Darebin’s Boer War

The Preston Contingent

”Three Musketeers” in the persons of Messrs Chas. Patterson, Steve Prowse and Fred Michell – all Preston boys – called at this office in a high state of jubilation on Thursday, having been picked the day before to go with the Victorian contingent and fight for the liberties of  their fellow Britishers in the Transvaal.  Had it been another Queen’s Jubilee they couldn’t have been in better spirits over it. They have each promised to act as “special war correspondents to the Leader” while away, so our readers should be well supplied with first-hand information from the seat of war – if it ever gets that far. The above named gentlemen belong to the Mounted Rifles.  Messrs F. Hull and G. Emery, infantrymen, also of Preston have also been chosen to go with the contingent. Five from Preston is pretty good”.                         ‘The Leader, 14 October, 1899

Although the numbers were minuscule compared to the Great War, several Darebin men served in the Boer War of 1899 to 1902.  

The ”Leader’s” comment that “five from Preston is pretty good” was, unusually for the ”Leader”, an under-statement – there were just 250 men in the contingent, five from Preston (or two per cent) was somewhat remarkable. 

For reasons unknown, George Emery did not serve – he was the 22 year-old son of Frederick and Harriett Emery, the latter a long-time ladies draper  in High Street.  Preston’s five were made up by the late inclusion of Andrew Hendrie.

The comment “if it ever gets that far” was also relevant as war was only declared the day before their enrolment and they would not have been aware of the fact. 

A Boer offensive into the British-held Natal and Cape Colony areas on 11 October (the Wednesday the men were accepted) saw a formal declaration of war after several months of negotiations had broken down.  Although such a declaration had been expected and the Victorian government had already commenced plans for the First Contingent, the formal announcement of hostilities was not reported in Australia until the Thursday morning. 

Although almost universally referred to in Australia as the Boer War, in British history the South African campaign of 1899 is the Second Boer War.  After Transvaal formally declared  independence  from the United Kingdom, a brief conflict began on 16 December 1880 with shots fired by Transvaal Boers at Potchefstroom and the ambush and destruction of  a British Army convoy.  Although generally called a war, the actual engagements were of a relatively minor nature considering the few men involved on both sides and the short duration of the combat, lasting some ten weeks of sporadic action.

Despite the promise of “special war correspondents”, there was little coverage of the 1899-1902 conflict in the ”Leader”, but the unveiling of a marble tablet in the Preston Shire Hall early in October, 1903 commemorated the names that are known to have served (given Australia was two years away from Federation, the units that went to South Africa where Colonial rather than an “Australian” contingent).

The names as reported by the Leader in covering the ceremony were probably more accurate than those later recorded on the War Memorial outside the Town Hall in 1923, but as always, there were a few spelling errors in names and one unsolved mystery.

There was nothing to suggest exactly what constituted a “Preston” man; an inspection of Sands and McDougall directories, 1888-1890 does not include entries for Preston in some cases – these serviceman (like the Prowse brothers mentioned) may have heralded from areas to the north (Preston was the final stop for Messrs Sands and Mac).  

The Australian War Memorial holds some basic data on embarkations and the men’s fates; there are some hand-written records in National Archives, but not as yet on-line.

F. Bartlett     Frederick William Bartlett, Regimental Number 1273, Private, 5th Mounted Rifles Contingent. One of the seventeen children of Samuel Leakey and Annie (nee Cousins) Bartlett  The family ran a large nursery in Spring Street as well as several florist’s shops for many decades. Predictably Bartlett was listed as a 23 year old gardener when he enlisted. He was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal and three clasps. Frederick Bartlett died 17 February, 1954 at his home in Frankston, 460 Melbourne Road, Frankston.  

W. A. Collins    Willie Arthur Collins, 1273, Private, 5th Mounted Rifles Contingent, invalided back to Australia, arriving 30 July, 1901. He was listed as a 22 year old stock rider from Preston when he enlisted. He was awarded the Queen’s South Africa medal and 3 clasps,. There is no record of a birth of a Willie or William Arthur Collins around the time of his supposed arrival and little else is known of him.

F. Dau (Killed)    Given the number of errors that crept into the preparation of the Great War Memorial in later years the Shire got this spot on! He was born at Wandong, a son of Joachim and Martha (nee Rye) Dau, but he served as Frederick George DOW, 795, 1273, Private, 5th Mounted Rifles Contingent and all records including the AWM Honour Roll are under this spelling (whether this was a mistake by officialdom or whether he used this spelling in unknown). He was killed in action at Schueveberg Hoek on 23 August, 1901. Whether he was a local resident is questionable;  records place him as a 20 year old labourer with next of kin still in Wandong, although there is a reference to him being listed on a War Memorial in Northcote.

A. Hendrie    Andrew Hendrie, 12, Private, 1st Victorian Contingent. The family were long-time residents of Preston. Andrew’s brother William Hendrie was a star footballer with Melbourne (previously with Richmond and Preston V.F.A.) between 1910 and 1915, playing 87 games despite being 35 years of age when he first moved to League ranks and missing two seasons while serving in the First World War. A step-brother, Leslie George Hendrie was killed in the later conflict. His father was William Hendrie, his mother Jane (nee Goodie) who die in childbirth in 1882, William later marrying Amelia Young in 1885. The family lived in Raglan Street when Leslie enlisted in 1916. Andrew was a 23 year old currier when he enlisted.The family lived in Raglan Street, Andrew was a 23 year old currier when he enlisted – he died in 1936 at 60 years of age.

F. S. Hull    Francis Spencer Hull, shown in records as Frank Hull. 30, Private, 1st Victorian Contingent. The 1st Contingent sailed on 28 October, 1899 and Hull was invalided back to Australia per the S.S.  Karamea, arriving 29 July, 1900. His parents, James and Amelia (Broadhurst) Hull were noted in Cramer Street and James for several years had operated a tannery in conjunction with his brother-in-law Thomas Broadhurst on the corner of High and Gower Streets. Frank Hull was a 21 year old currier with Braithwaite’s tannery when he enlisted.    

F. Michell    Frederick MICHEL. A prominent member of the Preston Rifle Club and one of the volunteers that worked at Braithwaite’s tannery. He was wounded in action at Rensburg on 12 February, 1900 and invalided to Australia, arriving 29 July per S.S. Karamea. Father of Preston and Fitzroy footballer, Ernie. His parents were Henry and Elizabeth (nee Mitchell), the only reference in directories around 1900 is Mrs A. Michel, Spring Street, Preston. Michel died in 1929 at 59 years.    

C. Patterson    Charles Patterson, 4, Sergeant, 1st Victorian Contingent. Patterson was a brother-in-law of prominent local politician and military volunteer organiser, Colonel William Braithwaite, the latter married to Patterson’s older sister, Louisa. He worked for Braithwaite in his tannery in Murray Road for some years as a clerk and was 24 years old when he enlisted. 

Patterson moved to London around 1909, joined the British Army and was killed on 19 January, 1915 in an accident on the Hull docks when supervising the loading of supplies for his regiment about to embark for France (see Honour Roll). Father, George Patterson, Regent Street, Preston.

Two of Patterson’s elder brothers also served in the Boer War.

Eugene Daylesford Patterson (1865) travelled to South Africa on his own account and enlisted in the Roberts Horse and later worked in an Intelligence Unit. He was awarded the King’s Meal with two clasps, and Queen’s Medal with eight clasps.

William George Patterson (1865) was in a prominent real estate partnership with their father, George, but resigned in 1898 to become the Permanent Adjutant of the Victorian Mounted Rifles, based at the Victoria Barracks in St. Kilda Road. He also served in the South African War at 39 years of age. Given his extensive military background, he was accepted for the Great War at 53 years of age and died shortly after being returned to Australia suffering from severe concussion.

S. R. Prowse    Stephen Robert Prowse, Private, 1st Victorian Contingent. Prowse embarked as a Private, and later was promoted to Lance Corporal, 14 November, 1899, and to Sergeant, 1 May, 1900. No Prowse family is listed in Preston; they appear to have been farmers in the Bundoora district which was not covered by directories. and Stephen as being 28 years of age when he enlisted. There is a strong suggestion that the family were from the Lilydale area, but both brothers were born at Cororooke, a tiny hamlet just north of Colac.

W. H. Prowse    William Henry Prowse, 141, Private, 2 Victorian Mounted Rifles. Later promoted to Lance Corporal, 18 September, 1900. Rather than Bundoora, he is shown as South Morang and 27 years of age.  He is listed in Victorian records as passing away in 1948 at 75 years of age; there is no local record of Steven’s death.

W. Saultry (died in South Africa)

The real mystery of the group – there is no record of a Saultry or similar name enlisting according to the AWM, but the name shows up as being part of the Victorian Mounted Infantry in the Oz-Boer Database Project. According to that source, William Saultry died on 16 February, 1901 and was interred in the War Memorial Newcastle Cemetery, Natal. 

No cause of death is noted, his name does not appear on the AWM Honour Roll an he is not mentioned in the official records of the war. He was a son of William and Marjorie (McDonald) and born in Northcote in 1870. here was a family named Saltry (name or initial not shown) listed in Tyler Street in 1898, but again no record of an enlistment under this name. The only Saultry listed was George in Footscray.

G. Taylor    George May Taylor, the only G. Taylor to enlist from Victoria.He was a 22 year old currier at Broadhurst’s Tannery in Mary Street. Taylor embarked as 244, Private with the First Contingent, later Lance-Corporal from 2 April, 1900 and then invalided back to Australia via the S.S. Damascus ”suffering from enteric fever, arriving” ”26 August, 1900. He later re-enlisted as 844, Corporal with the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles. There is no record of his birth in Victorian registrations.

T. R. West    Thomas Robertson West, 1161, Company Sergeant Major, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles.  Thomas West was a 37 year old farmer when he enlisted, the oldest of the group and the only one that was married (to Margaret Mack, 1887). He died in Kew in 1938 at 76 years of age. Nothing is known of his previous service with the citizen’s forces, but he must have had significant experience as married men were only accepted as non-commissioned officers when they were considered of exceptional ability.

The Prowse brothers and Andrew Hendrie complete their twelve month tour of duty and returned to Australia with the First and Second Contingents aboard the Harlech Castle, arriving at Port Melbourne of 4 December, 1900. Michel, Hull and Taylor had previously returned, either suffering from wounds or illness.

An article in The Argus (19 December, 1900) notes “… of the  seven Preston members who have been on active service in South Africa, four, viz. Sergeant Prowse, Lance Corporal Prowse, Lance Corporal Taylor and Private Hendrie”, being entertained at a concert at the Shire Hall, “also Privates Hull and Michel who had previously returned”.   

The Northcote Contribution 

Since the original release on WikiNorthia, substantially more research has been completed and approximately 20 others from the Darebin district identified as having served in the south African War.  The full story can be downloaded from the link below :

The Boer War : Victorian Contingents (download the full story)