New Zealand, South Anglo Boer War, 1899-1902

General collection information

While many of the records in this collection are of soldiers from New Zealand, other countries are also represented. If your family member was from the UK, Canada, Australia, India, the South African Republic, Orange Free State, Rhodesia, Swaziland (modern-day Eswatini), or the former colonies of Cape and Natal, they may be in this collection. Members of some African tribes also fought in the Boer War and may appear in the collection, including the Zulu, Xhosa, Swazis, Basotho, and Sothos people.

Using the collection

Records in the collection may include the following information:

When researching, it's important to keep in mind that the names and borders of many of the locations in this collection have changed over time.

Despite being prohibited from serving, some of New Zealand's Māori population did fight in the Boer War. Many enlisted by using English names. While some may have been given English names at birth, others may have used aliases strictly for the purpose of enlisting. If your Māori ancestor served in the Boer War, checking any known aliases may help you find their records.

Collection in context

The Boers were a population of European colonists who occupied parts of South Africa. The Boer people were predominantly of Dutch, German, and French descent and spoke Afrikaans, a language derived from Dutch. Boer descendants today are known as Afrikaners.

The South Anglo Boer War was fought between the British Empire and two of the Boer Republic states: the South African Republic and the Orange Free State. Long before the start of the South Angle Boer War, the British and Boers had a contentious relationship. In fact, the South Anglo Boer War is also known as the Second Boer War, as the First Boer War was fought between 1880 and 1881.

The British and Boers were both interested in controlling southern Africa, which escalated when deposits of ore, gold, and diamonds were discovered in Boer colonies. The war broke out when the Boers, fearing British encroachment, preemptively attacked multiple British settlements. The Boers were skilled guerrilla fighters, but they were ultimately outnumbered by the British forces. On May 31, 1902, the war ended with the signing of the Peace of Vereeniging, which gave the British control over the Boer colonies of Transvaal and Orange Free State.

Bibliography

National Archives. "The South African War." Last modified June 18, 2017. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/census/events/britain5.htm.

New Zealand History. "Māori and the War." Last modified March 7, 2018. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/new-zealand-in-the-south-african-boer-war/maori.

National Army Museum. "Boer War." Last modified November 16, 2019. https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/boer-war#:~:text=Between%201899%20and%201902%2C%20the,not%20without%20adopting%20controversial%20tactics.