Zulu Rebellion 1906 - Scenes at the front

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Durban, Natal. July 1906

Daza bought an album containing these photographs at an antiques fair several years ago thinking they might have been related to the New Zealand military, but searching on the internet he find that they actually show South African troops. All titles used are as written in the album. Some of the photo's have serial numbers on them which made Daza think the album was not a one off, but perhaps something the photographer made up as requested by customers. Unfortunately there is no indication who took the photographs

We've found mention of some of the officers in the images:

• Greytown.co.za
• The South African Military History Society
• natalcarbs.co.za

Officers in the Field	Rebel Women	Midday Halt	Scouting
Natel Field Artillary at Mangeni Camp	Approaching Isandhlivana	Blockhouse at Pomeray	Horses to Water
- no title -	Artillery crossing a drift	Troops Passing Isandhlwana	Burning Meklakajulus Kraals
Battlefield and graveyard, Isaudhlivana	Burning Kraals Mapumulu	Natal Medical Corps Field hospital KelpemaKaat	Colonel Royston Questioning Induna
Womens Laager HelponaKaar	Extraxting tooth of Native	Natal Field Artillary crossing a drift	Ambulance Natal Medical Corps
Sunday in Camp	Memorial Church and Hospital, Rorkes Drift	Troops crossing Rorkes Drift	Approaching Rorkes Drift
Monument Rorke's Drift	Siqinanda (Zulu Chief) age 107	Watering Horses	Natal Medical Corps
War Dance by Native Levies	Mapuinulu	Natal Carnineers	A cold morning in camp
Officers in cave on Isaudhlwana	Chakaa's Cliff	Chaka's Cliff	Indaba of Chiefs
Chief Meklakajulu's Wives	Medical Corps in the field	Courtmartial of Native	Shell M'teli's Kraals
Rebel Women coming into camp	Ping Pong at the camp	Overturned wagon near N'gadeni	Chief Makaquluzhis Indimas being questioned
Chief Charley Fynn addressing his Luker	Chief Charley Fynn addressing his Luker	Forge at Kabosi River	Colonel McKay Natal Carbineers
Major Rodney, Col. McKenzie, Col. Royston

Ian Knight contacted me with some more details:

...the 1906 Rebellion was one of the last Zulu uprisings against colonial rule (there was a big event in South Africa just last week to commemorate the centenary, funnily enough); your photos show some of the activity in the region along the Mzinyathi river - which had previously been fought over in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 (hence the photos of the 1879 battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift). There are a number of pictures there of the followers of an important chief called Mehlokazulu''s district - his indunas (headmen) and wives being questioned and his home in flames. Mehlokazulu was one of the most important Zulu chiefs to join the rebellion - the other was a chap called Sigananda (whose portrait is also included in your album).
I''m not sure they are unique images. Some I''ve certainly seen before in South Afican collections - the others may be there too, but I don''t recognise all of them.

David McNamee of Alamo, CA adds:

Quite a few of the scenes of your Durban, Natal July 1906 photos were used in postcards and in the London Illustrated News.

And David sent a scan of one image in use on a postcard and some in the newspaper.

If you can help with information about the events and people shown let me know.