War Horses
Census of Horses and Owners for Military Purposes
Horse on parade, Bellevue Hill. Digital ID: 4481_a026_000643
On 25 November 1914 Prime Minister Andrew Fisher requested that the states provide information on all cobs, cavalry, artillery and light transport stock kept by local residents [Fig. 1]. The information was to provide for “the demands both of the Imperial and of the Commonwealth Governments” [1] in the early stages of World War I so that, if required, the horses could be compulsorily acquired under the Defence Act, 1903 [see bottom of Fig. 3 for excerpt of Act].[2] The ‘Census of Horses for Military Purposes’ was completed and sent to the Prime Minister on 12 February 1915.[3]
Census coverage
From mid-December 1914, the NSW Police Department carried out the census [see Figs. 2-4 for Police instructions] which resulted in a compilation of returns from the Metropolitan, Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, North-Eastern, North-Western, South-Western, Bourke, and Murray districts. The majority of the returns have not survived, however, a sample of these records can be found in NRS 12060, Premier’s Department letters received; [9/4695] 15/544. The surviving returns record 1,352 properties in the North-Eastern, Eastern, and Bourke districts combined, including 3,254 horses [see Fig. 5 for example].
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- [Fig. 1] Letter Prime Minister to Premier Holman, 25/11/1914. From NRS 12060, [9/4695] 15/544
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- [Fig. 2] Police Circular 871 p.1, 14/12/1914. From NRS 10929, [7/6187]
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- [Fig. 3] Police Circular 871 p.2, 12/12/1914. From NRS 10929, [7/6187]
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- [Fig. 4] Police Circular 871 p.3, 12/12/1914. From NRS 10929, [7/6187]
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- [Fig. 5] Census of Horses for Military Purposes in Bourke District, 1/2/1915. From NRS 12060, [9/4695] 15/544
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- [Fig. 6] Letter Premier to Prime Minister, 2/2/1915. From NRS 12060, [9/4695] 15/544
Search the Census
The sample has been indexed, and can be searched by any element, including owner, location, and address:
Related
Census of Unmarried Males
References
[1] State Archives NSW: NRS 12060, [9/4695], 15/544, enclosing Circular 14/3975/12 from Prime Minister Fisher to Premier Holman.
[2] Defence Act, 1903 (CW), (Act No. 20, 1903), S. 67. Retrieved from: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/num_act/da190320190383/
[3] NRS 12060, [9/4695], 15/544, Letter Premier Holman to Prime Minister Fisher
