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VICTORIAN RANGERS

Ballarat Rangers

9 August 1858 -- Ballarat Volunteer Rifle Regiment was raised

24 Aug 1858 --BVRR renamed BALLARAT RANGERS

Name changed to 3 Bn Victoria Rifles during 1884-

Ballarat Rangers Officers' Parade 1869. Photo courtesy

Ballarat Public Library, from an original in the Ballarat

Old Colonists' Club. Well-known Ballarat identity Captain

T. Sleep is shown in foreground.

The first band contest in Victoria took place during the Easter encampment

of the Volunteers at Werribee in 1862. The three bands taking part were those

of the Geelong Garrison Artillery, the Ballarat Rangers and the Castlemaine

Grey Rifles. On this occasion, the band of the Ballarat Rangers came third.

VICTORIAN RANGERS

Formed by country rifle club members in 1888, the Rifle Volunteers at first

consisted of only three companies. `A' Company consisted of detachments

from rifle clubs at Rupanyup, Lubeck, Stawell, Great Western and Ararat.

`B' Company consisted of detachments from rifle clubs at Charlton, Inglewood,

Dunolly and Donald. `C' Company was formed from rifle clubs at Sheep Hills,

Horsham, Warracknabeal and Minyip.

A year later, in 1889 the Victorian Rifle Volunteers were renamed the Victorian

Rangers. For a short time, the Corps was commanded by Lieut-Col Tom Price

(in addition to his command of the Victorian Mounted Rifles) followed by Major

Alfred Otter in April 1889. Otter had earlier experience in the Royal Navy, and

at the time of his appointment was a Captain in the Permanent Artillery at

Queenscliff. He later led the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles in the Boer War.

Badge of the Victorian Rangers

Photograph provided by Malcolm Jenkins

The concept of ranger units earlier had gained favour in the New Zealand wars,

where ranger militia proved especially effective. Their ability to engage the

Maoris unexpectedly on their own ground provided a major advance in British

battle strategy. Before then, massed British forces had been unable to bring the

Maoris to any decisive encounters.

The heyday of the Victorian Rangers was in the early 1890s. It then comprised

three battalions:

1st Battalion -- Headquarters, ARARAT

`A' Coy -- HQ, Stawell. Detachments at Rupanyup, Lubeck, Glenorchy, Great Western & Deep Lead.

`C' Company -- HQ, Warracknabeal. Detachments: Sheep Hills, Murtoa & Horsham.

`D' Company -- HQ, Ararat. Detachments: Moyston, Cathcart and Beaufort.

2nd Battalion -- Headquarters, ST ARNAUD

`B' Company -- HQ, St Arnaud. Detachments: Dunolly, Donald & Timor.

`E' Company -- Echuca.

`F' Company -- HQ, Inglewood. Det'ments: Charlton, Wedderburn, Bridgewater & Eaglehawk.

`K' Company -- HQ, Kerang. Detachments at Swan Hill & Pyramid Hill.

3rd Battalion -- Headquarters, Cheltenham

`G' Company -- HQ, Cheltenham. Det'ments: Mordialloc, Mentone, E. Brighton, S. Brighton,

Frankston, Somerville & Mornington.

`H' Company -- HQ, Dandenong. Detachments: Oakleigh and Berwick.

`I' Company -- HQ, Sale. Detachments at Stratford and Rosedale.

In July 1890, The Rangers gained an artillery battery at Hastings for the defence of Westernport.

The battery consisted of 40-pounders on travelling carriages, which could be drawn by bullocks.

In 1891, defections to the Victorian Mounted Rifles had become worrisome, and a general

order forbade those taking discharges from the Rangers joining the Mounted Rifles for

at least six months. It was similarly impossible to a mounted rifleman to join the Rangers

for six months after taking his discharge.

Lieutenant William Bennett Smith

Commandant, Wedderburn Section

with his long service medal, c. 1900.

Portrait provided by his proud

grandson Alan Bennett Smith.

A photo believed to show Thomas Quinten Trotman

(left) who served in the Victorian Rangers. He

lived at Kurraca South, near Wedderburn and

died at the age of 22 years in 1903. Photo

provided by his proud descendant

Yvonne Nankivell.

James Elliot Jenkins

James Elliot Jenkins was commissioned Lieutenant in the

Rangers 22/3/1889 and Captain 20/2/1891 and resigned

from office19/3/1897 and lived in Ararat. Photograph

provided by his proud great grandson Malcolm Jenkins

During WW1 James commanded the 56th infantry battalion

1/7/1915-28/5/1917. He was Chief Commissioner of the

Scouts in 1917. He is in scouting uniform in the photo.

Ranger Johann Freidrich

Christian Schulz was ordered

to shave off his beard in 1901.

It was felt he too closely res-

embled the Duke of York,

later King George V, who was

going to open Australia's first

national Parliament in Melb-

ourne.

The handsome soldier from

St Arnaud was mistaken for

the Duke during ceremonial

rehearsals by onlookers. His

striking beard had to go!

Photo provided by his proud

great grandson Jason County.

After 1902, the Corps was reorganised forming squadrons of the 9th and 10th Light

Horse Regiments. But detachments from Stawell, St Arnaud, Murtoa, Ararat,

Inglewood, Cheltenham, and part of the Swan Hill and Lake Boga sections

were organised into an infantry unit, retaining the name Victorian Rangers.

Further reorganisations took place in 1912 and 1913, during which companies were

separated to form the nucleus of new Infantry Battalions.

The Rangers of today are the 8/7th BATTALION, THE ROYAL VICTORIA REGIMENT.

An history of 8/7 RVR in a book called Country Victoria's Own, was published in 2009 by Australian Military History Publications and supported by the Army History Unit. The author is Maj. Neil Leckie.

[Primary Source: Peacock, R. K.:`The Victorian Rangers', in the Victorian Historical Magazine, Vol. XVII, No. 1, May 1938]

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