Bill Cameron in The Boer War: A Perspective from the Glen Innes Examiner 1899 -1900 writes: “At the end of the 19th century colonialism was at its height… Britain held pride of place and it was boasted that the sun never set on the British Empire.”

Dutch emigrants known as Boers had settled in South Africa and land disputes erupted between them and the British.

Australia’s population at this time was predominantly of British extraction and they had strong ties with the “Mother Country” and even second generation Australians referred to the United Kingdom as “home”.

It was not until June 20, 1899 that the war clouds gathering in South Africa cast their shadow on the Glen Innes Examiner.

Issues contained news of the crisis and gave accounts of the notes between Mr Chamberlain and President Kruger of the Transvaal and letters were published from the troops. Local funds were set up to support the troops.

Since the Boer War began before Australian federation, volunteers fought for their respective states and not for Australia.

Much of the fighting that involved the Glen Innes contingent was of a guerrilla nature and suited the good Australian horsemen.

War correspondent Banjo Paterson’s With French to Kimberley gives a vivid description of the fighting.

At the end of the 19th century, Glen Innes had an infantry unit K Company and following the Boer War, the infantry unit was disbanded and replaced by a unit of Light Horse which prospered up until WW1.

The memorial names are: A. Anker, R. Black, Stephen Bruggy, R. W. H. Byron, A. C. D. A. and P. E. Cameron, J. P. Carey, W. Coady, G. Green, A. E., B.M., J.B., J.W. and W. Gribble, G. W. Gunston, A. Hodges, James Jacobs, Frank, Fred and M. King, G. and W. M. Legh, L. A. Loveday, Albert, Arch, Alex and D. McKenzie, A., D. C. W. W. and D. K. McIntyre, L. Marshall, A. E. Martin, J. M. and Leo Maund, H. A. Neville, W. W. Nelson, E. D. O’Donnell, H. A. Perrot, L. G. Pritchard, G. J. Rogerson, A. Scott, S. Skinner, E. W. Tarrant, L. Taylor, and A. C. Weiss.