Episode 51 - The Australian view of an African war and President Kruger prepares to leave

This episode will focus on Australia - their troops had already had a major impact on the war particularly as they joined the Canadians in the relief of Mafikeng. When the Anglo-Boer war broke out in October 1899 most corners of the empire were convinced these handful of Boers would be brought under control within a few weeks. However, it was black week in December 1899 that shook the empire and its commonwealth. Remember those battles - Colenso, Stormberg and Magersfontein. After this, in Australia for instance, speakers toured the towns particularly in the South East of the country promoting the imperial cause and the demonisation of the Boers in the regional press was complete by February 1900. They were now “treacherous savages” who fired on hospitals, convoys of the wounded, women and children; they poisoned water, used dum dum bullets, buried their own critically wounded and robbed the dead. Membership of what were known as rifle clubs jumped after Black Week,where mainly urban Australians rediscovered their roots by training in the use of rifles. New clubs were formed, including some formed by women. But were the rifle clubs capable of defending their ownb colony in the event of an invasion? Apparently not, according to Yackandandah’s Councillor Beatty. In February 1900, he called for the establishment of units of Mounted Rifles or Rangers in every town and district. Although he had no criticism to make of the rifle clubs, he claimed, he believed that they would be virtually useless in the face of an invasion. It of course was not entirely clear who would be invading but the war in South Africa had applied Australian minds. Councillor Beatty had a son in uniform in South Africa and he reflected a long-standing demand in the region for local defence units that could defend both hearth and home. Beatty’s call sparked a number of public meetings across the region supporting his call for the establishment of Mounted Rifle or Ranger units. The government’s response, however, was cool. While this was the official reaction, in small towns across Australia contingents of men began to show up for assessment in order to be shipped off to the Anglo-Boer war — along with their horses.