Towards the end of the nineteenth century elements within the South African colonies had become disgruntled with increasing interference in local affairs by the British, who had established a presence in the region from 1806. In 1899 the Boer farmers of the Transvaal and Orange Free State, descendants of Dutch settlers, declared war on the British by invading the colonies of Natal and Cape Colony. The war continued for three years, but by 1902 the British had defeated Boer resistance. The 1902 Peace of Vereeniging installed a pro-British civil administration.
When war broke out the British government called for support across the Empire. The Australian colonies – with initial hesitation – offered support. Contingents were raised from all colonies and after Federation in 1901 a joint Commonwealth contingent was raised.
There is no agreed figure for the number of Australians who served. Craig Wilcox, in Australia's Boer War: The War in South Africa, 1899–1902 (Oxford University Press, 2002, p. xiii) suggests figures of 'around 20,000 men and 80 women', but adds 'we will probably never know the precise number as many enlisted more than once and those with irregular regiments have never been counted and may not be countable'.
The Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour lists 598 casualties. Six Australians were awarded the Victoria Cross for their Boer War service.
The National Archives holds many records relating to Australian participation in the Boer War. The majority of these are held by our offices in Canberra and Melbourne. Relevant records are held by our other offices, as indicated below.
| Title or description of records | Date | Location | Series no. |
|---|---|---|---|
Department of Defence records relating to the Boer War | 1899–1911 | Canberra | |
Submissions on the Boer War from the Department of Defence to the Federal Executive Council | 1901–03 | Canberra | |
Army Orders – South Africa | 1901–02 | Melbourne | |
Regimental correspondence – 1st Australian Infantry Regiment | 1899–1900 | Sydney | |
Series relating to Returned Soldiers | 1901–40 1939–48 | Melbourne Brisbane | |
Funeral benefits for Boer War veterans | 1900–61 1939–60 | Melbourne Adelaide | |
Queensland contingents – correspondence files | 1899–1907 | Melbourne | |
Photographs of Queensland Contingents | 1892–1906 | Canberra |
| Title or description of records | Date | Location | Series no. |
|---|---|---|---|
Enrolment forms of Victorian contingents | 1899–1900 | Melbourne | |
Attestation papers – Commonwealth forces
| 1901–02
| Melbourne
| |
Service rolls – Victorian contingents | 1900 | Melbourne | |
Service rolls – Queensland contingents | 1901 | Canberra | |
Service rolls – Queensland contingents | 1899–1903 | Melbourne | |
Service rolls – WA contingents | 1900–03 | Melbourne | |
Service rolls – other contingents or units | 1899–1903 | Melbourne | |
Service rolls – other contingents or units | 1902 | Hobart | |
Medical records of Queensland contingents | 1899–1902 | Melbourne | |
Pay lists and ledgers for Queensland contingents | 1899–1902 | Canberra | |
Pay lists and ledgers for Queensland contingents | 1900–02 | Melbourne | |
Pay lists and ledgers for New South Wales contingents | 1899–1903 | Melbourne | |
Rolls, lists and indexes of medals and clasp issues | 1901 | Canberra | |
Rolls, lists and indexes of medals and clasp issues | 1899–1908 | Melbourne | |
Returns of members of the Queensland Defence Force who were killed or who died in South Africa | 1899–1902 | Melbourne | |
Repatriation case files | 1938–72 | Canberra |
You can obtain more information about the record series listed above (and the items within the series) from RecordSearch, the Archives database. Follow the links in the series lists to go directly to information on that series. You can also use RecordSearch to find out about the agencies that created the records and to locate more records on your subject. You might also explore PhotoSearch to find out if there are photos pertaining to your subject.
RecordSearch and PhotoSearch are available online or in all Archives reading rooms. Reference staff are available in the reading rooms to help you, or email ref@naa.gov.au.
See also the Archives' research guide The Boer War: Australians and the War in South Africa, 1899–1902 by Craig Wilcox.
Additional Boer War records are held by the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and the State Government archives institutions, see Fact Sheet 2 – Addresses of other archival institutions for address details.
The Official Record of the Australian Military Contingents to the War in South Africa, PL Murray, (AJ Mullett, Government Printer, Melbourne, 1911) includes lists of persons who served in the Boer War. This information has been included in the Boer War Nominal Roll database made available by the Australian War Memorial.
Comments or other feedback can be sent to archives@naa.gov.au
updated December 2004