Abandoned

One of a series of illustrations reproduced in a book by Frank Wilkinson, 'Australia at the front: A colonial view of the Boer War', John Long, London, 1901. Hardy based his illustrations on sketches and photographs by the author who was a special war correspondent in South Africa. It depicts the site of an abandoned camp on the veldt, dead and dying horses, and vultures arriving to feast on carcases.

Horses were integral in the Boer War, being used for transport and in the front line. The men from Australia served mostly in mounted units formed in each colony, often known as mounted rifles, bushmen, or imperial bushmen. However, conditions were harsh and without time to acclimatise to the severe environment, the horses fared badly, and many died not only in battle but of disease; others succumbed to exhaustion on the long treks across the veldt, while quarantine regulations in Australia ensured that even those who survived could not return home.