The Boer War Medals of Braidwood boy Robert Cornelius Gifford have recently been donated to the Australian War Memorial.
In late 1899, Robert Cornelius Gifford, aged 27, of Bombay, left the Braidwood district and took ship to South Africa to fight in the Boer War. He was one of the first Australians to go to the war. The colonial governments hadn't organized an official force for South Africa at that time. Perhaps he thought that the fighting would be all over before a NSW contingent could reach the front. A couple of decades earlier that had happened when the NSW force to the Sudan arrived after the fighting had finished. Perhaps he saw it as an exciting job. There was a major depression in Australia in the late 1890s and work would have been hard to get. The Gifford selection at Bombay was too small to support the whole family.
When he arrived in Cape Town, he joined the South African Lighthorse in November, 1899 and a month later was involved in the Battle of Colenso where the British were badly beaten by the Boers. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt in this battle, despite coming under fire. He wrote a letter home about it and Ros Madrell has included his letter in her book, "Letters from the Front". He wasn't so lucky a couple of months later at the Battle of Pieters on February 27, 1900 when he was injured, though not badly enough to stop him helping in the relief of Ladysmith. He received a number of medals for his service in the Boer War, including a Distinguished Service in the Field medal and was mentioned in dispatches.
In late 1902, Rose Pike of Araluen persuaded her sister, Rachel, to go with her to South Africa, and in February, 1903, Rose and Robert were married in Cape Town. Robert then worked in the South African Constabulary. By 1909, they had three children and Rose was again pregnant. In 1909, she decided to come home to Australia and in September, 1909, her fourth child, Robert George, my father, was born in Braidwood. By that time her father had died and the family farm in Araluen had been sold. Her brothers, Roly, George and Harry, had set up a network of produce stores in Sydney and she and her children lived on the upper floor of the store in Crown Street.
When the First World War began, fighting started in South West Africa, which was a German colony at that time. Robert Cornelius joined up and was badly injured. In 1917, he came back to Australia and met his son, Robert George, for the first time.
Robert Cornelius Gifford, my grandfather, died in the early 1940s when I was a small boy, so I do not remember him, but I have enjoyed finding out about him and the different things that he did.
Lieutenant FW Gifford served in the 1914-18 War.
Robert Gifford's parents had migrated from Scotland in 1848/49 and worked for Mr Gordon on 'Manar' as a farmhand, wages being 30 pounds per annum and Mrs Gifford as laundress with her wages being one shilling and sixpence per day. The two families were known to each other, as the Gordon family had extensive property in Scotland. The Giffords may have been employed there, knowing if they migrated work would be available in NSW with the Gordons on 'Manar'.
Their first child was born on 'Manar'. Later they moved to a small selection farm at Bombay (Braidwood) and raised their family. Their grave is on the property, now carefully looked after by the present owners.
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