Buried here are soldiers
from Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia who all fought and
died in the Battle of Diamond Hill (Donkerhoek Ridge) on the 11th
and 12th of June 1900. On these hills the Boer Army of the
Transvaal Republic, commanded by General Botha, blocked the easterly
advance of a much larger British led force under the command of Lord
Roberts's.
The battle was fought for
two days across a broad 40 kilometre front and only after strong
British flanking movements in particular to the south-east, did the
Boer's tactically withdraw under the cover of darkness. The pressure
to withdraw was largely the result of a gallant charge on the Boer
lines by 350 dismounted soldiers of the New South Wales Mounted
Rifles. This was one of the last "set piece" battles of the
War and the first time units from all the States of Australia served
together.
Pause to remember those who
died here for the ideals that they strove to uphold.
