New Zealanders’ Role in the South African Tragedy
2024 marks the 125th anniversary of New Zealand’s first overseas war deployment. When the Second Boer War erupted in October 1899, Premier Richard Seddon rallied a nation of just 800,000 to send the first colonial contingent to South Africa.
This comprehensive volume chronicles how nearly 6,500 New Zealanders and 8,000 horses served across ten contingents in major battles including Paardeberg, Diamond Hill, and Sanna’s Post. The New Zealand Mounted Rifles earned high praise from Field Marshals Roberts and Kitchener for their skill and courage against the formidable Boer commandos.
Beyond military tactics, the book explores the war’s broader impact: the medical challenges of enteric fever, the tragedy of concentration camps, the role of women and indigenous peoples, and the political maneuvering between colonial and imperial governments. Enhanced with period photographs, detailed maps, and first-person accounts, it examines both the immediate conflict and its lasting legacy.
Of the 228 New Zealanders who died, 133 succumbed to disease rather than combat—a sobering reminder of war’s true cost. Complete with extensive appendices and indexing, this is essential reading for understanding New Zealand’s military history and a tragic chapter when diplomacy failed.
Publishing Date: 21 October 2024
Price: $86.00
Size: 200mm x 260mm
Extent: 364 Pages (approx)
Illustrations: 350 coloured & B/W (approx).
Binding: Cased & Dust Jacketed
ISBN: 978-0-9941323-7-6