres from the Victorian border....
, Unley
Unley, South Australia
Unley is an inner-southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. The relatively wealthy area lies within the City of Unley. The suburb is the home of the Sturt Football Club, an SANFL team...
, and Port Pirie
Port Pirie, South Australia
-Transport:Port Pirie is located off National Highway One. It is serviced by an airport five minutes out of the city.- Railways :The first railways in Port Pirie were of the narrow [3' 6"] gauge....
together with the Duke of Edinburgh's Own of Prince Alfred Rifle Volunteers. Training intensified briefly for the duration of the Russo-Turkish War, and then resumed at normal levels, with the 2nd Battalion being amalgamated with the 1st Battalion.
By 1885, the second battalion was again reformed, consisting of the same companies as previously, and a third battalion was raised in 1889, only to be disbanded in 1895. Up until 1896, all South Australian units trained only once a year at Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
. The commitment of the men, and constant restructuring and reorganising were in direct response to perceived threats to the colony.
Upon the outbreak of hostilities in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, many men from various South Australian units volunteers to participate with the Australian contingent. Any regiments whose men participated received King's Colours and battle honour
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
s.
On 31 December 1900, the day before Federation
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
, a survey of the strength of colonial forces found that the South Australian colonial forces consisted of 141 regular and 135 part-paid or volunteer officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
, and 2847 regular, and 2797 part-paid or volunteer men of other ranks
Other Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
. Following South Australia's admission to the Commonwealth of Australia, all of the South Australian forced were drawn into the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
. The 1st Battalion of the Regiment of Adelaide Rifles being redesignated as the 10th Australian Infantry Regiment (Adelaide Rifles), the 2nd Battalion became the South Australia Infantry Regiment, G Company became South Australia Scottish Infantry (Mount Gambier), and H Company Scottish became G Company (Scottish) South Australia Infantry Regiment.
Victoria (1851)
The first attempt to establish a settlement in what is now Victoria was made by David CollinsDavid Collins (governor)
Colonel David Collins was the first Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Van Diemens Land, founded in 1804, which in 1901 became the state of Tasmania in the Commonwealth of Australia.-Early life and military career:...
departed from England in April, 1803, aboard H.M.S. Calcutta with orders to establish a colony at Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
. It was short lived, as he was unhappy with the location and the inability of his small Marine contingent to defend the site from aggressive local Aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
, and he removed it to Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
.
Several journeys and explorers passed the northern coast of Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
in the interim, but it was not until John Batman
John Batman
John Batman was an Australian grazier, businessman and explorer who is best known for his role in the founding of a settlement which became Melbourne and the colony of Victoria.-Life:...
journeyed from Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
in 1835 to establish a farming community at what was to become Melbourne that the new colony was established.
The new settlement's prime locality between New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
, and the natural resources of the area saw it grow rapidly. Initially the settlement was governed directly by Sydney, but by 1840, it was proposed that it should be self governing. This was achieved on 1 July 1851.
The first home-raised Victorian unit, the Melbourne Rifle Regiment was raised in 1854. Further expansion, primarily through private enterprise, resulted in the addition of Cavalry, Artillery, Engineer, Torpedo and Signal units.
By 1854 the newly formed Victorian Government faced their first crisis. Three years earlier, in 1851, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
had been discovered in Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
, and soon after in Bendigo
Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
triggering the Victorian gold rush
Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
. The government imposed heavy mining taxes
Miner's Licence
The Miner's Licence was the colonial government's response to the Australian gold rushes and the need to provide infrastructure including policing. The Governor of New South Wales, Sir Charles Fitzroy invoked a sixteenth-century lawsuit, R v Earl of Northfartland which was decided in 1568, to...
, which caused a miners revolt, culminating in the Eureka Stockade
Eureka Stockade
The Eureka Rebellion of 1854 was an organised rebellion by gold miners which occurred at Eureka Lead in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Battle of Eureka Stockade was fought on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict...
. The miners fortified a position, and at 3 am on Sunday, 3 December 1854, a party of 276 members of 1/12 and 2/40 regiments supported by Victorian police under the command of Captain J.W. Thomas
John Wellesley Thomas
Lieutenant-General Sir John Wellesley Thomas, KCB was a distinguished British military officer who served in Afghanistan, Australia, and China. He was the commander of the British military and police forces that quelled the rebellion at the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia in...
approached the Eureka Stockade
Eureka Stockade
The Eureka Rebellion of 1854 was an organised rebellion by gold miners which occurred at Eureka Lead in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Battle of Eureka Stockade was fought on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict...
and a battle ensued.
The police took up holding positions on two sides of the stockade, with a further unit of mounted police
Mounted police
Mounted police are police who patrol on horseback or camelback. They continue to serve in remote areas and in metropolitan areas where their day-to-day function may be picturesque or ceremonial, but they are also employed in crowd control because of their mobile mass and height advantage and...
held in reserve. On a third side mounted members of the 2nd/40th Foot Second Somersetshire Regiment
40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot
The 40th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1717 and amalgamated into The Prince of Wales's Volunteers in 1881.-Formation:...
pressed in, supported by a combined storming party made up from members of the 2nd/40th Foot Second Somersetshire Regiment
40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot
The 40th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1717 and amalgamated into The Prince of Wales's Volunteers in 1881.-Formation:...
, and the 1st/12th Foot East Suffolk Regiment
Suffolk Regiment
The Suffolk Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army with a history dating back to 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated with the Royal Norfolk Regiment as the 1st East Anglian Regiment in 1959...
. A further contingent of the police troopers, and infantry units was also kept in reserve. Although they were well armed, the miners were no match for the professionalism and organisation of the military, and they were routed within 15 minutes.
A contingent of the 1st/99th Foot Wiltshire Duke of Edinburgh Regiment, then serving in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, was dispatched to aid them, however they were not required.
In the 1850s Melbourne was the headquarters of the Australia and New Zealand Military Command, and for a brief period in the early 1860s, Melbourne was the headquarters of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Australia Station
Australia Station
The Australia Station was the British—and later Australian—naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.-History:In the early years following the establishment of the colony of New South Wales, ships based in Australian waters came under the control of the East Indies...
. This period also saw the Victorian Government pass the Volunteer Act (1863), authorising the raising of voluntary military forces.
1870 saw the creation of Victoria's first permanent Artillery Corps, which was essentially created to garrison the fortifications throughout the colony following the final departure of British Units garrisoned in Victoria. The Corps never exceeded 300 men in strength.
From the 1870s onwards, the Victorian military expanded and further developed at a steady rate. Increased training led to better efficiency and high standards of the men. Increased numbers of professional soldiers were developed alongside a well maintained militia of citizens.
In 1884 a new system of paid militia who served for a fixed term replaced the old system of volunteers. Although the service remained part time, allowing troops to continue civilian employment, a minimum number of days was set. The following year, the Victorian Mounted Rifles
Victorian Mounted Rifles
The Victorian Mounted Rifles was a regiment composed of Australian forces that served in the Second Boer War. It was first raised by Colonel Tom Price in the mid-1880s, composed of voluntary forces...
were formed, primarily recruiting in rural areas where men had establish horsemanship skills. These men were required to provide and maintain their own horse. In 1888, the Victorian Rangers, a rural infantry unit was also raised. Both rural units were not paid well, but did receive small allowances. It seems that members of rural rifle clubs formed the basis of both of these units.
In December, 1892, men of the Echuca
Echuca, Victoria
Echuca is a town located on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe river in Victoria, Australia. The Border town Moama is on the northern side of the Murray river in New South Wales. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Shire of Campaspe...
Company of the Victorian Rangers nearly sparked an inter-colonial incident between New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Victoria, by accepting a polite invitation to cross the colonial border of the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
to nearby Moama
Moama, New South Wales
Moama is a town in the Riverina district of southern New South Wales, Australia, in the Murray Shire Local Government Area. The town is directly across the Murray River from the larger tourist town of Echuca in the neighbouring state of Victoria, to which it is connected by a bridge...
, to attend a patriotic march. However, crossing the border in uniform and under arms would have legally constituted an "invasion
Invasion
An invasion is a military offensive consisting of all, or large parts of the armed forces of one geopolitical entity aggressively entering territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of either conquering, liberating or re-establishing control or authority over a...
", and would have been in contravention of the military law of both colonies. Despite the obvious social context of the event, and the seemingly innocent nature of the Rangers acceptance, the incident, now referred to as the "border event" upset members of both colony's governments, who were seemingly both opposed to either colony allowing troops from the other to enter their territory. The event was defused without incident, but served to highlight how tense the colonies were about defence at the time. Eventually permission was granted for the men to enter New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, and they performed marches and manoeuvres in front of a large reception.
The Victorian Scottish Regiment
Victorian Scottish Regiment
The Victorian Scottish Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Australian Army. Formed in 1898 as a volunteer unit of the colonial Victorian Military Forces, the unit went through a number of changes in name over the course of its 62 year history. During World War I many of its members...
was formed in 1898.
Upon the outbreak of the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
in South Africa on 12 October 1899, men volunteered for active service from every Australian colony. Victoria's contribution was second only to New South Wales in size, and comprised 193 officers and 3372 men of other ranks. The Victorian contingent were involved in a remarkable victory when they routed the Boers at Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
on 29 May 1900.
On 31 December 1900, the day before federation
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
, a survey of the strength of colonial forces found that the Victorian colonial forces consisted of 394 regular and 301 part-paid or volunteer officers, and 6050 regular, and 6,034 part-paid or volunteer men of other ranks.
Upon Federation, the units of the Victorian forces all became units of the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
.
Queensland (1859)
Queensland was established by Letters Patent from Queen Victoria, on 6 June 1859. Prior to this time, the area that constitutes Queensland was formally part of the colony of New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, and therefore came under New South Wales' military protection.
After being granted self government, Queensland immediately set about raising militia forces. By March, 1860, a troop of volunteer mounted rifles had been raised. They were soon joined by units of infantry and cavalry, and later supplemented by artillery. These men were all volunteers, but unlike the other Australian colonies of the time, they received government subsidies and grants for the purchase of equipment and ammunition. This was soon broadened to include grants of 50 acres (202,343 m²) of land upon completion of five years of consecutive service.
By 1876, the forces amounted to an inadequate 412 men in total. Steps were taken to improve the situation, including the passing of the Volunteer Act (1878), which encouraged citizens to undertake training, and saw the numbers of men increase to 1219 by 1880.
British forces had been stationed at Port Albany, and on Cape York
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
between 1865 and 1867, because of the recognised strategic importance of Torres Strait
Torres Strait
The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and King George's Sound. After their withdrawal, Queensland maintained a token force there, but it was widely recognised as inadequate to prevent any serious threat. An administrative centre and more serious force was raised to be stationed upon Thursday Island in 1877.
Like the other Australian colonies, Queensland's government was not satisfied by the volunteer system, and aimed to replace it. A Military Committee of Inquiry was established to determine the best alternatives, and found that the service lacked cohesion and discipline. They recommended a combination of partially paid militia with volunteer corps formed to support them, with all male inhabitants liable for service. This was enacted with the repealing of the Volunteer Act in 1884.
Around the same time the Queensland government felt alarmed by the threat of the expansion by the German colony of German New Guinea
German New Guinea
German New Guinea was the first part of the German colonial empire. It was a protectorate from 1884 until 1914 when it fell to Australia following the outbreak of the First World War. It consisted of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups...
, and felt that by securing the southeastern quarter of the island of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, they could provide more safety for shipping through the Torres Strait
Torres Strait
The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
.
Queensland Premier Thomas McIlwraith
Thomas McIlwraith
Sir Thomas McIlwraith KCMG was for many years the dominant figure of colonial politics in Queensland. He was Premier of Queensland from 1877 to 1883, again in 1888, and for a third time in 1893...
ordered Henry Chester, who was the then police magistrate on Thursday Island, to proceed to Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
and take possession of it for Great Britain. He did so, arriving on 4 April 1883, without approval from the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
, and much to the astonished consternation of the British Government which was firmly opposed to further colonial expansion, raised the Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
proclaiming the British colony of the Territory of Papua.
The British government initially repudiated the action, but a firmer commitment by the Australian colonial governments finally secured a British Protectorate over southern New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
(Papua) in October 1884, and it was declared an official British protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
on 6 November 1884. Causing much consternation in London, an astute Germany annexed the northern portion two weeks later, expanding Kaiser-Wilhelmsland
Kaiser-Wilhelmsland
Kaiser-Wilhelmsland was part of the German New Guinea, the South Pacific protectorate of the German Empire. Named in honor of Wilhelm II, who was the German Emperor and King of Prussia, it included the north-eastern part of the present day Papua New Guinea. From 1884 until 1918, the territory...
.
In 1884, the recommendations of the Military Committee of Inquiry were enacted, and a smaller, more cohesive permanent force was established, with volunteer support.
Upon the outbreak of the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
on 11 October 1899, Queensland immediately responded by dispatching a contingent of 149 officers, and 2739 men of other ranks, comprising the Queensland Mounted Infantry, and Queensland Bushmen.
On 31 December 1900, the day before federation
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
, a survey of the strength of colonial forces found that Queensland's colonial forces consisted of 810 regular and 291 part-paid or volunteer officers, and 5035 regular, and 3737 part-paid or volunteer men of other ranks.
As with all of the Australian colonies, the forces of Queensland automatically transferred to Commonwealth control with the enactment of Australian federation on 1 January 1901.