THERE were opponents to the Boer War and to Australia’s participation; some readers even cancelled subscriptions to the Bulletin magazine because of its opposition, and doubts were even voiced at the numerous patriotic committees’ splendid, formal farewells to the soldiers.
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Speakers would pledge loyalty to Great Britain, the mother country, and the British empire and God Save the Queen (Queen Victoria who died in 1901) and Rule Britannia would be sung, and toasts proposed.
Volunteers were praised for their courage and loyalty and those too old to enlist declared that they wished they were going too, even if there was a risk of bloodshed and loss of life.
Stirring words and much applause were the features of these occasions.
And the patriotic committees that raised money to buy horses and equipment for the war effort, would soon be raising money for the memorials to those who died.
The second of three articles by Orange author Helen Haynes In the lead-up to Sunday’s Boer War commemoration.
Under the words, pro patria semper (always for the fatherland) four names of dead soldiers are on the Orange memorial.
Sergeant Major Sydney James Smith, born in 1880, served firstly in NSW Mounted Rifles, was invalided home after contracting enteric fever(typhoid), but, as did so many of our volunteers, reenlisted, in 3rd NSW Mounted. He was wounded in action and died the next day, 12 October, 1901. His father was, at that time, the mayor of Orange.
Private Edwin James Conybeare, born 1868, of 1st NSW Rifles, left Australia on January 17, 1900 and died of enteric fever at Bloemfontein on June 16, 1900. He is buried in the cemetery there. His elder daughter had died at 11 months and his wife died giving birth to their second daughter, Gertrude, who was six when her father died. A memorial service was held for Edwin Conybeare in Holy Trinity Church.
Trooper Henry St John Beasley, in 3rd Mounted Rifles, served under the name of his friend George Gander who he replaced at the last moment. Henry revealed this swap shortly before his death from dysentery, in hospital in Cape Town, while awaiting a ship home, on March 19, 1902. The letter written by a nursing sister to Mrs Beasley, telling of Henry’s death and burial, is in the Australian War Memorial.
Trooper Michael Bastick enlisted in 2nd NSW Mounted Rifles and left Sydney on March 17, 1901. He had wanted to enlist earlier but his mother would not agree. He died of enteric fever on December 5, 1901 at Elandsfontein, near Johannesburg.
l Information from Orange City Council’s publication, Orange Remembers written by Heather Nicholls. 2005, available at Orange Visitor Information Centre
