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Australians
in the Boer War
Oz-Boer Database Project |
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Full Record
Hint: This site is intended as a search aid - not a definitive source. It is essentially an index to documents that seem to relate to this person plus a very brief precis of relevant elements. Sources often conflict and I also flag things with a ? when I am unsure. So if the information below is important to you, then please check the original sources to see what else they contain (and in case I have inadvertantly introduced transcription and/or precising errors). There can be additional information that was not included in the database for both space and copyright reasons.
| Surname | | SHARKEY |
| Given Name(s) or Initial(s) | | Robert |
| Regimental Number | | 720 |
| Rank | | Private |
| Unit Name | | 3rd Victorian Bushmen |
| State | | Vic |
Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown) | |
Murray: Cameron's Scouts, Sergeant.
Source:# 268 Sergeant Cameron's Scouts Vic. per 'Sophocles'.
Melb. Leader: station overseer from Clonbinane via Wandong Vic., photo.
B5177: station overseer aged 35, discharged from 2nd Vic. Contingent, 2VMR enrollment form says a miner aged 36 (ruled out).
B5179: Cameron's Scouts, born 1864 a station overseer from Clonbinane via Wandong next of kin c/- GPO Melbourne Vic.
URL1: Pte. R SHARKEY CVS S. Africa, parents in Wandong Vic. & Kanowna WA.
URL2: Mr. R SHARKEY, who has been in South Africa for about seven years returned for a brief visit to this state last week, and was present in Broadford last Tuesday [12.11.1907]. Mr. Bob SHARKEY was for many years a member of the mounted rifles, and his name qften figured among the winning list in the Lloyd-Lindsay competitions a few years back, and his name will still be familiar to those who took an interest in rifle work at that time. When the Boer war broke out, Mr. SHARKEY enlisted and accompanied one of the contingents home and was engaged in active service till the termination pf the war, and the incidents tbat happened are still fresh in his memory, many of which have never appeared in print. Mr. SHARKEY gave a few incidents of the contempt the Boers had for the English. He remarked that one day they stuck the Yeomanry regiment up, and took then prisoners. When they found out who they had captured, with disgust they told them to clear, as they could get them any time they wanted. The men they wanted were those who had the feathers stuck in their caps - meaning the Queenslanders. Mr. SHARKEY considered the Australians quite equal to the Boers in bush work but the English were no good as they easily got lost. He has seen pretty well the whole of Hottentot German war which has been going on for three years, and is now just terminated. Being in charge of the transports he has not taken any part in the war, but nevertheless has been able to get a glimpse into the work of thes two forces which on the one hand he holds the highest respect for the Hottentots as fighters and on the other the utmost contempt for the Germans who would sooner take to their heels than show fight. At following an enemy they are alright, but to a stand-up fight they are nowhere. Mr SHARKEY intends to return to South Africa. He has been through all the different provinces.
URL3: The Yea "Chronicle" says - Bob SHARKEY, who went to the seat of war as a member of Cameron's Special Scouts and returned to Victoria some time ago, is again leaving for South Africa. He has joined the corps of special mounted police organised in that country for the suppression of outbreaks after the termination of the war. The members of the force obtain farms of 4000 acres from the British Government, and also obtain assistance,
from the same source to stock and fence it. They are, however, liable to be called on to serve at any time should necessity arise.
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| Source References | |
Murray: Official Records of the Australian Contingents etc. page(s) 251
Source:# Oz-Boer contributed source number 268
Melb. Age: Age newspaper, Melbourne date(s) 20.9.1901
Melb. Leader: Melbourne Leader newspaper date(s) 10.3.1900
B5177: National Archives of Australia series B5177
B5179: National Archives of Australia series B5179 item A
Droogleever: That Ragged Mob - 3VB & 4VIB page(s) 506, 525
Argus: Melbourne Argus newspaper date(s) 24.8.1900
Broadford Courier: Broadford Courier & Reedy Ck. Times newspaper date(s) 15.11.1907
KilmoreFP: Kilmore Free Press newspaper date(s) 3.4.1902
Yea Chron.: Yea Chronicle newspaper Vic. date(s) 27.3.1902
| | External Link URL1 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9553131 | | External Link URL2 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58925707 | | External Link URL3 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57957498 | | External Link URL4 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59952174 |
Please email me if you can
contribute any other relevant information about this person (eg any
other military service, where in Australia they came from or when/where
they died). Also, if you find an external link broken.
Apology: For some time now it has been difficult to keep up with the newly available sources (especially the Trove newspaper site) plus the flow of contributions and queries. So I have been forced to prioritise maintenance and data entry over replying to correspondence. Nevertheless, your contributions are being added to the database and acknowledged on the contributions page and, although my replies are many months behind, I will attempt to get to them more often.
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Oz-Boer Database
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