National Boer War Memorial Print Page 
The National Boer War Memorial commemorates those from Australia who served in the South African (Boer) War.
The monument shows Australian troopers mounted on horses breaking through the trees of ANZAC Parade. The significance of the four troopers is that they represent a four-man section, a formation for fighting and patrolling. When they went into combat, three men would dismount while the fourth would lead the horses to cover. Letters from veteran Frederick Harper Booth are at the feet of the horses.
From 10th October 1899 to the end of May 1902 a bitter conflict raged across the South African veldt between Britain and her Empire and the two largely self governing Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. When a Boer ultimatum to the British expired, Boer commandos streamed across the borders into the British colonies of the Cape of Good Hope and Natal.
The six Australian States (colonies) were quick to make troops available to Britain .The first formed unit of troops from Australia, a squadron of the New South Wales Lancers landed in Capetown on 2 November 1899, less that one month after hostilities began. The Boer War was the first full commitment of troops by all the Australian Colonies to a foreign war and with the formation of the Australian Commonwealth on 1st January 1901 it became our country’s first military involvement as a nation.
Location
| Address: | ANZAC Parade, Campbell, 2612 |
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| State: | ACT |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -35.288321 Long: 149.141553 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
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| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | Boer |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 11-October-1899 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 01-June-1902 |
| Designer: | Pod Landscape Architecture & Jane Cavanough |
| Artist: | Louis Laumen (Yarraville, VIC) |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Wednesday 31st May, 2017 |
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Boer War 1899 - 1902
When the dash and the excitement and the novelty are dead,
And you've seen a load of wounded once or twice.
Or you've watched your old mate dying - with the vultures overhead,
Well, you wonder if the war is worth the price.
And down along Monaro now they`re starting out to shear.
I can picture the excitement and the row ;
But they`ll miss me on the Lachlan when they call the roll this year,
For we`re going on a long job now.
A. B. Paterson 1902
