Colonial Volunteer Corps

The following information is based on details from "The Volunteer Movement in Western Australia, 1861 - 1903" written by George F Wieck (published in 1962) and other records held by the Army Museum of Western Australia.

The preparation for Britain's withdrawal of military support in Western Australia began in 1859 and the first three volunteer corps were formed in 1862.The Mounted Union Troop was formed later to provide an escort for the Governor at public displays.

Name	Starting date	Disbanded	Type	Approx. numbers
Metropolitan Volunteer Rifles	6 Aug 1862	22 Feb 1872	Infantry	100; also known as Perth Volunteer Rifles
Fremantle Volunteer Rifles	6 Aug 1862	8 Feb 1870	Infantry	65
Pinjarra Mounted Volunteers	23 Oct 1862	3 Nov 1882	Cavalry	17-60
Union Troop of WA Mounted Volunteers	19 Jul 1870	1 Jul 1872	Cavalry	30

The fear of a Russian invasion in 1872 gave an injection of enthusiasm and organisation into the Volunteer Corps. The conditions of enlistment, service, discipline and command were improved.

Name	Starting date	Disbanded	Type	Approx. numbers and comments
Perth Company of WA Rifle Volunteers	17 Jun 1872	10 Jun 1899	Infantry	100; often still called Metropolitan Rifle Volunteers
WA Troop of Horse Artillery	1 Jul 1872	31 Mar 1882	Cavalry	New name for the Union Troop of WA Mounted Volunteers
Fremantle Rifle Volunteers	5 Oct 1872	10 Jun 1899	Infantry	70; new name for Fremantle Volunteer Rifles
Guildford Rifle Volunteers	22 Jan 1874	10 Jun 1899	Infantry	40
1st Battalion WA Volunteers	10 Jun 1874	1899	Infantry	Rifle Volunteers from Perth, Guildford and Fremantle came together for training and competitions under this name but remained separate Corps
Geraldton Rifle Volunteers	10 Oct 1876	1900	Infantry	60
Wellington Mounted Infantry	25 Jun 1877	30 Nov 1882	Infantry	50; based in Bunbury
Albany Rifle Volunteers	26 Jun 1878	31 Mar 1885	Infantry	55
York Rifle Volunteers	8 Nov 1878	20 Sep 1886	Infantry	40; disbanded on 20 Sep 1886 and re-raised as York Infantry Volunteers in 1893
Naval Artillery Volunteers	10 Feb 1879	17 Dec 1888	Artillery	30; protected the Port of Fremantle and restricted to ex-naval men
Perth Volunteer Artillery	31 Mar 1882	1 Jul 1887	Artillery	30; New name for WA Troop of Horse Artillery
Northampton Rifle Volunteers	1 Jul 1884	21 Jan 1899	Infantry	40; part of the Geraldton Rifle Volunteers
Albany Defence Rifles	6 May 1885	2 May 1888	Infantry	70; New name for Albany Rifle Volunteers
No. 1 Battery, Field Artillery	1 Jul 1887		Artillery	New name for Perth Volunteer Artillery
Plantagenet Rifle Volunteers	6 May 1888	29 Apr 1897	Infantry	new name for Albany Defence Rifles
Fremantle Artillery Volunteers	17 Dec 1888	24 Oct 1892	Artillery	38; New name for Naval Artillery Volunteers and now open to all volunteers
No. 2 Battery, Field Artillery	24 Oct 1892		Artillery	new name for the Fremantle Artillery Volunteers
Bunbury Rifle Volunteers	24 Oct 1892	8 Oct 1900	Infantry
York Infantry Volunteers	11 Oct 1893	20 Feb 1899	Infantry
Perth Mounted Rifle Volunteers	15 May 1894	30 Jun 1897	Infantry

The 2nd Anglo-Boer War was the impetus for the next round of changes and amalgamations of the different Corps.

Name	Starting date	Disbanded	Type	Approx. numbers and comments
York Infantry	20 Feb 1899	27 Mar 1902	Infantry	60; new name for the York Infantry Volunteers; became D Company of the 3rd Bttn of WA Infantry Brigade in 1902
1st Infantry Regiment	1 July 1899	8 Oct 1900	Infantry	Perth Company of Rifle Volunteers, Fremantle Rifle Volunteers and Guildford Rifle Volunteers amalgamated for 15 months and then separated again into 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions WA Infantry Brigade in 1900
Metropolitan Civil Service Battalion	7 Dec 1899	8 Oct 1900	Infantry	became 4th Battalion WA Infantry Brigade in 1900
Pinjarrah Mounted Infantry	1 Mar 1900	7 Jun 1900	Mounted Infantry	30; absorbed into WA Mounted Infantry after a few months
Goldfields Battalion of Infantry	7 Jun 1900	8 Oct 1900	Infantry	250; became 5th Battalion WA Infantry Brigade
WA Mounted Infantry	1 Jan 1900	1 Jan 1903	Infantry	made up of 4 companies with 50 soldiers in each; became 18th Light Horse Regiment after Federation
1st Battalion WA Infantry Brigade	8 Oct 1900	30 Jun 1903	Infantry	200; original Perth Company of WA Rifle Volunteers (1872) was part of 1st Infantry Regiment for 1 year and then became 1st Bttn WA Infantry Brigade
2nd Battalion WA Infantry Brigade	8 Oct 1900	30 Jun 1903	Infantry	original Fremantle Rifle Volunteers (1872) was part of 1st Infantry Regiment for 1 year and then became 2nd Bttn WA Infantry Brigade
3rd Battalion WA Infantry Brigade	8 Oct 1900	30 Jun 1903	Infantry	original Guildford Rifle Volunteers, Geraldton Rifle Volunteers, Bunbury Rifle Volunteers and York Infantry became 3rd Bttn WA Infantry Brigade
4th Battalion WA Infantry Brigade	8 Oct 1900	30 Jun 1903	Infantry	new name for Metropolitan Civil Service Battalion
5th Battalion WA Infantry Brigade	8 Oct 1900	30 Jun 1903	Infantry	new name for Goldfields Battalion of Infantry
Albany Volunteer Garrison Artillery	10 Oct 1899		Garrison Artillery	50; became No. 1 Company, Albany Garrison Artillery;
No. 1 Battery, Field Artillery	1 Jul 1887		Artillery	also called 1st WA Field Battery
No. 2 Battery, Field Artillery	24 Oct 1892		Artillery	also called 2nd WA Field Battery

The Official Australian Yearbook, [No 1, 1908, p 1082] gives the following figures for the Colonial Forces in Western Australia in December 1900.

AREA	OFFICERS	SOLDIERS
PERMANENT AND PAID
Staff	2	8
Artillery	2	31
Everyone Else	2	2
MILITIA
Mounted Troops	32	799	WA Mounted Infantry
Field Artillery	12	174	No 1 and No 2 WA Field Artillery based in Perth and Fremantle
Garrison Artillery	2	66	based in Albany
Infantry	71	1451	1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Infantry Battalions
Everyone else	12	30
TOTAL	135	2561

To see how these Units were organised after 1901 click here. CMF Organisation in WA