Boom & Bust: Defence

Bremer Echoes, July 2023, a publication by the Ipswich Genealogical Society relayed the story of the death of Gunner Hayes which was written by Eddie Habben.

Volunteer service in the military services in Ipswich in the mid to late 1800s was not without its dangers. No. 2 Battery of the Queensland Volunteer Artillery was formed in 1865 drawing the majority of its members from the North Ipswich Railway Workshops. The first serious accident in the battery occurred when a gunners hands suffered horrific injury whilst conducting a firing of his gun. In 1892 a fatal accident occurred during a training exercise at the Battery’s facility at Queen’s Park in Ipswich. Gunner Hayes, As a result of injuries sustained when the wheel of one of the guns ran over his abdomen, he succumbed to his injuries and died the following day.

Gunner Hayes was a miner who was employed at the West Moreton Colliery and was a popular young man amongst his associates and a keen member of the 2nd Battery one of several volunteer military units serving in Ipswich as part of the Queensland Defence Force.

In April 1892 whilst the Gunners were harnessing their horses to the guns of the battery, to take them out of the shed for training purposes, the horses became restive and it was necessary for the drivers to use strenuous efforts to control them. The reins of the driver of the gun that Gunner Hayes was attached to broke and he was unable to control his horses resulting in the gunners being thrown off. Gunner Hayes was thrown off and the wheel of the gun ran over his abdomen. He died the following day from the injuries he sustained surrounded by his friends and relatives.

Gunner Hayes was accorded an impressive military funeral attended by numerous friends and relatives that also included participants from all of the military units from the Ipswich area and representatives from Headquarters in Brisbane.

Volunteer Unit - Active Service
The only active service undertaken by the volunteer unit was when the Ipswich Mounted Infantry mobilised during the shearers' strike of 1891.

Boer War (1899-1902)
When the war broke out, volunteers were called for and Captain Deacon of Ipswich Mounted Rifles asked men to report to the Drill Hall in Milford St. Within a few days, an "Ipswich contingent" was formed. On October 24, 1899, the men loaded their horses onto a train, formed a parade in Union Street and were farewelled on the railway Station platform by the local Member of Parliament Alfred Stephenson. Nearby country towns such as Lowood also responded to the call for volunteers and in Gatton, 11 men enthusiastically offered their services.

Capt Deacon who had acted as a recruiting officer was an alderman on Ipswich Municipal Council at that time and had served two terms as Mayor of Ipswich - the first native-born Ipswichian to gain that office. In 1900, he resigned from the Council and enlisted. He was a member of the Fourth Contingent known as the Imperial Bushmen and took part in action at Rhenoster Kop and was twice mentioned in despatches. On his return, he was re-elected to Council and became Mayor of Ipswich again in 1906.

During the Boer War, patriotic sentiment in Ipswich was high. War news was thoroughly reported in the paper and when the town of Mafeking was relieved (a significant point in the war), the Railway Workshops, government offices and many Ipswich shops closed for a day of celebrations, with fireworks and bonfires lit at night on Denmark Hill.