525 Sergeant James Charles Power MiD
4th Queensland Mounted Infantry
James Charles Power was born in Ballygrennan, Co Limerick, Ireland on 26th April 1869. He was the seventh in line of the ten children born to parents Jeremiah Power and Honora Byrnes. They had married in in the church at Granagh, Parish of Ballingarry, Co Limerick in early 1859. There were six boys and four girls in the family. Two of the children, John and Margaret had sailed to New Zealand on separate ships and following that, Jeremiah and Honora and the other eight children sailed as a Colonial Nominated Family for settlement in Oamaru. The family sailed on the SS Invercargill and arrived in Port Chalmers, New Zealand on 2nd October 1878. James was nine years old at this time and the family took up residence in Oamaru where his father worked as a labourer. Sadly, just five months later, his sister Margaret, who was a dressmaker, passed away at age 16 on 22nd March 1879 from a brain fever.
James began shearing in New Zealand and at some time in the late 1800’s came to Queensland to follow the work around the shearing sheds in the central west area and was working around Barcaldine. By the 1900 Electoral Roll he was living at Ibis St., Longreach where he had purchased a house and was listed as a shearer. His parents had been removed off the roll in Oamaru in 1896 and his eldest brother William married Margaret Bresnahan in Wellington, NZ on 25th April 1896. The Paemako area in the north island had just been opened up for farming and it appears that his father Jeremiah moved to that area with son William and his new wife Margaret to take advantage of the new opportunities. After this wedding, his mother Honora, brother Jeremiah and sister Annie travelled to Longreach, Queensland. It is not clear when the other brothers settled there, but Michael, who had been a compositor or type setter for the Oamaru Mail, took up employment at the Longreach Standard and then the Government Printing Office in Brisbane, but because the moist climate didn’t agree with him, he returned to Longreach and was employed at various sheds around the district. His health quickly deteriorated and he died of tuberculosis in Longreach at age 26 on 14th December 1897. Youngest brother Jeremiah who was a tailor also passed away from tuberculosis in Longreach at age 27 on 5th November, 1899. His mother Honora and youngest sister Annie had returned to New Zealand and Annie, who was a dressmaker, passed away at Paemako, also from tuberculosis at age 26 on 5th January 1902. As history was to unfold, this was the day after James was killed in the Boer War in South Africa. His father Jeremiah passed away in Oamaru on 31st July 1908 and his mother Honora passed away in Oamaru on 9th October 1912. His eldest sister Mary, who married Michael McLaughlin on 24th October 1880 had remained living in Oamaru and had fourteen children. One of their sons, Michael Joseph, was killed in France on 9th September 1916 during WW1. James’s other sister Johanna, married James McMahon on 8th January 1887 and they also lived in Oamaru and had ten children.
A brother, John Henry had moved to Longreach and was also a shearer. He married Mary Ellen Seaby in her home town of Barcaldine on 24th May 1911. They had three boys, Edward James born in 1912, James Henry born in 1913 and John Jeremiah born in 1915. They also had two daughters, Honora Wilson born in 1917 and Letitia Margaret born in 1919. One of their sons, James Henry married Ida Adelaide Wager in 1934, and in World War 2 he served as Private Q214538 in the 14th Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (Queensland).
James’ other brother Patrick John who was also a shearer, married Alice Ethel Boswell on 27th December 1905. They had no children. Alice had an adult son by a previous marriage. Patrick is buried in Charters Towers. James arrived in Queensland before 1893. Two newspaper articles in New Zealand in 1893 mention him. One states “James Power, the champion shearer of New Zealand, has been turning over 200 sheep a day off the Wolseley machines.” Another article talks about New Zealand shearers in Queensland and gives weekly lists of how many sheep each shearer shore. James seems to be at the top of each weekly list from late July to late August. As an example, for one week he shore 1290 sheep with daily totals of 222, 210, 229, 237, 247, and 145 on Saturday. This was contained in a letter to a New Zealand paper from Northampton Downs Station via Blackall. The author also says “James Power is the son of Mr J. Power, of Oamaru”. He also goes on to say “A lot more well-known New Zealand shearers are here, and very highly spoken of through Queensland by the squatters. Another New Zealand shearer, Dennis Noonan, has lately cut some big tallies up at Marathon Station and claimed to be the champion machine shearer. He was challenged by Mr M. S. Tolano, of Blackall, to shear James Power for from 50 pounds to 1000 pounds, but so far no notice has been taken by Noonan of the challenge.” At a sports day and concert at Saltern Creek in 1898, he was involved in a trial bicycle handicap where he came second in the final.
At a visit to Barcaldine Downs station in April 1899 by His Excellency Lord Lamington and Lady Lamington, James was one of the signatories on an address to them, welcoming them and showing their support. At the conclusion of the presentation, they were shown the usual operations in the shed, with the “sheep being shorn at the time were heavily fleeced ewes, but Jim Power shore one of them in less than two minutes by Lady Lamington’s watch, and her ladyship gracefully complimented the well-known champion of his feat.” There was also mentioned that the Barcaldine shed had been noted for many years for the large proportion of “gun shearers” that were usually employed there. In October 1899 he, amongst a lot of people including his brothers, gave a donation or subscription of 1 pound to the Longreach Hospital. A newspaper article in 1899, titled Round the Sheds, states that there “have been some big tallies shorn here the last day or two, J Power 164, … very good, as the men don’t get exactly the full time on account of the short days”. Another article has the “Hughenden paper, in referring to the Barenya shearing, says that a correspondent on the station declares “J. Powers’ tally is the highest ever done in one day in Australia, I believe in the world. I saw some time back, a record of the highest machine performances in the States of America, and to the best of my recollection it was 340 for 10 hours. Power’s 315 were shorn in seven hours 45 minutes. He is a phenomenal shearer – one man in a million – and he shears so clean that there is no chance for the boss of the board to ‘wire’ him. The highest individual tally was on the 20th, when J. Power shore 315 mixed sheep and worked less than eight hours. J. Howe, who holds the Australian record, shore 321 sheep in eight hours 40 minutes, and the Power record is therefore better than that of Howe.”
With the Boer War raging in South Africa, James must have decided to join up. Candidates were required to be good shots, good riders, and practical bushmen of experience, to have good eyesight and hearing and sound health, which obviously James qualified for. He joined the 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen Contingent as Private 79 and left with them on SS Manchester Port on 18th May 1900. They arrived in Cape Town and disembarked on the 23rd June. They joined General Hamilton’s force and were involved in numerous skirmishes and engagements against the Boers. An article in the Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts (Barcaldine, Queensland) on Tuesday 1st May 1900 in page 11 had “In Camp at Lytton.
Mr. LEN JOHNS writes under date April 20th:-Nearly all the chaps in camp are writing letters, so I will do the same, and let you know how we are getting along. There is plenty of hard graft attached to this game, but I like it all the same. I met a great number of Western chaps in the camp, including Jack Purcell, Jimmy Power, Jack Perkins, Joe Castles, Jack Coleman and others well-known in Barcaldine. The men are nearly all from out back, and the majority of them are very young.”
An excerpt from a letter that was published in a Barcaldine newspaper in 1901 from Private Joe Castles discussed some of the actions they were involved with and where they travelled to after they landed. He also writes “they had a very hard fight at Zeerust, where the Queenslanders were under fire for seven hours”. He also adds Jimmy Power is here with us now and wishes to be remembered to everybody. In another interview with Private David Walker in late 1901, he mentioned an action near Rhenosterkop where “four of the 4th Queenslanders, including the well-known shearer Jimmy Power, were ordered on a patrol, after we had found out the Boers had gone in the morning. They went on to a kopje and saw four Boers coming up. They lay waiting until they came within close range; then they called on them to surrender, which the Boers did, being surprised at their own men having left the position”. He went on to discuss other actions they were involved in, coming home at the end of his term and what the countryside was like there. James decided to stay on in South Africa after the rest of the contingent was to return to Australia.
The Western Champion and General Advertiser for the Central-Western Districts (Barcaldine, Queensland) on Tuesday 13th November 1900 in page 14 published a letter from him: “A Letter from the Front.
“JIMMY” POWER, the well-known shearer, and a member of the Queensland Bushman’s contingent, writes to his brother “Jack,” from Pretoria, under date August 29th. We have been courteously permitted to make the following interesting extracts :- “Pretoria, South Africa, August 29th, 1900 Dear Brother, I would have written before, but I have had very little chance to do so. We landed at Capetown after calling at Biera and Port Elizabeth. We landed at Capetown on June 26th, and were sent by train to Kroonstad immediately after. The country is very indifferent until reaching Bloemfontein. There it becomes very good grassy land, and around Kroonstad the country is lovely, and will grow anything. There is plenty of good water everywhere. We had an eight days’ march around Kroonstad with Colonel Hickman’s column, and then we came on by train to Pretoria. Nearly all our horses have died. We have been with General Hamilton’s column. We cleared the railway up to Balmoral about six weeks, and since then we have been down to Rustenburg and around towards Pietersburg, arriving back here yesterday. Soldiering is a very rough game. We have never seen a bit of soap since we came here; in fact, I don’t think we’re ever supposed to wash. Biscuits and tinned beef is what we are mostly living on; we get fresh meat when the cattle are handy to kill. There are actually no sheep in the Transvaal except a few that are kept for mutton, and they are more like a goat than a sheep. I saw a few flocks of merino sheep in the Free State. I have been told that a man who owns ten or twelve thousand sheep in Cape Colony is looked on as a big squatter. Shearing all over South Africa is done by Kaffirs for something like five or six bob a hundred. I have not been in Johannesburg as yet. I would like to see it. When on our last march we crossed the Witwatersrand main reef near Krugersdorp. We had several small fights with the Boers, and some good artillery duels. We had a six hours’ artillery fight near Bronkhorst Spruit, when we were up there. We had 22 guns in action, and they must have made things very sultry for the Boers, who had to retreat. Our contingent has had three men killed or wounded, and four or five have died of fever. We arrived back here yesterday, and we expect to go up Leydenburg way with Hamilton tomorrow. We expect that there will be hard fighting up that way. By what I have seen of the Boers I do not think them very courageous or plucky. They will only fight where they have a very strong position and a good getaway, and then they do not make much of a stand. They fight well, I believe, if things are greatly in their favor. We had a very good trip coming over on the transport, and we were treated very well on the trip. I have not had any letters from home as yet. I hope we will be back in Queensland for Christmas, but there is small hope of it. There is some talk of giving us a trip to England after the war, but I don’t think I will go even if I get the chance. Jack Perkins and G. Livingstone are sergeants here. Jack Purcell and Jim Durack are still with the column, although they have both been sick for a few days. There have been several of our men invalided home already, and there are a lot in the hospital here. I am writing under difficulties so must close. Private JAMES C. POWER, Queensland Imperial Bushmans’ Contingent, S. Africa.””
In Army Order dated 20th July 1901 in the Queensland Gazette, Private James Charles Power, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen was to be Sergeant supernumerary to Establishment and it was dated on the 7th. He enrolled in the 5th Contingent in South Africa and was listed in Murray’s as Private 525 James Charles Power (but should be Sergeant). The 5th replaced the 4th Contingent in General Plumer’s column and had their fair share of work and captures with that column. James was killed in action on 4th January 1902 as described in the following articles.
A few Queensland newspapers carried the news of his death. The Western Champion had an article about the “following casualties sustained by the 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen in a fight at Onverwacht on 4th January” and included him in the killed in action list. Another article in that newspaper was an extract reprinted from a letter sent from a member of the 5th Contingent. He discussed how they had had an exceedingly rough time there with both the weather and in fighting. In early December they came upon an enemy camp, which they attacked. They were hugely outnumbered but put up a good fight and retired after four hours of action with minimal casualties, which considering the heavy gunfire was surprising to him. On the 4th January they ran into 1500 hidden Boers who opened fire and charged them on horses. Their pom-pom barely escaped, but lost some of its ammunition which had to be picked up by the troops. He commented on it being a very disastrous affair, with 20 killed and about 50 wounded. He continues- “Poor Jimmy Power fell here. He was one of the 4th Contingent and decided to put in time with us as a sergeant, and, as you know, he was a champion machine shearer, holding the record for Australia, I believe. He was shot through the head and never moved.” The Maitland Daily Mercury in New South Wales also had an article written by Private A. W. Napier Craig of the 5th Contingent, titled “A Great Fight with Botha, Queenslanders save the Position, A Real Australian Battle.” He goes on to say that after saving the gun they had to retire under murderous fire with no cover. He mentioned about all the men killed or wounded and how the Boers were doing great damage to them. He mentioned the Boer courage and stubbornness but they showed more valour and beat them, but not without losses. He continues with “on our right flank our noble dead lay thick. I came upon the dead body of the gallant Sergeant Power, late of the 4th Queensland Contingent. He was the champion shearer of Queensland. His mates felt the loss. He died with a smile on his face. He was popular in the corps, knew his business, interfered with no one, was quiet to a degree, and always had an eye on the lookout for Boers on the skyline. His eye was sure to find them out. Of late he said he found the warfare harder and more dangerous. Right in front of Power lay a killed and a wounded Boer – since dead. Around the edge of the ridge lay heaps of dead and wounded, the result of battle.” Afterwards, the 5th Contingent had 13 killed and 14 wounded according to him. The battle continued and after advancing under accurate and sustained fire from their pom-poms and guns, this caused the Boers to retire. The Brisbane Courier of 1st March 1902 has an Official List of Casualties includes No. 525 Sergeant James Charles Power as one of those killed in action.
An article in The Queenslander 26th April 1902 mentioned that he was killed in the engagement at Onverwacht. When his friends heard of it they did up an address of condolence to send to his parents. It was read to the employees at Barcaldine Downs station before they started shearing and was sent to Brisbane to be embossed and illuminated. The article noted that the “work has just been completed, and the handsome memorial was despatched to its destination last week.” The Ipswich Herald of 29th April 1902 had an article which discussed his mention in despatches for conspicuous service at the end of 1901. A Major W T Deacon C.B. confirmed it was James who was with the 4th Contingent, gained his sergeant’s stripes, remained behind and joined the 5th. He spoke of him as a smart young fellow. Officially his address was given as Auckland, New Zealand, but the Major “thinks that he had been for some time in Western Queensland”, which was correct.
Murray’s also has a remark entered as Sergeant, Army Order, gallantry and good conduct in action. Killed at Onverwacht, 4.1.02.
He is listed on the Queens South Africa medal roll, with the 4th Queensland Mounted Infantry as 79 Private J C Power and he was entitled to Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal clasps. It also notes the medal was issued on 5th QIB and has a remark 494 Private 5th QIB. He is listed in the N.C.O. page of the 5th Queensland I. B. but it is crossed out with the comment that the application as already made on the 4th roll. It also lists two service numbers 494 and 525. The roll also had entries for entitlement to the South Africa 1901 and 1902 clasps and originally had that he was not entitled to the King’s South Africa medal, which was changed to yes with a note to 4th QIB and he was Private 79 in it. Remarks also include he was killed at Onverwacht, Transvaal and lists his service as 15th June 1900 to 6 July 1901 and 7th July 1901 to 4th January 1902. Another roll for the 5th QIB has the same details for his QSA and that he was previously with the 4th. A final roll while with the 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen for the King’s South Africa Medal again notes his service times, date of death, previous service number and regiment, but also has a note that the medal was returned on 30th October 1912.
He was also Mentioned in Depatches, with the entry reading Sergeant. J Power (killed) for gallantry in action at Onverwacht on 4th January 1902. It was recorded in the London Gazette on 25th April 1902.
Under Transmission by Death – Real Property Acts of 1861 and 1877, an entry in the Queensland Gazette of 23rd May 1903 in the Central District has an entry for James Charles Power, formerly of Longreach, shearer, but late of South Africa, a member of the 5th Contingent, Queensland Imperial Bushmen. The date of death was recorded as 4th January 1902 and the name of the claimant was Honora Power, of Oamaru, New Zealand, wife of Jeremiah Power, of Paemako, near Auckland, farmer. The description and situation of land was listed as subdivision 2 of allotment 8 of section 7 and allotment 3 of section 11, town of Longreach. It was a fee-simple transmission with the will dated 26th April 1900 and the date within which Caveat may be lodged was 6th July 1903. An entry on 19th July 1902 discussed his will and that probate would be granted to Alfred Down a solicitor in Brisbane and the sole Executor of the will.
Hi medals are Queens South Africa Medal with Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal clasps and Kings South Africa Medal with South Africa 1901 and 1902 clasps.
The museum just holds his Queens South Africa Medal.
Murray’s- The source used was Official Records of the Australian Military Contingents to the War in South Africa, compiled and edited for the Department of Defence by Lieutenant-Colonel P. L. Murray RAA (Ret.)
With thanks to Trish Sullivan for her information on James and the family and for re-writing the first few paragraphs including that.
ANZAC Biographies
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