Summary of the South African Boer War

The Boer War was a conflict between the Dutch-descended population in South Africa, called Afrikaners, or Boers, and British settlers. In 1814 Great Britain acquired the Cape of Good Hope and began expanding her possessions in southern Africa. More British settlers were lured to the area in the late 1880's when gold and diamonds were discovered. This caused ill feelings among the Afrikaners who felt their independence was threatened by an influx of immigrants. The British governor of Cape Colony resented the Afrikaners treatment of British subjects and amassed a force of at least 50,000 British troops. Hostilities began on October 9, 1899 when the president of the South African Republic demanded the withdrawal of all British troops with the alternative of formal war. The war ended four years later with the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging on March 23, 1902. Not long after, the whole of South Africa became a part of the British Empire. British subjects from all of her colonies served during the Boer War and about 28,000 men were killed.

Robert Colthart (1841-1935)
Malvern Mounted Rifles, New Zealand

Robert Colthart was born in Crawfordjohn Parish, Scotland in 1841. His parents were William Colthart and Janet Cock. He immigrated to New Zealand in 1862 and married Margaret Fullerton in 1866. Robert and Margaret had nine children: Annie (1867), Margaret (1870), Agnes (1872), Robert (1875), William (1877), Edward (1879), Thomas (1881), Mary (1883) and James (1889).

During the South African Boar War, Robert joined the Malvern Mounted Rifles and although he did not leave New Zealand, he was prepared to in case he was needed. Robert passed away in 1935.

Leonard Bruce Coltheart (1906-1966)
Royal Australian Navy

Leonard was born in 1906 at Lottah, Tasmania. He was the youngest child of James Coltheart and Lizzie Bloomgfield. He enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy and was trained as a radio technician, serving in the Mediterranean and at shore transmitting stations, including Frankston and Victoria in the 1930's. In 1938 he married Enid Cameron and they had two children: Max (1939) and Lenore (1940). Leonard was posted to Belconnen in Canberra and served at H.M.A.S. Coonawaara in Darwin during WWII. He was promoted to Chief Petty Officer and returned to Belconnen after the war. He retired from the Navy in 1954 and passed away in 1966 at age 59 from a complication of childhood rheumatic fever. He was the grandson of John Colthart (1833-1937) who emigrated from Scotland to Tasmania in 1855.