Sorry if this is too long. Taken from War Memorial site.
It appears to have a castle in the background. Definiatly Aussie Gum trees.Could it be Victoria Barracks Sydney.
Dress looks very 1850’s Australian Military Units
Victoria Barracks (Sydney)
Victoria Barracks in the Sydney suburb of Paddington is one of the best-known examples of military architecture in Australia. The majority of the barracks was constructed, using locally quarried sandstone, between February 1841 and April 1848 and the outer walls in the ensuing two years. The barracks were occupied by British troops up until 1870 and then taken over by the New South Wales colonial forces. The New South Wales contingent to the Sudan in 1885 was recruited and trained at Victoria Barracks. Following Federation in 1901, Victoria Barracks remained the focal point of military activity in New South Wales and, among other units, housed the various headquarters responsible for administering and co-ordinating it. The first actions taken in New South Wales to recruit forces for service in both world wars occurred at Victoria Barracks. Between 1931 and 1936 the barracks was home to the Royal Military College of Australia and from July 1938 to July 1940 it also housed the Command and Staff School. Victoria Barracks remains in use today and is currently home to both Headquarters Land Command and Headquarters Training Command.
Rhonda, thank you for this information about the Victoria Barracks in Sydney. You have a keen eye to notice that detail in the background! We thought perhaps the photos could be around the time of either the Sudan or Boer Wars. Perhaps we need a military uniform expert to take a look!
Allan Cole says:
I realise this is speculation. Are the men practicing or demonstrating fighting “in square” as I believe they did in the Sudan? If so and if a building is nearby could this be on the area between the old showground, Sydney Boys High School and the old bear pits and Victoria Barracks.
Allan Cole says:
I no longer believe this picture to be in the area I suggested but a more rural location. I thought considering the number of people about that it might be a picture of a review and medal presentation by Lord Carrington at the showground on the 13th of February 1886 about a year after the Sudan contingent departed.
Allan Cole says:
As these men are most likely from the Sudan contingent in 1885 and as this is a big occassion where people travelled to watch I suspect that it is of the Governor reviewing the Campbelltown, Camden and Picton reserves at Campbelltown. On one occasion the Governor reviewed these three together rather than at different times at their home locations.This was at one of the Volunteer Encampments reported in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Allan Cole says:
Further to my comment above. The men appear to be dressed in the uniform of the New South Wales Infantry 1885 and the front row of men appear to be kneeling with their backs toward the people watching and the camera.At the end of the line of kneeling men are ten standing men. Opposite them at the left of the trees are a number of men in the kneeling position facing us. A flag is within the group. At first I could see no evidence of artillery present but I now believe that a wheeled vehicle , possibly a field artillery piece is present amongst the trees along with five standing men. In the space between the trees it looks like a group of ten mounted men are present. These may be early colonial mounted men. Two tents in the foreground and a guardhouse appear to be the entrance to the camp. The camp is clearly a big one because the tents are five rows deep and each row appears to be about ten tents. Assuming each ten held about ten men then there was probably about 500 men at the encampment. I think an earlier post mentioned the formation of the lancers in about 1878. According to Mr Wedd’s book they became Lancers from the earlier colonial mounted forces. Not sure if this helps but it puts the date of the photograph in the late 1870s to early 1880s.
Allan Cole says:
I am repeating this post as my previous post does not appear. Further to my above post. In the foreground of this pictur are a number of kneeling men facing away from the people and camera. At the end of this line are about ten standing men. Opposite them at the left end of the trees is a group of kneeling men facing us. Amongst the trees is a wheeled vehicle possibly a field gun accompanied by five men. In the gap between the trees there appear to be a group of mounted men. On the right are conical tents five rows deep each row having about ten tents. If each tent holds say ten men then about 500 men are present. At the bottom right are two tents and a guard house which are probably the designated entrance. I hope th is of use.
Allan Cole says:
This is more a question than a comment. On the left hand side of the picture some of the soldiers are kneeling side on to the soldier alongside. What might they be doing? Was there a small weapon that needed two men to operate it in use at this time?
Allan Cole says:
A possibility though it is hard to tell is that there are further tents and possibly another guardhouse just behind the trees. The tents that are visible in rows appear to open onto the open area where the men are drilling. I notice that most of the Volunteer Encampments were open to the public. They even put on special trains.
Allan Cole says:
The lack of field artillery may be due to inclement weather as most of the people seem to have umbrellas.
Allan Cole says:
These are observations that need confirmation. In the foreground of this picture is a man with his head turned towards the camera. He appears to be dressed as a wealthy man or businessman in the style of the then British Prime Minister Gladstone with a long dark coat, dark pants and mutton chop sideburns along with his stovepipe hat. Also a carriage on the right is probably a “Victoria” carriage as described by the Queensland musuem internet site. Most of the people present seem to be well dressed in the style of the 1880 period.
Rhonda Cetta-Hoye says:
Sorry if this is too long. Taken from War Memorial site.
It appears to have a castle in the background. Definiatly Aussie Gum trees.Could it be Victoria Barracks Sydney.
Dress looks very 1850’s Australian Military Units
Victoria Barracks (Sydney)
Victoria Barracks in the Sydney suburb of Paddington is one of the best-known examples of military architecture in Australia. The majority of the barracks was constructed, using locally quarried sandstone, between February 1841 and April 1848 and the outer walls in the ensuing two years. The barracks were occupied by British troops up until 1870 and then taken over by the New South Wales colonial forces. The New South Wales contingent to the Sudan in 1885 was recruited and trained at Victoria Barracks. Following Federation in 1901, Victoria Barracks remained the focal point of military activity in New South Wales and, among other units, housed the various headquarters responsible for administering and co-ordinating it. The first actions taken in New South Wales to recruit forces for service in both world wars occurred at Victoria Barracks. Between 1931 and 1936 the barracks was home to the Royal Military College of Australia and from July 1938 to July 1940 it also housed the Command and Staff School. Victoria Barracks remains in use today and is currently home to both Headquarters Land Command and Headquarters Training Command.
Anthea Brown says:
Rhonda, thank you for this information about the Victoria Barracks in Sydney. You have a keen eye to notice that detail in the background! We thought perhaps the photos could be around the time of either the Sudan or Boer Wars. Perhaps we need a military uniform expert to take a look!
Allan Cole says:
I realise this is speculation. Are the men practicing or demonstrating fighting “in square” as I believe they did in the Sudan? If so and if a building is nearby could this be on the area between the old showground, Sydney Boys High School and the old bear pits and Victoria Barracks.
Allan Cole says:
I no longer believe this picture to be in the area I suggested but a more rural location. I thought considering the number of people about that it might be a picture of a review and medal presentation by Lord Carrington at the showground on the 13th of February 1886 about a year after the Sudan contingent departed.
Allan Cole says:
As these men are most likely from the Sudan contingent in 1885 and as this is a big occassion where people travelled to watch I suspect that it is of the Governor reviewing the Campbelltown, Camden and Picton reserves at Campbelltown. On one occasion the Governor reviewed these three together rather than at different times at their home locations.This was at one of the Volunteer Encampments reported in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Allan Cole says:
Further to my comment above. The men appear to be dressed in the uniform of the New South Wales Infantry 1885 and the front row of men appear to be kneeling with their backs toward the people watching and the camera.At the end of the line of kneeling men are ten standing men. Opposite them at the left of the trees are a number of men in the kneeling position facing us. A flag is within the group. At first I could see no evidence of artillery present but I now believe that a wheeled vehicle , possibly a field artillery piece is present amongst the trees along with five standing men. In the space between the trees it looks like a group of ten mounted men are present. These may be early colonial mounted men. Two tents in the foreground and a guardhouse appear to be the entrance to the camp. The camp is clearly a big one because the tents are five rows deep and each row appears to be about ten tents. Assuming each ten held about ten men then there was probably about 500 men at the encampment. I think an earlier post mentioned the formation of the lancers in about 1878. According to Mr Wedd’s book they became Lancers from the earlier colonial mounted forces. Not sure if this helps but it puts the date of the photograph in the late 1870s to early 1880s.
Allan Cole says:
I am repeating this post as my previous post does not appear. Further to my above post. In the foreground of this pictur are a number of kneeling men facing away from the people and camera. At the end of this line are about ten standing men. Opposite them at the left end of the trees is a group of kneeling men facing us. Amongst the trees is a wheeled vehicle possibly a field gun accompanied by five men. In the gap between the trees there appear to be a group of mounted men. On the right are conical tents five rows deep each row having about ten tents. If each tent holds say ten men then about 500 men are present. At the bottom right are two tents and a guard house which are probably the designated entrance. I hope th is of use.
Allan Cole says:
This is more a question than a comment. On the left hand side of the picture some of the soldiers are kneeling side on to the soldier alongside. What might they be doing? Was there a small weapon that needed two men to operate it in use at this time?
Allan Cole says:
A possibility though it is hard to tell is that there are further tents and possibly another guardhouse just behind the trees. The tents that are visible in rows appear to open onto the open area where the men are drilling. I notice that most of the Volunteer Encampments were open to the public. They even put on special trains.
Allan Cole says:
The lack of field artillery may be due to inclement weather as most of the people seem to have umbrellas.
Allan Cole says:
These are observations that need confirmation. In the foreground of this picture is a man with his head turned towards the camera. He appears to be dressed as a wealthy man or businessman in the style of the then British Prime Minister Gladstone with a long dark coat, dark pants and mutton chop sideburns along with his stovepipe hat. Also a carriage on the right is probably a “Victoria” carriage as described by the Queensland musuem internet site. Most of the people present seem to be well dressed in the style of the 1880 period.
Jenny says:
Thank you to Alan Cole for pointing State Records in the direction of the NSW Volunteer Infantry encampments. Based on the helmet plates which were introduced in early 1883 the images appear to have been taken at Windsor.
Thanks to the comments of Bob Meade on flickr, an image that is related to these has been identified as Sergeants of the 2nd Regiment of the Voluntary Infantry, Easter Encampment, at Windsor in April 1884. http://archivesoutside.records.nsw.gov.au/staff-pick-soldiering-in-the-late-19th-century/
The above are some of forty images that State Records have grouped together on our flickr account because we believe they are of the NSW Volunteer Infantry at an Easter Encampment at Windsor, in either March 1883 or April 1884. See our Easter 2014 blog http://archivesoutside.records.nsw.gov.au/what-are-your-easter-memories-church-show-bags-and-chocolate-eggs-easter-encampments/
You can find a link to all forty of the images throught this article.
Thank you also to Sean Ryan for his detailed comments on the uniforms in the photos
http://archivesoutside.records.nsw.gov.au/australian-soldiers-in-black-and-white/4481_a026_000699/
http://archivesoutside.records.nsw.gov.au/australian-soldiers-in-black-and-white/4481_a026_000695/
Jenny