The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Depicts a page from the 'London Illustrated News' from 25 April 1885 with an upper image of the departure from Sydney of the Australian contingent for the Sudan and the lower image of a St Bernard puppy titled 'The sleep of innocence'. The engraving of the puppy was made by G L Lodge after an image by Bourhill. Between March- June 1885, the NSW Contingent served in Sudan, Africa. The contingent, an infantry battalion of 522 men and 24 officers and an artillery battery of 212 men, was ready to sail on 3 March 1885. It left Sydney amid much public fanfare, generated in part by the holiday declared to farewell the troops; the send-off was described as the most festive occasion in the colony's history. The NSW contingent anchored at Suakin, Sudan's Red Sea port, on 29 March 1885 and were attached to a brigade composed of Scots, Grenadiers and Coldstream Guards. Shortly after their arrival they marched as part of a large "square" formation -on this occasion made up of 10,000 men - for Tamai, a village some 30 kilometres inland. Not having participated in any battles, Australian casualties were few: those who died fell to disease rather than enemy action. By May 1885 the British government had decided to abandon the campaign and left only a garrison in Suakin. The Australian contingent sailed for home on 17 May 1885, arriving back in Sydney on 19 June. It was generally agreed at the time that, no matter how small the military significance of the Australian contribution to the War in Sudan, it marked an important stage in the development of colonial self-confidence and was proof of the enduring link with Britain.
This Lithograph was adapted from a photograph held in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales's collection of the NSW Contingent troops passing down Gresham Street in Sydney. They are
A page from 'The Graphic' illustrated newspaper, 2 May 1885, p. 432 depicting six vignettes showing; 1. Lord Augustus Loftus, Governor of New South Wales, and the Guard of Honour, 2. The troopship "Ib
This lithograph of the departure of Australian troops from the NSW contingent for the War in Sudan (1885) was adapted from a photograph in the Mitchell Library, Sydney, NSW (P x A 354, vol 3) of troop
Depicts various vignettes of activities of the Australian (NSW) contingent in Sudan, which appeared in the 'Illustrated Sydney News'. Between March- June 1885, the NSW Contingent served in Sudan, Afri
Depicts a series of drawings of the experiences of the NSW contingent in Sudan after Arthur Collingridge (1879-1901) who was a painter and illustrator of scenes. Collingridge worked for the 'London Gr
Separated into six parts, this image depicts the NSW Contingent in the Sudan in 1885. The first section shows Indian soldiers at their campsite, sitting or standing in front of their tents, cooking at