Military firearms in colonial Western Australia 
the issue arms of the corps but rather target 
practice arms. Wieck states that they were armed 
with revolver-carbines like the Pinjarrah Mounted 
Volunteers, 113 but the only records found show that 
they are recorded as being issued with "Swords 
and Belts" and "30 Pistols" in 1878. 114 The Returns 
of 1880 - 1882 describe their arms as "Light 
Cavalry Swords and Revolvers". One of their 
swords. No. 34, is in the W. A. Museum Collection 
(W1182). The blade is etched with their name. They 
were disbanded in 1882, as, like the Pinjarrah 
Mounted Volunteers, they could only muster eight 
troopers that year. In a report on their 
disbandment the Commandant, Colonel Angelo, 
recommended that their commander. Captain 
Lovegrove and his men be permitted to "keep their 
rifles" on the understanding they started a rifle 
club at Bunbury. The request was granted. 115 
The Albany Rifle Volunteers, raised in 1878, 
were armed initially with 52 Pattern 1853 Enfield 
muzzle-loading rifles shipped from Perth per the 
Rob Roy on 23rd August 1878. 116 It seems these 
Enfields were soon replaced by Sniders. In 
December 1879, a requisition was sent to acquire 
"50 Rifles, B.L. Snider. 40 Long butts, 10 Short 
butts, with bayonets and sword bayonets - for 
Albany Rifle Volunteers". 117 These rifles arrived in 
1880 and are shown on the Returns between 1880 - 
1885. They appear in a photograph in Grant, ( p. 
29). The Commandant was making arrangements 
for ordering Martini-Henry arms for this corps 
when they were disbanded in early 1885. 118 The 
disbanded corps was replaced two months later in 
May 1885 by the Albany Defence Rifles. Plans 
were finalized to requisition a quantity of new 
Martini-Henry rifles for them in 1885, the 
Commandant desiring particularly that the A.D.R. 
"...be supplied with the best Rifle". 119 These rifles 
were issued in 1886. One of these Albany Defence 
Rifles Martini-Henrys survives in the W.A. 
Museum Collection (W535). It appears to be 
branded on the left side of the butt "A D R over 8" 
(see Figure 17). The use of the left side of the butt 
and branding have been noted as a standard 
alternative to engraving on the buttplate tang. This 
alternative was in British military usage at least in 
the first half of the nineteenth century. 120 
This rifle is one of only three specimens of W.A. 
Martini-Henrys known to have survived. It is the 
third volunteer arm, (together with the Pinjarrah 
Mounted Volunteers revolver-carbine and the 
Metropolitan Rifle Volunteers Martini-Henry), 
known to have an individual corps mark. The 1886 
Returns show the Albany Defence Rifles as being 
issued with 75 Martini-Henry rifles, part of 80 
apportioned to Albany out of a large order of 250 
received in Perth in that year. 121 Again, this corps 
had to be disbanded in 1888 "and its arms returned 
to store". 122 It was replaced by the Plantagenet Rifle 
89 
Figure 17 The ownership marks of the Albany Defence 
Rifles, 1885 - 1888. This mark is on the left 
side of the butt of a Martini-Henry Mark III 
rifle. It is thought to have been put on in 
Albany, indicating that some corps may 
have marked their own arms. (Photo D. 
Elford). 
Volunteers. This corps received 62 of the Martini- 
Henrys of their predecessors which are recorded in 
the Returns of 1889. 123 The Returns of 1890 show 
this corps as being issued with 46 Martini-Henrys 
which they kept until 1895. 121 In 1896 they were 
issued with 48 Martini-Metfords, 125 used by them 
for musketry and drill and also in their capacity as 
relief gunners for the Albany coast defence artillery 
(Permanent Force). They were disbanded in 1897. 
Many members of the Plantagenet Rifle Volunteers 
became members of a new volunteer corps raised 
in 1899, the Albany Volunteer Garrison Artillery. 
These men also assisted with the manning of the 
coastal defence artillery, having 66 men by 1900. 126 
Nothing was found concerning their firearms other 
