“Volunteer Military Forces c.1870”

This lovely photo is from the State Library of South Australia Collection.

B 13237 by B. Goode & Co., c.1870.

Bernard Goode, photographer called his business “B. Goode & Co” from 1868 until 1874. He sold his photography studio in Rundle Street in 1874 and moved to NSW. The business was taken by W.A. Francis , who ran the studio until 1881.

However, a description of new volunteer artillery uniforms from 1877 describes the shakos (hats) as well as the broad red stripes on the trousers:

Evening Journal (Adelaide), 13th September 1877 page 3.

I wonder whether this is actually a photo of one of the two volunteer artillery units, the Port Adelaide Volunteer Artillery (B Battery), in their new uniforms, c.1878. The photos could have been printed onto old card stock marked “B. Goode & Co”. If so, the buttons would have been the generic artillery design, see: http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/25th-november-2022/ The Adelaide Artillery (A Battery) Officers of 1877 had a similar uniform, excepting the shoulder belt, trouser strip and belts were ?white or light coloured, see below:

State Library SA; photo B7211. 1877.

For any comment or question, please use the Contact form.