Flag station

Men from the Victorian colonial infantry performing a signalling exercise with the Victorian colonial artillery. In the middle of the composition there is a signalling station with a semaphore flag and an infantry man transcribing signals from the artillery in the distance. To the right, two officers are in consultation. One of a group of five works by J. Penry showing military training exercises held in Victoria in 1893.

In 1870, volunteer units raised from local residents replaced the British Army troops in the colony of Victoria. These troops were either militia, who were part-paid by the government, or volunteer units who were privately funded (for example the Victorian artillery). These units would undertake annual training, often on a private estate over a number of days and in front of a large crowd of civilian spectators.

This scene may take place at the annual Easter Encampment, which in 1893 was held at Sunbury for Victorian artillery volunteers and other units in early April, or it may take place the Box Hill camp for metropolitan units, which was also held during Eater in 1893. The annual Easter military camps were extremely popular with the Victorian public during the late nineteenth century, and were held at various locations around Melbourne (often at Queenscliff, Portsea, Werribee or Sunbury).