In time for the 2025 ANZAC Day commemorations, we look back at an early example of war commemoration in Ballarat – the Boer War Memorial.
The Second Boer War was fought between 1899-1902 between British imperial forces and the Boers of South Africa. The Boers, a people Dutch settler descent, were resisting British annexation of the two Boer Republics. Many Australians volunteered in support of the British campaign, including many men from Ballarat and district. (1)
Even before the end of the war, the decision had been made to erect a monument in Ballarat, and subscriptions from the public were sought to pay for it. (2) During the Royal Tour of 1901, Prince George, Duke of Cornwall and York visited Ballarat in May and laid the foundation stone for the statue. (3) This temporary site was deemed unsuitable due to the height of the completed statue and concerns about the tram terminus, so it was moved further up Sturt Street, Ballarat. (4)
English-born, Sydney-based sculptor James White (1861-1918) was commissioned to make the statue. (5) The statue depicts western Victorian farmer James Rogers (1873-1961) and honours his Victoria Cross winning endeavours. Born in Moama in 1873, NSW, Rogers moved to Heywood, Victoria with his family in in 1886. He joined the Victorian Mounted Rifles in 1898 and arrived in South Africa in November 1899. (6)
While serving in the South Africa Constabulary, on 15 June 1901, a small party were attacked by about 60 Boers. Lieutenant Dickinson's horse was shot, and Rogers, under fire, carried Dickinson to safety before returning to aid four more men who had lost their mounts. (7) (8) Rogers also served in World War I and was wounded at Gallipoli. He ended his military service with the rank of Lieutenant. (9)
The plinth reads:
"In honour of Australian soldiers who fought in South Africa 1899-1902"
and the inscribed names of the 250
"Victorians who died for the Empire." (10)
The statue was officially unveiled on 1 November 1906, by Lord Northcote, Governor General of Australia. (11) According to the Ballaarat Mayor’s annual report of 1907, 20,000 people attended the statue's unveiling, (12) including many dignities and detachments of every "arm of the naval military forces of the Commonwealth”. (13)
In 2023, surveys of the statue revealed extensive damage, and the decision was made to replace the statue. (14) The statue was thought to have been made of bronze but was actually “beaten copper with a hessian and plaster core”. (15) The statue was removed in October of 2024 with a view to creating a replica based on the original. (16) The new statue will be cast in bronze and returned to its plinth in late 2025. (17)
Lest We Forget
Caitlyn Fisher
During a professional placement at the Ballarat Research Hub at Eureka, Caitlyn Fisher researched Ballarat’s Boer War Memorial. Caitlyn is a student in the Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) course the Charles Sturt University.
Online Sources
Report on the unveiling of the Statue. Ballarat Star 2 November 1906. p.3: p3 - 02 Nov 1906 - The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924) - Trove
Footnotes
1. Craig Wilcox (2002), ‘Australia’s Boer War: The war in South Africa 1899-1902’, Oxford University Press,
2. ‘The Ballarat Star’, 2 November 1906. p3
3. ‘The Ballarat Star’, 14 May 1901. p1
4. ‘The Ballarat Star’, 2 November 1906. p3
5. ‘The Ballarat Star’, 31 March 1904, p1
6. Lieutenant James Rogers VC in ‘The Australian Boer War Memorial’ website, retrieved 22/04/2025 https://www.bwm.org.au/soldiers/James_Rogers.php
7. Wilcox, p.274
8. ‘The London Gazette’, 18 April 1902, p.2600
9. ‘The Australian Boer War Memorial’ website
10. K.S Inglis (1998), ‘Sacred places: War memorials in the Australian landscape’, The Miegunyah Press, p.46
11. ‘The Ballarat Courier’, 2 November 1906, p5
12. The Mayor’s annual report, 1907, City of Ballaarat, p8
13. ‘The Ballarat Courier’, 2 November 1906, p5
14. The City of Ballarat ‘Boer War memorial statue to be replaced’ 6 December 2023, https://www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/news/boer-war-memorial-statue-be-replaced, retrieved 22/04/25
15. The City of Ballarat ‘Restoring the Boer War Memorial Statue’ 22 November 2024, https://www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/news/restoring-boer-war-memorial-statue, retrieved 22/04/25
16. The City of Ballarat ‘Restoring the Boer War Memorial Statue’
17. The City of Ballarat ‘Restoring the Boer War Memorial Statue’
