Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George Robert Payne served twice in the South African (Boer) War. First as a Private S.N. 326 in the 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen. Second as a Private S.N. 638 in the first draft of the 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen where Murray, p. 519, noted all aborad the Britannic with the first draft, except 3, had served in previous contingents. Newspaper report has him remaining in South Africa for further service when the remainder of the 6th returned to Australia.

(source AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 486, 518 & 519).

Note- Since writing the previous biography additional information has come to hand, in particular the Boer War Service Paybooks  held by Qld State Archives, which provides more detailed information on his service that is incorporated in this update.

George Herbert Payne served twice in the South African (Boer) War. First service was as a Private S.N. 326, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen. Second service was as a Private S.N. 638, 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen (1st Draft).

When he joined the 4th QIB in 1900 and his details were published with the rank and file in The Queenslander, 19 May 1900, he noted his N.O.K. as Steve Payne, Werandera, NSW. This was either his father Stephen Snr or his brother Stephen Jnr. In the Boer War Service Paybooks for the 4th QIB, Bk 4 p. 18, it is noted he directed part of his pay to his sister Miss Lydia Payne, Narrandera, NSW. The paybooks indicate he may have been invalided returning early to Brisbane with discharge on 16 May 1901.

He then later joined again with the 6th QIB and was selected as part of the 1st Draft of the 6th that embarked on 20 Aug 1901, some 4 months after the main 6th QIB had left. The men selected in the 1st Draft in the main consisted of men who had previously served in previous contingents in South Africa, and were being sent as reinforcements for the 5th and 6th QIB contingents already in South Africa.

The men in the draft were not entered on the original nominal roll of the 6th QIB. He was, however, recorded in the Boer War Service Paybooks for the 5th QIB (to which he was allotted), Bk 4 p. 76, where it is noted he directed part of his pay to his sister Annie Payne, Queen St, Wollahra, Sydney.

Newspaper report in The Brisbane Courier, 16 May 1902, notes when the 5th QIB returned to Australia, 638, Private Geo H. Payne, remained in South Africa for further service. The paybooks note he remained in South Africa and does not provide information on his discharge.

George Herbert Payne was born in 1876, at Wagga Wagga, NSW, a son to Stephen Payne and Lucy Ann Payne (nee Mills). It is unclear whether he ever returned to Australia, or remained in South Africa where he passed in 1938 as reported in The Narandera Argus, 27 Sep 1938, as transcribed below.

Messrs. George And John Payne- The Narandera Argus, 27 Sep 1938, p. 2.

Two members of a very old Narandera family died within a few days of each other- one in South Africa on 30th August and the other at Mudgee, New South Wales, where he died on 2nd September. They were Mr. George Herbert Payne, aged 59, who died in South Africa, where he had been residing for some years, and Mr. John Edward Payne, aged 56, a resident of Mudgee. Both were sons of the late Mr. Stephen Payne and Mrs. Lucy Payne, who resided in the Narandera district for over 60 years, and brothers of Mr. Watty Payne, of Morundah, and the late Mrs. W. C. Dicker, of Barellan.

(source- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 486 & 518; Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks 4th QIB, Bk 4 p. 18, and 5th QIB, Bk 4 p. 76).