Two black and white photos pasted onto a sheet of paper. The top photo is a photo of three men, one playing a fiddle, one with a brass instrument and the third is not very clear. They are in front of a hut with branches on the roof and hessian walls. Beneath the photo is typed on a piece of paper - A Bendigo Camp by Mulgarrie W. A. (Boer War Training Camp? Bendigonian Jan. 14 1897. Latrobe Collection, State Library of Victoria. The second photo is three men, dressed in suits and sitting on chairs in front of a building. One has a clarinet, the middle one has a concertina and the other has a fiddle. The men are the Coleman Brothers. The photo was taken by a travelling photographer called Siebart.photo, group, male, peter ellis collection, mulgarrie w a, boer was training camp?, bendigonian 14/1/1897, latrobe collection, state library of victoria, bill coleman, charles coleman, john robertson, singabout vol 6 no 1 1966, siebart, peter cuffley

The Victorian Mounted Rifles was raised as the mounted arm of the Victorian Colonial defence force in 1885. It was under the command of Colonel Thomas Caradoc Rose (Tom) Price (1842-1911). Price was born in Tasmania, educated in Hobart Town and at Scotch College, Melbourne, before entering the East India Military College, Addiscombe, England. He was commissioned on 7 July 1861 in the Madras Infantry and began twenty years’ service in India with several regiments, retiring in April 1883. On his return to Victoria he was tasked with raising of a force of one thousand, to be known as the Victorian Mounted Rifles, and appointed a lieutenant-colonel in the Permanent Military Forces. Companies of the Victorian Mounted Rifles were raised in rural districts throughout Victoria. The soldiers were paid a small annual allowance and were required to provide their own horse. Many members served in contingent to the Boer War. After Federation the VMR was gathered up into the Australian Light Horse. Black and white photograph of group of Victorian Mounted Rifles soldiers posed with a gentleman and three ladies. Occasion is probably open day at a camp of training. Photograph is professionally mounted o backing card.Ink stamp on reverse: "Hewitt / Photographer / 98 Simpson Street east Melbourne / Weddings and picnics attended / Extra copies may be obtained"vmr, boer war, colonial, training, uniform