South Australian Artillery.

The South Australian Volunteer and Permanent Artillery used this generic artillery button. In a 1925 “Army Historical research” article, it was described as used by Artillery, Machine Gun Corps, and Artillery permanently employed, 1895-1903″.

Adelaide Times, 8th November 1854 page 3. The establishment of the colony’s first artillery. It was referred to as the Adelaide Volunteer Artillery and consisted of two companies.

South Australia’s artillery had its origins in the two each 6 pounders, 12 pounders and Cohorn mortars sent from Britain and arriving in 1846. During the time of the Crimean War, a small force of artillery was raised. There was almost no training, and the artillery  was required to do little except fire a shot at Port Adelaide to mark noon. Further guns arrived from Britain in 1857.

South Australian register, 11th July 1859 page 3.

Increased concerns about the French prompted the formation of  the Port Adelaide Volunteer Artillery during 1859, although an international shortage of of artillery prevented a build up of equipment. The Adelaide and Port Adelaide corps were merged in 1868 to form the South Australian Regiment of Volunteer Artillery, only to be un-merged in 1877 as the A and B Batteries with an increase in armaments. That’s politics for you.

State Library SA # B 292. Adelaide Battery in 1877.

 A Permanent (paid) artillery was raised around 1883, and a  Machine Gun Corps in 1894. A fort at Glenelg was planned, but came to nothing, with two guns left dumped in the sand. These two batteries were (again) merged as the South Australian Artillery Brigade in 1897.

State Library SA #PRG 1364/1/17. Dress uniform Australian Field Artillery c. 1890.

State Library SA # PRG 742/5/91. Port Glanville c.1882.

Australian War Memorial #AO 3852. !901 portrait of an un-named Colonel of the SA Artillery.

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