Story: Women and men

The soldiering life

The soldiering life

This photograph, taken in about 1900, shows the tallest and shortest men in the New Zealand 'Rough Riders' contingent, which fought in the South African War (1899–1902, also known as the Boer war). Soldiering was so important to New Zealand men that some joined the army either under-age or in spite of limited capacity for war. 

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, R. F. Stace Collection
Reference: PAColl-0277-1

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Charlotte Macdonald, 'Women and men - Soldiers and sportsmen: 1880s–1920s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/29221/the-soldiering-life (accessed 18 April 2024)

Story by Charlotte Macdonald, published 5 May 2011, updated 1 Aug 2017