The recent Suakim Expedition - Return of the NSW contingent to Sydney, June 23

Four different drawings depicting various scenes during the arrival home of the NSW contingent of volunteers soldiers from the 1885 Sudan conflict. The first image, which is situated at the top left of the page, is 'Naval Brigade Landing at Fort Macquarie'. In the Centrex middle ground is a steam powered tugboat accompanying a long row boat filled with the armed NSW soldiers, who are returning home from the Sudan. The scene, like the other three, is in the pouring rain. In the background of the image, just in front of Fort Macquarie, is a crowd of dignitaries, soldiers, and civilians waiting at the dock. The second image, 'Naval Colour Party', depicts six sailors, three per row, standing to attention in the rain. Five are holding rifles with bayonets attached; however, one sailor in the one in the front row on the far left is holding 'the colours' (the national flag). The naval colour party consisted of the personnel detailed to carry out the ceremonies of morning and evening colours, in which the ensign (national flag) would be raised on either a warship or a naval shore establishment.
The third image, 'George Street: "Here are our boys!"' is situated in the lower left corner of the page. The NSW contingent are shown marching down George Street in the rain, with a crowd watching them. A civilian in a collared coat and bowler hat steps out of the crowd, and shakes the hand of one of the soldiers. A young women (who, like the young man, is holding an umbrella over her head), is waving hesitantly to the men. Behind her, in the bottom left corner of the image, a policeman attempts to hold back the jubilant crowd. The orderly marching of the NSW contingent is contrasted against the chaotic enthusiasm of the crowd.
The fourth image, which is situated in the lower right corner of the page, and is called 'A Prisoner: Donkey Captured from the Arabs'. It shows a soldier leading a donkey by its harness. The view is from behind. The story of how the donkey came to be with the contingent is somewhat grisly: the original owner of the donkey, a 'Fuzzy-Wuzzy', was attacked by members of the Arnaras tribe, who cut off his left hand. The man was taken to hospital, and his donkey was taken by the officers' cook, who used the donkey to carry his luggage.
The Sudan Contingent was the first army contingent to be raised and dispatched by an Australian colony - previous to this, the British had provided 'defense' services for Australia. The murder of General Gordon at Khartoum on 26 January 1885 horrified the civilised world and prompted the New South Wales Government to offer assistance to the British in the Egyptian Sudan. The British Government dissuaded the other Australian colonies from doing the same. Despite these offers from the other colonies that went unheeded by England, public excitement over the Sudan campaign led it to be called "the great adventure". The hastily formed force of 734 men of the New South Wales contingent for the Sudan were given an enthusiastic Sydney farewell on March 3, 1885. By the time the Australian Sudan Contingent landed at Suakin in the Red Sea on 29 March 1885 the first Sudan War was nearly over. The British Government was then completing plans to withdraw into Egypt, leaving the Mahdi to his conquests.The Australians joined two British brigades under General Graham at Suakin. This force operated against Oman Digna, the Mahdi's commander of the eastern tribes, with considerable success until it was withdrawn. The troops, however, were in the Sudan for only seven weeks and saw little action, only being involved in two actions of note. Three soldiers were wounded and two died of illness during the campaign, while three later died of illness at Colombo during the voyage back to Australia. But the affair set a precedent for Australia's involvement with Britain in future overseas wars.