SS SALAMIS, Boxer Rebellion troopship

Artist John Downs Castle (1858-1928)

Date1900

Object number00000152

NamePainting

MediumWatercolour and gouache on paper

DimensionsOverall: 4350 x 5880 mm

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineANMM Collection

Collections

Ship portraits

Terms

DescriptionWatercolour painting by John Castle depicting SS SALAMIS Boxer Rebellion troopship passing Sydney Heads on 8 August 1900, bound for China to help quell the Boxer Rebellion. SS SALAMIS was requisitioned by the NSW Government to transport the New South Wales Naval contingent, commanded by Captain F Hixson RN. A companion painting of SS CHINGTU (00000151) shows the troops on their return voyage.HistoryAustralia took its first step into East Asian conflicts in 1900, when three colonies sent support to the British at the Boxer War. This was a joint action by several nations including Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Russia and the USA to crush a violent uprising against foreigners in China. The term Boxer was a Western corruption of the original Chinese name. South Australia lent its steel twin screw gunboat HMCS PROTECTOR (Her Majesty's Colonial Ship) with a crew of 110 to assist the Royal Navy. Victoria and New South Wales sent naval brigade contingents totalling 462 men. The Aberdeen Line cargo passenger ship SS SALAMIS was requisitioned by the NSW government to transport the contingent to the conflict. The China Navigation Company Limited vessel SS CHINGTU was requisitioned to bring the contingents home. They steamed through Sydney Heads on 25 April 1901. Arriving after the main conflict was over; their main duty was guarding and policing Tianjin (Tientsin) and Beijing (Peking). The Australian colonial forces all returned home by May 1901 and all men were issued with a medal known variously as the Boxer Rebellion medal, The Queen's China War medal and the Third China War medal.SignificanceThis image represents one of the first overseas actions Australian naval brigades fought in.