Boer Wars
Where can I find information about the first and second Boer Wars?
(Years 11-13)
Image: Boer War Veterans by William Oakley. Collection: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa F B Butler/Crown Studios Collection.
Entry last updated: 27/08/25
Introduction
There were two Boer Wars, or Anglo-Boer Wars. The first Boer War of 1880-1881 has also been named the Transvaal Rebellion, as the Boers of the Transvaal revolted against the British annexation of 1877. The South African War (also known as the Second Anglo-Boer War) of 1899 - 1902 was the first overseas conflict to involve New Zealand troops. Fought between the British Empire and the Boer South African Republic (Transvaal) and its Orange Free State ally, it was the culmination of long-standing tensions in southern Africa.
General websites
The websites below will help you find information on the causes, timeline, major battles and the impacts of the two Boer Wars. Included are primary sources such as stories and photographs.
Britannica School is part of EPIC, a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics. It’s put together especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.
Enter the words 'Boer War' into the search box.
Select the article South African War ( British-South African history) to find the causes and major events of this war.
World History (Gale In Context)
This database has articles, journals and periodicals, multimedia, primary sources and other learning resources.
Go to Browse Topics at the top of the page.
Then look for the Boer War.
Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.
This museum has war stories and collections on the history of the British Army.
Use the search feature to enter the keywords 'Boer War'.
Then explore the story of the Transvaal War, the first Boer War fought between 1880-81.
The Boer War, fought in 1899-1902, was the second Boer War fought between the British and the Boers in South Africa.
Tips: Some websites have .au, .nz, .uk or other codes in their url. This can tell you which country this website comes from eg .uk is from United Kingdom or .nz is from New Zealand. You can check the About Us link on the website for more information.
National Archives of Australia
The National Archives of Australia collects and preserves official records of the Australian Government, which include information on the history of the country.
The search words 'Boer War' will lead you to The Boer War: Australians and the war in South Africa, 1899–1902.
This is a guide to official records of Australia's involvement in the Boer War, which includes useful background information and examples of primary sources.
Tips: We like sites like this because they’re reliable. You can tell because of their web address – they have either .gov or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations.
This site is supported by the South African Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, and has information on the experiences and impact of the South African War, especially around scorched earth policies and concentration camps.
Go to the Explore tab to find an overview called History of the war.
Look at the Research tab to find a list of Publications and Articles.
Check out the conference papers, like Traces of black forced labour camps. Kimberley and Dry Harts, 1900-1902.
There are also museum journals and lectures available to view online.
Tips: Stories can be told in different ways. It’s a good idea to look at multiple information sources about a topic to help you put together your own narrative.
This site is from a publisher of historical magazines. It includes special features, photo galleries and lots of articles.
Enter a keyword search for 'Boer War'.
Choose an article to look at, like Farmers at Arms: Second Boer War 1899-1902.
Tips: Some websites have advertisements (or ads) which ask us to buy something or tell us to ‘click here’. It’s best to ignore these ads and focus on the information we’re looking for.
New Zealand websites
These websites explain New Zealand's involvement in the second Boer War.
This is a great website for information about Aotearoa New Zealand. If we go all the way down the page, we can see that the website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.
You can search using the search box at the top of the page.
Or scroll down the page to New Zealand at war and find information under the heading South African War.
Check out the Further information and Related to South African 'Boer' War sections to find out more.
There are also links to biographies of New Zealanders who fought in the war.
Tips: 'How to cite this page' found at the foot of this page is a good way of acknowledging the source of this information. You can use this in your bibliography if you need to list the websites you have used to research this topic.
Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
This website also belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage and gives a good introduction to all New Zealand related matters, including history, society, culture and environment.
Go to Stories A-Z.
Choose the letter S.
Select the South African War.
Tips: We like sites like this because they’re reliable. You can tell because of their web address – they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They’re also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.
This New Zealand search site connects you to reliable digital collections from different organisations like libraries, museums, galleries, government departments, the media, community groups and others.
Search for 'Boer War' to bring up images, audio clips, videos, newspaper articles, research papers and more.
Look through the images to see photos of Boer War veterans, or listen to their stories by looking under the
Audio tab.
The museum showcases Aotearoa New Zealand's military history with stories of soldiers who took part in conflicts around the world.
Try the search words 'Boer War'.
The page of results has lots of stories to explore.
Read the Boer War Slouch Hat and Major the Horse – the one that returned.
Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.
This EPIC database allows access to the New Zealand Geographic magazine, right back from 1989 to current editions.
The search words 'Boer war' will help you find
The article is a good overview of New Zealand's first opportunity to take part in an overseas war.
Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.
Books
There have been many books written on the Boer Wars. Check out your local public or school library to see what they have.
Some recommended titles are:
The Boer War by Martin Bossenbroek and Yvette Rosenberg
To fight for the Empire: an illustrated history of New Zealand and the South African War, 1899-1902 by John Crawford and Ellen Ellis
One flag, one Queen, one tongue: New Zealand, the British Empire and the South African War by I C McGibbon and John Crawford
Teachers for South Africa: New Zealand women at the South African War concentration camps by Ellen Ellis and Sandra Coney
Soldier boy: a young New Zealander writes home from the Boer War by Henry George Gilbert and Kingsley Field
Our first foreign war: the impact of the South African War 1899-1902 on New Zealand by Nigel Robson
SCIS no: 1924303
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