When the Second Boer War was declared on 11 October 1899, governments of colonies from around the British Empire offered to send troops to contribute to the British war effort. This included the governments of the six colonies of Australia (the country would not be confederated into a Commonwealth until 1 January 1901). Among the troops sent were the 1st Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen Contingent, a unit whose members would be awarded two Victoria Crosses. Most of the troops the colonies of Australia contributed were mounted units, formed before departure. This was despite a decree requesting infantry contingents as being of most service and cavalry of the least.
Australians also enlisted in British units or South African colonial units and recruitment for British units, such as the Scottish Horse, was undertaken in Australia. The Australian contribution to the war effort took place over five waves, the first coming in 1899 immediately after the outbreak of the war and drawn from the men of the colonial militia. The second wave included the bushmen contingents (arriving between December 1899 and February 1900), recruited widely and paid for by public subscription or sponsored by wealthy individuals.Contingents, recruited in a similar manner but paid for by the imperial government in London. After federation came draft contingents raised by the state governments of the new Commonwealth and then, the new federal Commonwealth Government contributed Australian Commonwealth Horse troops. Some of these troops were still aboard their ships on their way to South Africa when peace was declared in May 1902. In all, about 16,000 Australian men served in South Africa. Trooper John Hutton Bisdee arrived in the third Australian wave with the 1st Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen’s Contingent in May 1900.
