1st January 2022

Newcastle Volunteer Artillery Corps

Here is another button on my wish list. It is of the same basic design as many artillery uniform buttons, with one field gun facing left, ; but this time with the letters N V A C above. An example is shown on Cossum page 8, labelled as from c.1875 with the backmark Stokes Maker, Melbourne. The Newcastle Volunteer Artillery Corps existed from 1855 through to 1887. However, the backmark ‘Stokes Maker’ dates the manufacture prior to his partnership with George Martin, i.e. pre 1867, otherwise it would be marked Stokes & Martin.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 6th August 1856 page 4.

The Newcastle Chronicle and Hunter River District News (NSW), 22nd May 1861 page 2. The corps only had an ‘undress’ uniform, which they had to provide for themselves. The coat was a scarlet tunic with dark blue facings, with a badge depicting the letter ‘N’ for the shoulder straps.

Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney), 19th April 1879 page 32. New government regulations required yearly training camps. This illustration of volunteer artillery is not of the Newcastle division in particular, but they did attend.

The Daily telegraph (Sydney), 10th October 1887 page 5.

For more about this regiment, see:

https://portal.engineersaustralia.org.au/system/files/engineering-heritage-australia/nomination-title/HRP.Fort%20Scratchley.Nomination.17%20Sept%202019.REDUCED%20FILE..pdf

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