South African War Memorial ( South Australia ) The South African War Memorial ( also known as the Boer War Memorial or , prior to 1931 , the National War Memorial ) is an equestrian memorial dedicated to the South Australia ns who served in the Second Boer War of 11 October 1899 to 31 May 1902 . It was the first war in which South Australians fought , and 1531 men were sent in nine contingents , with over 1500 horses to accompany them . Over 59 South Australians died in the war . The memorial is located in front of the main entrance to Government House , one the most prominent buildings in Adelaide , on the corner of North Terrace and King William Street . It was constructed with a budget of £2500 raised through public donations , and was designed by the London - based sculptor Adrian Jones . While the statue itself was not intended to represent any particular soldier , there is evidence suggesting that the head of the rider was based on that of George Henry Goodall . The statue was unveiled by the Governor of South Australia , George Le Hunte , on 6 June 1904 . It has since become one of the focal points for the Anzac day marches , as well as being regarded as one of the most " eye - catching " and significant statues in the city . As such , it was added to the national heritage listing in 1990 . Background . In 1899 , the Orange Free State and Transvaal declared war on Britain . South Australia , " fiercely " loyal to the British Empire and still " two years away from federation " , joined the other Australian colonies in sending troops to support the Empire in the conflict . With the support of Adelaide ' s newspapers , nine contingents of South Australian troops were sent to the war during the three years of hostilities , totaling 1531 men and 1507 horses . Funding for the endeavor was garnered through the State and Imperial Governments in combination with funds raised through public subscriptions . In addition to the formal contingent , a number of Australians served as colonial troops , either having paid their way to Southern Africa after the conflict had begun or having already been present in the region prior to the outbreak of hostilities . By the time hostilities ended on 31 May 1902 , at least 59 South Australians had been killed in the war . Design and construction . A committee to build a memorial to those who served and died in the Second Boer War was formed shortly after the war was ended , spurred by a suggestion in July 1901 by J . Johnson to erect an equestrian statue . Chaired by George Brookman , the committee rapidly raised £2500 from public donations . With the assistance of the Agent - General , Henry A Grainger , a subcommittee consisting of members who were present in London at the time was engaged to find a sculptor who would be able to provide the statue that they desired . The original intent of the committee was to purchase a secondhand statue and to make alterations to suit . Nevertheless , the Agent - General recommended Captain Adrian Jones , a veterinarian , military officer and sculptor who had an " affinity for animals " , and who had previously worked on equestrian projects . Jones made two offers to the committee : the first was to construct a replica of a work that he had entered into a South African competition , on the condition that it would be cast only if the original was accepted ; while the second was to model a smaller work based on a sketch he had produced . The second option he priced at £1600 , arguing that the reduced cost was acceptable as it would allow him to keep his staff in employment until the larger South African commission was finalized . The committee were quite taken by his sketch , agreeing to the second option and looking no further . Finding that he needed advice in regard to accouterments and the attitude of Australian soldiers , Jones made inquiries about consulting with an Australian . George Henry Goodall , a South Australian veteran of the Second Boer War , was at the time serving as Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant with the Australian Corps engaged in London at the coronation ceremonies for King Edward VII . Goodall was " volunteered " to attend Jones in order to model and to provide advice . Goodall later described how Jones had requested that he pose while the sculptor created a clay model of his head , but Simon Cameron observed that Jones ' s memoirs " do not mention any sittings . " Nevertheless , a 1940 memorandum , based on a conversation with Goodall , noted that " a comparison of a photograph of Mr Goodall , taken in 1902 with the statue itself certainly indicates a strong facial likeness " . In the same memorandum it was noted that Goodall only posed for the head , and that he insisted that his selection to model for the statue was not based on any outstanding merit as a soldier . With the choice of statues settled , a competition was run in Adelaide in 1903 to find the design for the pedestal . A total of 12 entries were received , with the submission by Garlick , Sibley and Wooldridge being selected as the winner . The pedestal is 12 feet in height , and was constructed from granite quarried from the nearby town of Murray Bridge . The bronze plaques which are mounted on the sides of the pedestal list the names of 59 South Australians who died in the conflict , and were cast from gun plates by A . W . Dobbie and Company . ( A . W . Dobbie and Company were later responsible for the bronze castings on the South Australian National War Memorial to those who served in World War I ) . A further 16 South Australians died in relation to the Boer War , while an additional four died either during training or upon their return . Also missing from the list is Harry " Breaker " Morant , who had served in the second contingent of troops to be sent from South Australia , and was executed by the British after being found guilty by court martial of the murder of unarmed Boer troops . There was no controversy at the time in regard to his omission , although the decision not to include his companion Peter Handcock ( who was executed alongside Morant ) on the Bathurst , New South Wales , memorial was more problematic , and was rescinded in 1964 . The memorial is located in front of Government House on the corner of North Terrace and King William Street , one of the busiest corners in the city . Unveiling . The memorial was unveiled on 6 June 1904 . This date was significant both as the birthday of the then Prince of Wales , George V , and the third anniversary of the Battle of Graspan , ( in which South Australian soldiers had served ) . A large crowd gathered to view the unveiling , and the speakers included the chair of the memorial committee , George Brookman , and George Le Hunte , the Governor of South Australia . The memorial itself was shrouded by canvas and the Union Jack , which fell away to reveal the statue underneath . At the time of the unveiling the memorial was referred to as the South Australian " National War Memorial " , but the name was later changed to the South African War Memorial after the 1931 completion of a new memorial on the corner of Kintore Avenue and North Terrace , which was built to remember those who served in the first World War . When it was unveiled , the South African War Memorial was one of only two public equestrian sculptures in the country ( the other being a depiction of Saint George and the Dragon at the National Gallery of Victoria ) , and the only commemorative equestrian work . Reception . The memorial has been well received from the outset . When shown sketches the design , one of the Adelaide contingent described it as " spirited " – a word that was echoed by King Edward VII upon being shown a photograph of the model that was produced . When the completed statue arrived in Adelaide in 1904 , the committee was reportedly delighted , and many in Australia viewed it as the best statue in the country . In more recent times , Ken Inglis has described the work as the " apotheosis " of the bushman soldier , representing the bushman and the horse at war ( the " Australian centaur " ) , and noted that it was possible to view the memorial as commemorating " dead horses as well as dead men " . Simon Cameron , in his work " Silent Witness : Adelaide ' s statues and monuments " , described the memorial as the most eye - catching statue in Adelaide , a view that was echoed by Chris Brice in 1999 . More generally , the memorial is regarded as one of " Adelaide ' s most significant statues " . The statue received national heritage listing in 1990 , having been described both as a " significant landmark " and an " important piece of public sculpture of its period . " The memorial today . After World War I the memorial became one of the centerpieces of the Adelaide Anzac Day march . The route for the march starts at the National War Memorial , heads west along North Terrace , and turns right down King William Road before culminating in a service at the Cross of Sacrifice ( in the Adelaide Park Lands opposite the St Peter ' s Cathederal ) . As the marchers turn on to King William Road they salute the South African War Memorial . As part of the State of South Australia ' s sesqui - centenerary in 1988 , referred to locally as " Jubilee 150 " , a " Jubilee 150 Walkway " was created along the north side of North Terrace , commenencing at the memorial . The memorial ' s location on a busy street corner has caused it to deteriorate , resulting in at least two recent clean - up and restoration projects . The first involved a clean - up of the granite base , while the second involved more extensive restoration , and was completed in April , 2007 at a cost of $ 90 , 000 . A commemoration ceremony for the memorial was to be held on the 100th Anniversary of its dedication , 6 June 2004 , with the Governor Marjorie Jackson - Nelson in attendance . In recent years there has been talk of building a replica of the memorial . On 31 May 2008 on ANZAC Parade , Canberra , the formal dedication of a site in which will be placed a new national Boer War memorial was held . A National Boer War Memorial Committee was formed prior to that date , and they will be conducting a national competition to find a design for the new memorial . In the design brief for the memorial , the committee state that it is their desire to build a memorial along the same lines as Adelaide ' s : going so far as to say that they would be willing to accept a replica of the statue from the South Australian memorial if the original mould could be located or if a duplicate could otherwise be produced .