Australische soldaten te paard na een gevecht bij Modderrivier, Zuid-Afrika 1900

This anonymous stereograph captures Australian mounted soldiers, presumably after a skirmish during the Second Boer War in South Africa. It’s a window into the complex dynamics of the British Empire at the turn of the 20th century, where soldiers from dominions like Australia were deployed to enforce colonial interests. The image raises questions about identity, loyalty, and the human cost of empire. What did it mean for these Australians to fight on foreign soil, against the Boers who were themselves fighting for their land and autonomy? What promises were made to the soldiers for their service and how do these compare to the human realities of war? These soldiers standing wearily beside their horses represent the ambivalent position of the colonised becoming colonisers. The photograph invites us to reflect on the human toll of conflict, as well as the tangled web of power, race, and national identity that defined this historical moment.