In mid-1901 Australians, now part of the recently federated Commonwealth, had been fighting in South Africa for more than 18 months. While the Australian contingents often did well, by any objective measure they were also variable in their quality. All were hastily raised, had little training, were despatched with great alacrity, and upon arrival were immediately sent on operations. This was what Britain wanted and what they thought was adequate to fight the Boers. While there were many instances of Australian contingents and individuals doing well, or at least performing satisfactorily, perhaps inevitably the shortcomings could also be exposed. In June 1901 several companies of the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles, encamped at farm called Wilmansrust in Central Transvaal, were subjected to a surprise night attack by a Boer commando (as Boer units were titled, the term’s modern meaning came later). The Victorians were routed and suffered 19 killed and another 41 wounded. It was the costliest Australian encounter of the war. So, how does the episode highlight the deficiencies of Australian contingents?
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