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Southern Africa in the late 1800s was controlled through an uneasy co-existence between the British colonies and independent republics of Dutch-Afrikaner settlers, known as Boers. British imperial ambition and Boer independence caused friction which culminated in an attack by the Boers to forestall what they feared as an impending British conquest in 1899.
As a member of the British Empire, Queensland, along with other Australian colonies, raised contingents to fight in mounted units, known as mounted rifles, bushmen or imperial bushmen.
Queensland’s 1st contingent for service in South Africa included Captain H.G. (Henry George) Chauvel, who later served as the Australian representative on the Imperial General Staff in London. Chauvel was also Chief of the General Staff between 1923-1929 before being promoted to General, the first local serving officer to attain this rank.
Queensland’s support of the Boer War prompted much celebration, demonstrated with colourful street parades and the raising of Patriotic Funds to support the war effort.
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 | British and Queensland regiments march in the Boer War celebration parade in Queen Street, Brisbane, 1901
Queensland State Archives Item ID 1140013, Digital Image ID 2972 |
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 | The list of Queensland’s first contingent of soldiers sent to the Boer War in South Africa, c 1900 (extract)
Queensland State Archives Item ID 1139526, Digital Image ID 2938 Patriotic Fund of Queensland |
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 | 1899 Felix Hoffmann patents aspirin | |
1899 Paperclip patented by Norwegian Johan Vaaler |
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