OBJECT TITLE / NAME

Hastings Battery, 1905

DATE1905

MEDIAImage

COLLECTIONHastings-Western Port Historical Society

REG NO.P393

HISTORY

This is one of a number of photographs of the Hastings Battery. They were also known as the Victorian Rangers. After Federation, in 1904, they became A.F.A. (Australian Field Artillery). They were also known as the “Ham & Beef’ Battery as Captain Ham was in charge. The field carriage carried a 40 pound Armstrong gun. The Hastings Battery was set up because of a perceived Russian threat to “take Melbourne by landing a force via the Western Port”.

DESCRIPTION

This very faded image shows three groups of soldiers with field carriages in a grassed paddock. All men have their backs to the camera. There are approximately four soldiers with a field carriage on the left-hand side and another small group with a field carriage in the centre of the image. Part of a carriage with several horses and three mounted soldiers are in the foreground on the right-hand side of the image. A large group of trees are in the background behind the horses. A post and rail fence, with two other big gum trees is in the background. Printed in white at the bottom of the image is: “A.F.A. Battery No 6 Hastings”.

SUBJECTS

Armed forces, Boer War, 1899-1902, Defence forces, Military history, Soldiers, Wars

KEYWORDS

6th Battery, Australian Field Artillery, Hastings, Victorian Rangers Hastings Battery