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September 6th 3 years 2 months ago #78374

  • BereniceUK
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1900 - Rupert Peek, of the New South Wales Citizen's Bushmen, wrote a letter home.

...."The following extracts from a letter sent by Trumpeter Rupert Peek to his father will be read with interest. He dates Warm Bads, Sept. 6 :—
....I suppose you are all pretty anxious about me, not getting many letters, but it is not often that we get a chance to write. You wonder how I fare for food, but you needn't be anxious on that account, as we live on the fat of the land, such as fowls, pigs, turkeys, &c. Sometimes when we are not near any farms we have to be content with biscuits and bully beef, but that is not often. I was reading in the paper (one of the Maitland Mercuries) that some one of the Bushies had described Rhodesia as a beautiful country ; everywhere good grass, and in some places 10 feet high, and also plenty of trees with an overgrowth of green leaves, and in fact that we have not a place in New South Wales to compare with it. Rhodesia for the most part is a bare plain. Well, that is where we have been ; the only wood on it being a lot of prickly bushes, which for the life of you you daren't touch, and a little water here and there, and at that very bad. About the beautiful wood, you can imagine what it is when we had to bake our dampers in horse and cow manure and then had to scramble for it.
....The Transvaal is altogether a different country. For the most part there is plenty of good water and plenty of forage and grain for our horses. The people over here have a beautiful system of watering their towns. Each town is built near some sort of a stream, from which little streams are taken and drained down every street in gutters, and then the people do the same thing to water their gardens. We are at present at a place called Warm Bads, a pretty place with rows and rows of tin houses, with a sort of big marble baths in them for visitors. This place is used as a seaside resort as in New South Wales. This is Oum Paul's favourite place for a holiday. His home is at Rustenberg, which is also a nice place. His farm is a grand affair, and a nice house, etc.
....We have had a good deal of fighting—at it nearly every day—in fact there is fighting with plenty of shelling going on at the present. I forgot to tell you these baths have hot and cold water laid on to them. There is a big hot spring here, and I think the Boers are envious of us having a warm bath. We saw Lord Roberts as we came past Pretoria ; he rode out and inspected us as we rode past. He is very nice, and not much taller than myself, and all smiles. He dresses very plainly, no badges on his shoulders, just ribbons on his breast and a big black band round his left arm. He rides a very big horse about seventeen hands, which makes him look much smaller than he really is.
....As we went past Pretoria Harold was in there ; he was going to ride out and see me, but could not get away. He sent a message out by some of our officers who saw him. I got a letter from him only a week old. I am having a grand time out here—plenty of fighting and plenty of fun. There is plenty of fighting going on now, with shells bursting all over the place. I am promoted to Brigade Staff-Trumpeter. I wish you would remember me to all friends, especially Mr. Regg, Mrs. Clark, and Mr. Wenholz, and to all the other teachers at the Superior Public School, and tell them I would write but I really haven't the time."
The Maitland Daily Mercury, Monday 22nd October 1900

....Rupert De Lacey Peek (24.11.1882-3.12.1940) was invalided home on the 13th of December 1900. He was from Maitland, N.S.W., and was the first schoolboy in New South Wales to volunteer; when the Bushmens Contingent embarked in February 1900, the following appeared in the press: "The little 4ft. 10in. Trumpeter, Rupert Peek, sat on a rail, and blew with his trumpet, as loudly as he could till he was out of earshot."
....Rupert had been presented with an inscribed gold medal by the Mayor of Maitland, and also "the boys and girls of the Superior Public School presented their late school mate (Rupert Peek) with a silver watch and chain suitably inscribed and a silver match box, together with addresses expressive of their best wishes for his future success." Before his departure, Rupert visited Maitland, bringing with him Bushie, the Bushmen's collie dog.

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September 6th 3 years 2 months ago #78381

  • LinneyI
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From the site of the State Library of NSW, here is a pic of a postcard showing "Bushie" the collie cross mascot of the NSWCB. The dog was presented to Queen Victoria just before she died and "Bushie" saw out his days in the kennels at Osbourne.

Regarding "21 Trumpeter Rupert de Lacey Peek, date of birth 24 No., 1882, occupation Clerk", he earned the normal clasps for the NSWCB and was discharged 8th March, 1901. He applied for enlistment in the 1st Bn., Aust. Comm. H but was rejected. In Wallace's "Elands River Siege", Trumpeter Peek is recorded as being present.
Regards
IL.
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