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THE MILITARY FORCES OF 
QUEENSLAND* 
BY 
CAPTAIN A. T. ANDERSON, R.A. 
I N these days of awakened interest in the question of Federation 
and in the various schemes for the organized military defence of 
the Empire, it is much to be regretted that so little is known at home of 
those Colonial Forces, which are not included in the strength of the 
Imperial Army, but which, if we take the combined strength of Canada, 
South Africa and Australasia, form a supplementary army—on paper 
at least—of nearly 70,000 men. Even in the service the number of 
officers who have any definite knowledge on the subject is, I imagine, 
comparatively small. This is the more to be regretted, as there can 
be no doubt that it would be a great help to the various officers en¬ 
gaged in the organisation and the training of these forces to feel that 
their efforts were appreciated at home, and that an intelligent interest 
was taken in the results. 
Of late years many of us in the Regiment have had the opportunity 
of meeting with different officers of the Australian Artillery, who have 
been sent by their Governments from time to time to join the / Long 
Course ” at Shoeburyness. It is to be hoped that this excellent sys¬ 
tem will be long continued, not only for the advantages which doubtless 
accrue to the officers themselves, but also because officers in the Regi¬ 
ment are naturally led by their intercourse with the Australian Gunners 
to take a greater interest in the forces of which the latter are the repre¬ 
sentatives. Those officers who have had the privilege of this inter¬ 
course are of course aware that there is a Force of Regular Artillery in 
Australia, but I know that there are still many others, who imagine 
that the Colonial troops are solely composed of Volunteers with a 
small sprinkling of Militia. It is with the object of removing these 
misconceptions, and sketching briefly how the defence system is worked 
in one of the Colonies, which may be taken as fairly typical of the 
others, that I have put together the following notes made by me during 
a short visit to Queensland on my way home from India this year. 
9. VOL. XXVI. 27. 
