NSW Citizens' Bushmen

 On 28 February 1900 members of the New South Wales Citizen's Bushmen marched from their base at Kensington to the ship that was to take them to South Africa. A description of the procession and the reaction of the crowd is described in the following article from the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate Thursday 1 March 1900.

The Bushmen's Contingent. A MAGNIFICENT SEND OFF SYDNEY, Wednesday. 

The departure of the New South Wales portion of the Bushmen's Contingent this afternoon was brilliantly successful in every respect. The enthusiasm displayed on the occasions of the departure of the other contingents was fully sustained, and the men were accorded a splendid reception. The excursion train service arranged by the railway authorities enabled many thousands of country visitors who under other circumstances would have been unable to visit Sydney to witness the demonstration. The line of the procession was crowded, and every vantage point was packed. A very pretty effect was secured in several places by lines of streamers and flags being suspended across the streets. The weather was very dull during the morning, with strong indications of rain, but notwithstanding these unfavourable conditions the numbers of people who gathered to assist in the send-off were as large as the great concourse which assembled to say farewell to the last contingent. 

Leaving the Kensington camp at 1 o'clock, headed by Colonel Airey, and amidst the cheers of the general staff and the crowd at the gates, the Bushmen's Contingent proceeded along the Randwick-road and arrived at the Moore Park rendezvous in good time. The scene from the balcony of the Captain Cook Hotel, a fine point of vantage, was a most imposing one. The brilliant uniforms of the Lancers mingled with the spotless white of the men of the Royal Navy, of whom there were about 250 present. There was also a great muster of cadets, about 2000 strong, to take part in the procession. The long lines of horse men stretched far down the road until lost to view. Major-General French was early upon the scene, accompanied by Colonel Mackenzie, A.A.G., Lieut. Griffiths, and Lieut. Timothy. Some little time was spent in forming the procession. 

As the bands struck up and the procession moved off the enthusiasm was very great, and the cheering deafening. 

 The public could not crowd in upon the men, as was the case with the Second Contingent on the day of embarkation, as to-day the prancing horses kept the enthusiasts back. Many of the men wore flowers, or some other token of affection from their loved ones. The procession, including the cadets, must have comprised some 4000 persons. Dense crowds thronged the line of route, and as the troops passed along Fitzroy and Bourke streets, and thence onward through the city, the waiting thousands caught up and swelled the volume of cheering with which the citizens bade farewell to their soldiers. 

From Moore Park to Woolloomooloo Bay the march was a triumphant one, the Bush men being cheered from the footways, the windows, balconies, roofs, and fences along the whole line. The men reached the wharf shortly after 3 o'clock, and immediately dismounted, and unsaddled and fastened their horses. The arrangements were all that could be desired, the organisation appearing to be much better than that displayed on former occasions. Before proceeding on board the steamers the Bushmen were drawn up in the form of a square in front of a covered platform, which was occupied by Sir Frederick Darley, the Lieutenant-Governor, the Premier, the Chief Secretary, and other members of the Ministry; Major-General French, and a small number of visitors. Sir Frederick, who was received with cheers, read a telegram he had received from Sir Alfred Milner, High Commissioner of South Africa, dated 27th February, to the following effect: "Cronje surrendered. Delighted to congratulate you upon the noble share taken by the troops of your colony."

[The Lieutenant-Governor then made a speech encouraging the men in their endeavours. This was followed by a speech by the Premier.]

The Premier, who was received with great cheers, said that when the news arrived the night before last that the reverses which hitherto had met the British arms in South Africa were changed, he was asked whether the Bushmen would now go. Of course he answered that they would go. That news had caused the greatest enthusiasm in Australia and throughout the world, but it was not good to anticipate that there would be no further trouble and opposition in South Africa. He believed there would be further opposition, and further fighting, but if there were to be no further fighting after they arrived they (the Bushmen) deserved as much credit as if they had gone with the first lot. (Cheers.) They volunteered at a time when they anticipated very severe fighting, and their courage in volunteering at such a time to support the honour of the Empire was deserving of the greatest credit. The misfortune had been that the Government could not accept all the volunteers who wanted to enlist. They had to reject many good men. They were no idle words that he (Mr. Lyne) had spoken on the last occasion, such as this, when he said a generous Government and a generous public would look after their loved ones. (Cheers.) Already, as Parliament was not in session, he had taken the necessary steps to look after those dependent upon the men who had fallen already at the front. (Cheers.) He made these remarks on an occasion of great solemnity, which he believed Parliament and the country would support to the fullest extent. He felt extremely proud of this brigade, who were somewhat different from the others who had gone. (Cheers.) He advised them to follow the advice of the Lieutenant-Governor, and not be too reckless. They would give a good account of themselves. He knew they could sit firm and ride straight, and the colonies of the Empire were sitting firm and riding straight. He knew they would reflect credit on this country, and on themselves. He hoped they would return and they would be received back with proud and open hearts, and if any should die they would receive a fitting memorial The Governor had sent him a message asking him to say good-bye, and to thank them for their courage and loyalty.

[Following some additional speeches, the men boarded the troopships Atlantian and  Maplemore to sail to South Africa].

William Lidderdale Hutton

William Lidderdale Hutton was born in Torquay, Devon, England on 18 August 1865. He was the son of William Forbes Hutton and Eleonora Mackillop and was the ninth of eleven children - the fourth born of six sons. When the 1871 census was taken William was living at Hill House, Leckhampton, with his mother and seven of his brothers and sisters. His father was in India serving as an officer in the Army but was about to leave India for Australia to join his eldest son, George, who arrived in Victoria in 1869.

On 6 May 1874, William and the members of his family who were not already in Australia arrived in Melbourne aboard the ship, Northumberland. Initially the family lived in Kew in a large house named Blytheswood. In 1871 William Forbes Hutton had purchased Cooring Yering at Lilydale and the family lived in Kew while a large house was built on the new property and farming on the property was established. William was eight when he arrived in Australia and would have attended school in Melbourne. The family officially moved to Cooring Yering in 1883 when William was 18. The boys would certainly have spent some of the time prior to this helping on the property. Among other skills he would certainly have learned to ride and work with horses.

In 1884 at Farrell's Hotel, Yarra Flats, a meeting was held to discuss the formation of a local cavalry corps. The Victorian Mounted Rifles were formed in 1885 but there were more applications to join than places available so there was need for a restructure in February 1891 as noted in the Camperdown Chronicle 14 February 1891:

VICTORIAN MOUNTED RIFLES. The following order in connexion with the Victorian Mounted Rifles has been issued from headquarters:—" The Governor-in-Council has been pleased to approve of the following -Formation of companies into battalions in the Victorian Rifles, A, C, D, E, and F Companies to be designated Ist Battalion Victorian Mounted Rifles, with head quarters at Melbourne; B, G, H, and I Companies to be designated 2nd Battalion Victorian Mounted Rifles, with headquarters at Ballarat."

A Lilydale attachment was subsequently organised as part of 'A' Company of the 1st Battalion. At a meeting on 24 April 1891 at the Lilydale Athenaeum Hall sixteen men signed up and by the end of May there were 48 members. Infantry drills were held on Tuesday and Friday evenings and by July the members had completed a course in musketry and later also compulsory drills at Williamstown.

As well as supplying their own horses, an example of what was expected of members of the Victorian Mounted Rifles is outlined in this notice in the Alexander and Yea Standard 24 April 1891:

We have been requested to notify those gentlemen who recently applied to be admitted members of the Victorian Mounted Rifles that they have been taken on the strength of the regiment, and should attend the drill of the local detachment on this day fortnight, by which time it is hoped uniforms will be ready for them. All efficient members of the local detachment of the Mounted Rifles are expected to attend parade this afternoon, when the   musketry course must be completed. Any member failing to attend will be struck off the strength of the regiment, and will not be taken on again, in addition to which each man failing to complete the musketry course entails a loss of £3 on the company. Every member is requested to bring with him all articles of kit belonging to Government in his possession, so that all losses may be made good and each man's equipment made perfect.  

It is probably not surprising, with the military background of their family, that William Hutton and his brother, Maurice, were among the early members of Victorian Mounted Rifles at Lilydale.  Twenty-five men from Lilydale were chosen to be part of the Victorian Mounted Rifles escort of the Governor, the Earl of Hopetoun, from Government House to the opening of Parliament on Tuesday 23 June. William and Maurice were part of the contingent. Anthony J McAleer in his book, The Shire of Lillydale and its military history suggests that the men were 'chosen for the uniformity of their horses rather than any special ability' (p18). Later in the year men from Lilydale were also included in the escort of the Governor to the Melbourne Cup.

By the mid 1890s membership in the Victorian Mountain Rifles in the Lilydale area dwindled but a recruitment drive in 1897, including a Military Ball in the Athenaeum Hall, proved to be effective in attracting new members.

During the Boer War 1899-1902 a number of men from Lilydale, including William Lidderdale Hutton, left with the Victorian Mountain Rifles contingent for South Africa.

According to Forces War Records, William L Hutton (service number 1551) was a Corporal in the 5th Contingent Victorian Mounted Rifles. The website Desert Column (Australian Lighthorse Studies Centre) provides a nominal roll of those in the 5th Contingent Victorian Mounted Rifles as well as an outline of the formation and their service. The 5th Mounted Rifles Contingent enrolled on 1 February 1901 and preference was given to single men who were members of a Victorian military force, who weighed less than 12 stone and were capable of passing riding, shooting and physical tests. The men enlisted for a period of 12 months unless the war ended sooner. Each man was provided with a full kit including a uniform in kharki cloth consisting of pants puttees, hat and f s (foreign service) jacket and cap, greatcoat and boots. Rifles and bayonets were issued when they arrived in Cape Town though they received their cartridge belts in Victoria. Horses and necessary saddlery were also provided.

The contingent departed from Melbourne on 15 February 1901 aboard the Orient. Two other ships, the Argus and the City of Lincoln, carried horses and supplies. The men disembarked at Port Elizabeth before travelling to Pretoria where they mobilized between 24 March and 4 April. The Australians in South Africa were under the command of the British officers so on 10 April they travelled to Middelburg to join General Beatson's column. Some days later at Leeuwfontein they captured a convoy of 21 wagons and 16 prisoners. On 11 May the Regiment was divided into two wings and were involved in various engagements many of which are recorded in The Official War Records of the Australian Military Contingents to the War in South Africa by Lieutenant Colonel P L Murray. The section relating to the 5th Contingent Victorian Mounted Rifles is available online as a pdf. 

On 11 March 1902 members of the 5th Contingent arrived back in Cape Town and on 27 March two companies embarked on the St Andrew - 6 officers and 153 men - for Melbourne, via Albany, arriving on 25 April 1902. The remainder of the 5th Contingent - 23 officers and 460 men - embarked on the Montrose  for Durban where they transferred to the Custodian arriving in Melbourne, via Albany, on 26 April.

Records relating to Australia's involvement in the Boer War can be found on the National Archives Australia website including a publication, The Boer War: Australia and the War in South Africa which is available as a book or viewed online.
The Australian War Memorial website includes the nominal roll for Pre First World War Conflicts, including the Boer War.
Forums that may be useful in researching the Boer War include Anglo Boer War forum and Victorian Wars forum.

Queen Victoria died during the Boer War on 22 January 1901. The Queen's South Africa Medal (QSA) ‎was awarded to military personnel who served in the Boer War in South Africa between 11 October 1899 and 31 May 1902. William would therefore have been eligible to receive this medal.

After returning from the Boer War William lived on properties in Western Australia for many years. The first property was Moorarrie Station, on the Upper Murchison River, which advertised for sale in the middle of 1902. The Australian electoral rolls confirm that he was living there in 1903. The property was back on the market in November 1905 when William relocated to Jelcobine Estate, another sheep station near Brookton. This property was sold in December 1911 when William and his wife, Violet - who he married on 7 March 1905 - moved back to Victoria. The electoral rolls in 1914 show that they were farming at Arcadia, near Shepparton. They later moved to 104 Drummond Street, Ballarat where William died on 17 June 1929. William's will, dated on the day he married Violet, left all his possessions to his wife. The personal estate was valued at £1906 2/6. The major part of the estate was a share in the deceased estate of his cousin, Georgina Hutton who died in 1928 and was the widow of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bruce Hutton.

Military Forces in Australia before Federation

British soldiers were among the first European settlers in Australia as they were needed to guard the convicts transported first to New South Wales and then to Tasmania. However, being a British colony, when Britain was at war with another country, particularly the French, it was  considered additional security might be required and voluntary forces were formed. The Year Book of Australia 1909 contained an article entitled the 'Military System in Australia Prior to Federation'. The article is available online on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.

The Napoleonic Wars were the first overseas events to impact upon events in the colony. In 1801 a corps of volunteers known as the Loyal Association was formed in New South Wales in case of invasion by the French.. When news of the outbreak of war with France reached the Colony in 1808 the Governor called a muster to raise a defence force. Many of the settlers also organised their own protection. When Thomas Birch, for example, built his large brick house in Hobart in 1815 he mounted a canon on the roof in case of foreign invasion.

The next major international concern was in 1854 when England was at war with Russia - the Crimean War. Before Federation, each state was responsible for its own defence.  In New South Wales the 1st Regiment of New South Rifles was established in Sydney initially consisting of one troop of cavalry, one battery of artillery and six companies of foot soldiers. In Victoria the Melbourne Volunteer Rifle Regiment (later the Victorian Volunteer Rifle Regiment) was formed with 2,000 men.

In New South Wales, once the threat of war was over the regiment barely existed but in 1860 a second expanded force of volunteers was established consisting of one troop of mounted rifles, three batteries of artillery plus twenty companies of infantry - a total of 1700 men. The Volunteer Regulation Act of 1867 reorganised the structure of the forces and also offered incentives such as a grant of 50 acres of land for five years 'efficient service'.  In 1874 the land grants were abolished but were replaced a system of part payment. Additional artillery batteries and other forces were introduced including the Engineer Corps and torpedo and signalling corps. The New South Wales Lancers, a cavalry regiment, was raised in 1885 as a volunteer reserve corps until they were merged into a partially paid Light Horse troop three years later. The uniforms and weapons were supplied by the government but the men provided their own horses. Another unit, the Mounted Rifles, was also part of the Light Horse. Over the years companies were formed, merged or disbanded until 1892 when the 1st, 2nd. 3rd and 4th Regiments were extended from eight to ten companies. A number of civilian rifle clubs had also been formed at this time. By 1894 it was the custom for senior cadets from public schools to be absorbed into the regiments. Organisation of the forces improved and by 1895 an Army Service Corps, an Ordinance Store Corps and a Veterinary department was added.

From the mid 1890s volunteers were again encouraged with the formation of the Scottish Rifles, Irish Rifles, St George's Rifles and Australian Rifles. The Defence Forces continued to grow with the establishment of the First Australian Volunteer Horse in 1897 and the Railway Volunteer Corps (1897 - 1899) and the National Guard (consisting of older men and former servicemen) in 1899. Volunteer companies continued to form including, in 1900, the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, Civil Service Corps and Drummoyne Volunteer Company. An Army Nursing Service Reserve was also established.

In New South Wales by the end of 1900 the military consisted of 505 officers and 8833 men. There was also a reserve with 130 officers and 1908 men plus 1906 members of civilian rifle clubs.

Military establishments also developed in the other states.

By the end of 1900 in Victoria the forces consisted of 301 officers and 6034 men, in Queensland the military forces totalled 4028 men, in South Australia there were 135 officers and 2797 men, in Western Australia there were 135 officers and 2561 men while in Tasmania there were 113 officers and 1911 men.

The Year Book Australia 1909 article provides detailed tables showing the numbers of military personnel for each state and the types of units including permanent, partially paid and volunteer in 1908.

The military forces were not just established to protect the colony from attack. An infantry battalion of 522 men and 24 officers plus an artillery battery of 212 men left Sydney on 3 March 1885 to fight in the Sudan under the command of the British.

Colonies, particularly New South Wales and Victoria, also sent troops to assist British forces in China during the Boxer Rebellion and to South Africa - the Boer War.

The Internet has a number of introductory articles on the topic. A sample of sites is listed below.
General articles:
Colonial Forces of Australia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_forces_of_Australia
Military System in Australia Prior to Federation - online edition
Digger History - http://www.diggerhistory.info/
History of Australia's Artillery - http://artilleryhistory.org/history.html
Australian War Memorial website has a number of sections covering:
Colonial Period 1788-1901 - http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/colonial/
Sudan (New South Wales Contingent) 1885 - http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/sudan/
Australia and the Boer War 1889-1902 - http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/boer/
China (Boxer Rebellion) 1900-1901 - http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/boxer/
Victorian Military History:
Victorian Volunteer Forces 1854 to 1884 - Museum Victoria
Victoria's Volunteers - Defending Victoria website
Colonial Defence Records held in Melbourne - National Archives fact sheet
Colonial forces and militia - State Library of Victoria research guide
Australian colonial forces and family history - State Library of Victoria research guide
Armed forces VF 372 -   Public Record Office Victoria
The early muzzle loaders in the Victorian Volunteer Forces - http://mhhv.org.au/?p=754
Military History and Heritage Victoria - http://mhhv.org.au/
Victorian Volunteer Force on the Central Victorian Goldfields 1853-1883 - thesis by Bob Marmion
Victorian Volunteer Forces Long and Efficient Service medal 1880 - Museum Victoria
Melbourne Volunteer Rifle Regiment - History
Victorian Mounted Rifles - Traralgon Historical Society
Victorian Colonial and Pre WWI badges - Digger History

A number of books have been written covering the military in Australia prior to Federation.
A search in the State Library of Victoria catalogue for Colonial Forces or Volunteer Forces or Military service, Voluntary for example provides information about  books, records on microfiche, photographs and online resources on the topic. Similar searches in the catalogues of the other state libraries and the National Library of Australia would also provide useful information.
Books have also been written concentrating on one locality. One title is The Shire of Lilydale and its Military Heritage by Anthony J McAleer published in 1994.

Also check public library catalogues for relevant items. The search for the words Colonial Military Forces in a public library catalogue located the following titles:
A Military History of Australia by Jeffrey Grey (3rd ed. 2008)
An Atlas of Australia's Wars by John Coates (2006)
The Diggers: Makers of Australian Military Tradition (1993)
The Colonial Volunteers: the Defence Forces of the Australian Colonies 1836 - 1901 (1988)
The Remote Garrison: the British Army in Australia 1788-1870 (1986)
Red Coat Dreaming: How Colonial Australia Embraced the British Army (2009)
Australian Military History for Dummies (2010)

Newspapers are perhaps the most valuable resource for locating information on early Australian military history, particularly as it affects a local area. Increasingly local newspapers, as well as the larger state and national newspapers, are being digitised and made available through Trove. Use the Advanced Search option to limit the search to a particular newspaper or time frame. If the local newspaper in your area has not yet been digitised it may be available on microfiche or even hard copy at the historical society for the area. The State Library of Victoria has copies of newspapers published throughout Victoria. Check the catalogue for availability. It may be necessary to order copies in advanced as much of the newspaper collection is in storage, offsite.