Military firearms in colonial Western Australia 
91 
Figure 18 The ownership marks of the W.A. Defence Force. It is thought this mark was used between 1893 1895. 
The "W A D F" mark, contained within a 2 cm circle and struck from a single die punch, is on the right 
side of the butt of a Martini-Henry Mark III rifle, later converted to Martini-Enfield Mark 1, W.A. Pattern to 
become the Unofficial Conversion. (Photo D. Elford) 
rifles in July - August 1895), alludes to the 
proposed conversion of the remaining Martini- 
Henrys. It describes how: 
"...at a comparatively light cost the military 
authorities will be able to alter the present Martini- 
Henri (sic) rifles by fitting them with Metford 
barrels". 14 " 
The Unofficial Conversion shown in Figure 19 is 
fitted with a replacement Enfield barrel, but a rifle 
fitted with a Metford barrel as described in the 
newspaper article has been noted. A rifle fitting 
this description is depicted in Figure 21. A careful 
study of the rifle in Figure 21 reveals that by the 
presence of the double step shape of the short 
Nock's form at the breech, the barrel can be 
determined to be a Metford barrel. 149 No officially 
converted Martini-Enfields were produced with 
this type of barrel, therefore the rifle depicted in 
this contemporary 1900 photograph can only be 
one of the locally converted Unofficial 
Conversions. These Unofficial Conversions are the 
only Martini-Enfields which were fitted with 
Metford barrels, a fact which may also explain why 
these Martini-Enfields alone were fitted with the 
superceded two-piece Metford type Rigby nose 
cap, rather than the then current one piece nose 
cap fitted to other appropriate British service arms. 
It is possible that although the barrel is of the 
Metford profile, the rifling, at this late date may 
have been of Enfield type, suitable for cordite. One 
of the two specimens of this locally converted 
Martini-Enfield, examined during the course of 
earlier research into these W.A. Pattern amts, was 
still fitted with the Metford profile barrel. Arms of 
this type, fitted with Metford barrels and 
converted locally from W.A. volunteer Martini- 
Henrys, match precisely the description of the 
proposed conversion arms given in the Australian 
Advertiser newspaper account of the proposed 
conversions on 28th August 1895. 
It is certain that William Vernon Needham, 
gunsmith, of Lincoln Street, Highgate Hill 
performed these conversions, using parts supplied 
from England. Mr Needham came from an 
important line of English gunmakers. He emigrated 
to Sydney in 1875, setting up business in 
Paddington, where he is recorded as being in 
business in 1885. 150 He subsequently moved to 
Figure 19 The Unofficial Conversion Martini-Enfield Mark I, W.A. Pattern. There is evidence that William Vernon 
Needham, a local gunsmith and Armourer to the Forces, did the conversions. This specimen, in poor 
condition, no longer has its original Metford profile barrel. (Photo D. Elford). 
