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Victorian Colonial Infantry Association Inc.

•Re-Enactment of Victorian Era Infantry Companies.•Research the Pre Federation Victorian Defence Forces.•Index of all members of the V.D.F

Tom Corfmat: Secretary: vcia@iimetro.com.au PO Box 752 Ringwood 3134

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VICTORIAN COLONIAL FORCES

1854 - 1901

A Brief History Of

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THE VOLUNTEER PERIOD

1854 - 1883

First Unit formed – Melbourne Volunteer Rifle Regiment - 1854

1860 – Volunteers take over Garrison duties when Imperial troops transferred to New Zealand. Strength of Volunteers 4002

1863 – Re-Organisation of the Volunteer Force

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Bendigo Volunteer Rifles Circa 1861

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ARTILLERY East Melbourne Metropolitan Williamstown Emerald Hill St Kilda 1st Geelong 2nd Geelong Queenscliff

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CAVALRY Metropolitian Geelong Bacchus Marsh Kyneton Castlemaine Sandhurst Ballarat

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RIFLES Melbourne & North Melbourne Prahran & South Yarra Carlton East Collingwood Collingwood Richmond Pentridge 1st Ballarat 2nd Ballarat 3rd Ballarat Bendigo Castlemaine Maldon Kyneton

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NAVAL BRIGADE Williamstown Sandridge

ENGINEERS

STAFF

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1865

Melbourne

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1870

Imperial Troops Withdrawn Volunteers take over Defence of Victoria CAVALRY – 6 Corps ARTILLERY – 13 Corps RIFLES – 15 Corps NAVAL BRIGADE – 2 Corps ENGINEERS – 2 Corps STAFF

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Permanent Paid Artillery Corps formed If otherwise eligible, these Artillerymen were

drafted into the Police and Penal departments. 190 men over 4 years.

Permanent Artillery – 119 all ranks

Volunteer Force in 1871 OFFICERS – 136 OTHER RANKS – 3663 Total - 3799

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1870 Defence Map

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1876

Reccomadations of 1875 Royal Commission implemented.

Sea and Costal Defences Commenced: eg Point Nepean & Fort Queenscliff

Total Strength = 3736 all ranks including 136 Permenant Artillery

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1883 – New Militia Act. Volunteers are now paid. (Same as today’s Army Reserve)

Department Of Defence created 1887 – Total strength = 4189 all ranks

including 208 permanent 1891-92 Establishment set at 7360 1895 - Establishment set at 4901 1899 - Establishment set at 5885 Federation - 301 Officers, 6034 OR’s

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1899 Defence Map

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1887

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Rifle Clubs

Established 1883 Came under control of Defence Dept. Able to buy rifles & ammunition at

reduced rates Free railway travel to attend matches. Allowance made to clubs for each

effective member 1885 – 6540 members

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Cadet Corps Formed 1884 Govt. supplied rifles &

discount ammunition Trained by Militia

members 1885 – 1850 Members

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Mounted Rifles Formed in all districts Government supplied all

accoutrements except saddles

1888 – 54 units of Victorian Mounted Rifles

24 units of Infantry (Rangers)

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New Zealand: Waikato Militia.

Article from “Bells Life 22 August 1863”

Waikato Militia Index available at:

http://users.bigpond.net.au/hughesmob/waikato.htm

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Anglo Boer War 1899 - 1902

Index on the web at: http://members.pcug.org.au/~croe/ozb/oz_boer.cg

i?setup_file=oz_boer.setup Regt. No Name & Rank Date Of Birth Occupation Address N.O.K (Name & Address) Religion Height Chest Measurment Previous Service Some Photos available

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Victorian Volunteer Forces Long Service Medal, 1883

This example of the Long Service Medal was awarded to A Geddes in 1883. After Federation in 1901, this medal became obsolete.

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Further Information

Victorian Military Force List - Only lists Officers : SLV has the following years: 1874, 1883, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1897, 1899

Muster Rolls – These list ALL members. National Archives has from 1863 to 1901. Not indexed.

Corfmat Index (SLV) has 1861 list of all members.

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V.C.I. A. Index’s Victoria Review – All members in 1861 Victorian Government Gazette – All

V.D.F personnel listed from 1854 to 1901.

Waikato – All Victorians listed. Boer War- All Victorian Contingents plus

Victorians in Scotish Horse Regiments. National Archives Muster Rolls –

progresive… Master Index – All of the above

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Further Reading Victorian Land Forces 1853 – 1883. By George F. Ward Portland’s Volunteer Rifle Corps.1859 - 63 By Gwen Bennett Portland’s Historic Battery(1889) Including Western Artillery Corps (1866-1884) and The Portland

Battery, Garrison Artillery (1888-1904) . By Gwen Bennett Bold – Steady – Faithful. History of the 6th Battalion, The Royal Melbourne Regiment 1854 – 1993 By

Ronald J. Austin Australian Aldershot- A history of the Langwarrin Training Camp By Winty Calder Victoria Barracks – An Informal History Hero’s and Gentlemen, Colonel Tom Price & The Victorian Mounted Rifles By Winty Calder Glimpses of Colonel Tom – by Winty Calder The Colonial Volunteers – The Defence Forces of The Australian Colonies 1836 – 1901. By Bob

Nicholls Uniforms Of The Australian Colonies By Alfred N Festburg & Barry J Videon Australian Military Uniforms By Monty Wedd Australians In The Waikato War 1863 – 64 By Leonard L. Barton Marching to the Waikato 1863 – By William Thompson The Shire of Lilydale & its Military Heritage – Volume 1 The Colonial Years By A.J, Mcleer Victoria’s Diggers By Allan Box The Victorian Volunteer Long & Efficient Service Medal 1881 – 1901 By R.D. Williams Marching On – History of The Bendigo Regiment By William E Thompson The Victorian Volunteer Force on The Central Victorian Goldfields 1858 – 1883 by Bob Marmion The Ham & Beef Battery – The defence of Westernport – by Bruce Bennett Victoria’s Guns – by Major Bill Billett Military Forces Of Victoria 1854 – 1967 – by GR Vazenry To Occupy A Fool Paradise – by David W Spethmany Country Victoria’s Own – by Neil Leckie