Mapping Australian history and culture
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| Name | Port Phillip Volunteer Yeomenry - Proposed Divisions |
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| Description | In 1842 prominent colonists in Port Phillip District (Victoria) frustrated by ongoing resistance of Aboriginal people and attacks by bushrangers met to establish a militia of volunteer yeomenry (in the British tradition yeomen were owners of wealthy farms who could afford horses - something like an agrarian middle class or patrician class - consequently a 'Yeomenry Corp' meant a volunteer cavalry or mounted militia). This style of colonial organisation has precedent in other parts of the British Empire, such as South Africa where Boers in particular were very effective in the use of locally organised agrarian militia who could be called up and assembled quickly and as needed - the Commandos. This type of warfare was known to colonists in Australia. For example De Villier, had attempted to establish the Native Police based on models he had seen in South Africa in the Xhosa Wars, and others must have also have had knowledge from across the empire. The proposal to form a Yeomenry was commended yet rejected by Governor Gipps who objected to anyone but the government being able to appoint officers. The colonial government was probably wary of colonists forming militia groups which might develop into rebellion against the government, as had occured in America. The government insisted on controlling policing and de facto military activity for which it levied taxes from squatters and settlers. Squatters resented these taxes as they saw government police as expensive and ineffective. They believed a volunteer yeomanry would be affordable and effective. In the meeting concerns were raised that the Yeomenry Corp would use it as an excuse to persecute Aboriginal people. It was clarified that the purpose was not only to protect colonists life and property from 'the outrages of bushrangers and blacks' but against 'unauthorised aggressions of any description'. In practice 'self defence' sometimes meant violent confrontation and sometimes killing and massacres of Aboriginal people. The proposed militia was not approved and did not go ahead, but colonists none the less cooperated to form reprisal parties. The following is a map of the proposed districts which indicates how colonists saw Port Phillip District (Victoria) in military terms, and the scale at which mounted colonists could be organised into reprisal groups. |
| Type | Other |
| Subject | Indigenous, History, Victoria, Australia, Colonial Violence, Militia |
| Linkback | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226511993 |
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| Content Warning | Colonial violence. |
| Number of places | 12 |
| Contributor | Dr Bill Pascoe |
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| Source URL | https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226511993 |
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| Allow ANPS? | No |
| Citation | PORT PHILLIP VOLUNTEERS. (1842, June 6). Port Phillip Patriot and Melbourne Advertiser (Vic. : 1839 - 1845), p. 2. Retrieved March 26, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226511993 |
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| Date From | 1842-06-06 |
| Date To | 1842-06-06 |
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| Added | 2026-03-26 19:14:42 |
| Updated | 2026-03-26 21:48:03 |