Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Note- the AWM Boer War Nominal Roll compiled by Murray records him as Stephen Payne while the original nominal roll for the 1st Queensland Contingent, and the Boer War Service Paybooks, record him as S. G. Payne and Stephen G. Payne respectively. His actual name was Stephen Henry Payne.

When he enlisted in 1899 in the 1st QMI and his details were published with the rank and file in The Brisbane Courier, 18 Nov 1899, he was recorded as Private S. G. Payne, single, care of Mrs. S. Payne, Elwin Street, Narrandara, NSW. He served the full tour of the 1st QMI returning to Brisbane where he was discharged on 23 Jan 1901.

Stephen Henry Payne was born in 1876 at Wagga Wagga, NSW, a son to Stephen J. Payne and Lucy Ann Payne (nee Mills). He married Mary Powell on 19 Feb 1901 in Queensland and they had one child. They were early pioneers of Julatten, near Mount Molloy in north Queensland, establishing a dairy farm. He also served as a councillor on the then Woothakata Shire Council. His Boer War service is memorialised on a plaque at the Mount Molloy War Memorial. When he passed in 1950 an obituray was published in the Cairns Post as transcribed below.

Obituray: Mr. S. H. Payne- The Carins Post, 13 Jan 1951, p. 5.

The death of Mr. Stephen Henry Payne, of Julatten, occurred at the Mareeba hospital on Thursday December 28. He was 71 years of age and although he had been ailing for some months his death was very sudden.

He was born in New South Wales and spent some of his life in South Africa. Mr. Payne was one of the very early pioneers of Julatten and carved his home from the "tropic scrub". His farming property there, is something that will keep fresh the memory of how this gentleman toiled to make his farm the success it is today. He was also very active in public affairs and for many years was the representative for this division of the Mareeba Shire Council. He was chairman of the board of directors of the Bushy Creek Co-operative Dairymen's Association and took a very keen interest in the Julatten butter factory during its period of operation.

To his friends he will always be remembered as an honest worker and good citizen. His motto was to help the needy but he would never accept assistance himself, unless he had some way to repay it. His remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at Molloy on December 29, 1950.

(source- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 453; National Archives Australia- Boer War Dossier; Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks 1st QMI, Bk 1 p. 90).