Not sure if this means anything and I am not an expert on military uniforms but the two seated officers at the centre of the picture sppesr to hsve knee length boots as would be worn by a soldier on horseback.
Allan Cole says:
I now feel more certain about this photograph. I have viewed a book titled ” Australian Military Uniforms 1800-1982″ by Monty Wedd and the men in the photograph are officers of the New South Wales Infantry 1885.
Allan Cole says:
A possibility to consider for the background. Are these men in somewhere like the Domain and the small building , if it is a building, such as the castellated Government House with a flagpole on the roof.
Allan Cole says:
An omission from my earlier observations. I did not notice the second horse and its handler immediately behind the officers of the New South Wales Infantry 1885. So two horses and their handlers are present and these presumably belong to the two officers seated in front. So two of the officers were mounted.
Allan Cole says:
Is the seated officer second from the right, one of the mounted officers Major General Richardson who was in command of the NSW Military Forces and who was given command of the expedition to the Soudan? The figure is similar to an item in the State Library found on Trove in a picture titled New South Wales Military Conference.
Allan Cole says:
A correction to my last post. Colonel Richardson who commanded the Soudan Contingent was promoted to Major General and given the Order of Companion of the Bath at a major military review at Moore Park on the 15th of August 1885 according to an article in the Australian Town and Country of 22nd August 1885.
Allan Cole says:
Not sure if this is important. These officers of the New South Wales Infantry 1885 appear to not have the finial ( spike or ball ) on the top of their helmets.
Allan Cole says:
An addition to my last post of March 19, 2012 I am unsure why their white belts are absent.
Allan Cole says:
My mention of belts in my previous post I now realise did not allow for the officers wearing their coats outside of these belts. The officer side on at the right clearly has his sword suspended from some form of belt beneath his coat.
Allan Cole says:
As the officers do not have finials ontheir helmets it is difficult to tell but it would seem that they are infantry officers as artillery officers wore a dark blue which would appear different on a black and white photograph. This excludes Lieutenant Spalding and Major Airey who were the officers who were in charge of the artillery who went to the Soudan. The two mounted officers may be Colonel J.S. Richardson in overall command of NSW forces and another.
I assume the men at their sides would be their aids. Colonel Richarson may have been mounted.
Allan Cole says:
I have noted the photograph of a mounted soldier 4481_a026_000693 who seems to resemble the seated officer second from the right hand side. I had earlier described these officers as infantry officers and I still believe most of them are infantry officers. However the seated officers have large ” Austrian ” knots at the top of their sleeve rank insignia which suggests artillery or possibly overall command. I am unsure what this means. The unidentified mounted soldier may be an early Lancer or it may simply be a photograph of a senior officer. I am unsure of the meaning of the saddlecloth beneath the saddle on the mounted soldier. I am also unsure why he appears to be wearing an armband around his left sleeve.
These are indeed officers of the NSW infantry. This is indicated by the rank lace on their jackets. The latter are not the ornate versions used for full dress but less expensive items used for training and field days, such as shown in this photograph. This also explains the lack of a spike at the top of the helmets. The grouping would appear to be a regimental event, with the Commanding Officer and perhaps his Adjutant in riding boots as they were the only authorised mounted officers of such a unit.
THe date is certainly 1885 or before given the cross belt with whistle, chains and lion’s head boss attached. These were worn by ‘volunteer’ officers.
Jenny says:
Thank you, Sean, for these comments which confirm what we had begun to suspect – that these are officers of the NSW Volunteer Infantry at an Easter Encampment at Windsor, in either March 1883 or April 1884. It is one of 40 images that we have grouped together on our flickr account. I am not sure if you came to these images via 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. Good observation about the fact that only two officers are wearing riding boots.
Allan Cole says:
Not sure if this means anything and I am not an expert on military uniforms but the two seated officers at the centre of the picture sppesr to hsve knee length boots as would be worn by a soldier on horseback.
Allan Cole says:
I now feel more certain about this photograph. I have viewed a book titled ” Australian Military Uniforms 1800-1982″ by Monty Wedd and the men in the photograph are officers of the New South Wales Infantry 1885.
Allan Cole says:
A possibility to consider for the background. Are these men in somewhere like the Domain and the small building , if it is a building, such as the castellated Government House with a flagpole on the roof.
Allan Cole says:
An omission from my earlier observations. I did not notice the second horse and its handler immediately behind the officers of the New South Wales Infantry 1885. So two horses and their handlers are present and these presumably belong to the two officers seated in front. So two of the officers were mounted.
Allan Cole says:
Is the seated officer second from the right, one of the mounted officers Major General Richardson who was in command of the NSW Military Forces and who was given command of the expedition to the Soudan? The figure is similar to an item in the State Library found on Trove in a picture titled New South Wales Military Conference.
Allan Cole says:
A correction to my last post. Colonel Richardson who commanded the Soudan Contingent was promoted to Major General and given the Order of Companion of the Bath at a major military review at Moore Park on the 15th of August 1885 according to an article in the Australian Town and Country of 22nd August 1885.
Allan Cole says:
Not sure if this is important. These officers of the New South Wales Infantry 1885 appear to not have the finial ( spike or ball ) on the top of their helmets.
Allan Cole says:
An addition to my last post of March 19, 2012 I am unsure why their white belts are absent.
Allan Cole says:
My mention of belts in my previous post I now realise did not allow for the officers wearing their coats outside of these belts. The officer side on at the right clearly has his sword suspended from some form of belt beneath his coat.
Allan Cole says:
As the officers do not have finials ontheir helmets it is difficult to tell but it would seem that they are infantry officers as artillery officers wore a dark blue which would appear different on a black and white photograph. This excludes Lieutenant Spalding and Major Airey who were the officers who were in charge of the artillery who went to the Soudan. The two mounted officers may be Colonel J.S. Richardson in overall command of NSW forces and another.
I assume the men at their sides would be their aids. Colonel Richarson may have been mounted.
Allan Cole says:
I have noted the photograph of a mounted soldier 4481_a026_000693 who seems to resemble the seated officer second from the right hand side. I had earlier described these officers as infantry officers and I still believe most of them are infantry officers. However the seated officers have large ” Austrian ” knots at the top of their sleeve rank insignia which suggests artillery or possibly overall command. I am unsure what this means. The unidentified mounted soldier may be an early Lancer or it may simply be a photograph of a senior officer. I am unsure of the meaning of the saddlecloth beneath the saddle on the mounted soldier. I am also unsure why he appears to be wearing an armband around his left sleeve.
Sean Ryan says:
These are indeed officers of the NSW infantry. This is indicated by the rank lace on their jackets. The latter are not the ornate versions used for full dress but less expensive items used for training and field days, such as shown in this photograph. This also explains the lack of a spike at the top of the helmets. The grouping would appear to be a regimental event, with the Commanding Officer and perhaps his Adjutant in riding boots as they were the only authorised mounted officers of such a unit.
THe date is certainly 1885 or before given the cross belt with whistle, chains and lion’s head boss attached. These were worn by ‘volunteer’ officers.
Jenny says:
Thank you, Sean, for these comments which confirm what we had begun to suspect – that these are officers of the NSW Volunteer Infantry at an Easter Encampment at Windsor, in either March 1883 or April 1884. It is one of 40 images that we have grouped together on our flickr account. I am not sure if you came to these images via 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. Good observation about the fact that only two officers are wearing riding boots.
Jenny