Ancestor Details
Name of Ancestor: Andrew Henderson Wallace
Ancestor's date of birth: 01/01/1876
Ancestor's date of death: 18/03/1944
Cause of Death: Heart Attack. After visiting a friend in a Johannesburg Hospital in South Africa, Andrew died on the steps of the hospital while in the process of leaving.
Service and Life Before the Boer War: Son of John WALLACE and Christina Duncan HENDERSON. This family owned Wallace Store in the town of Wandiligong, close to Bright town in Victoria state's, Alpine region. John came to Australia in 1857 along with siblings William, Janet, Thomas and Alexander, from Stewarton in Ayrshire, Scotland. John's initial venture was running a transport service by wagon between Melbourne and Bright. Brothers Andrew and Alexander were involved in the running of the family business.
Service Number: 549
Colony or State of enlistment: VIC, Place of Enlistment: Bright
Unit: Victorian Imperial Bushmen
Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: 1900
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No evidence of post Boer War service
Murray Page: 272
Contingent: Fourth Victorian
Ship: The Victorian, Date of Sailing: 01/05/1900
Memorial details: Buried in South Africa.
Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Rhodesia, Cape Colony, Transvaal and SA 1901 clasps.
Personal Characteristics: All round sportsman. His profession is listed as a Mercer.
Reasons to go and fight: Andrew served in the South African War (Second Anglo Boer War) with his brother Allic (Alexander Henderson Wallace).
Details of service in war: May 1900 - June 1901 in Rhodesia, west Transvaal, Cape Colony including relief of Philipstown (11 February 1901), capture of Boer guns at Read's Drift (23 February), and capture of Boer patrol near Doornkloof (1 March 1901); may have seen garrison duty in Rhodesia when the contingent separated mid 1900-early 1901.
Service and life after the Boer War: The Australian Electoral Role for 1903 and 1909 list Andrew as a Publican, as the families General Dealer business had expanded to incorporate a bar and his father had died in 1893. In Wandiligong town during 1914 Andrew married Ellen Euphinia McFADYEN, whom the family have always called Tottie. Andrew was a well known business man and gambler, even venturing into the local gold mining industry. His brother Alexander on the other hand continued his career as a soldier taking part in the First World War and being part of the Melbourne home guard during the Second World War. Andrew must have appreciated South Africa during his service, because in 1919 Andrew, his wife Tottie and one year old son Duncan WALLACE emigrated to South Africa, where they lived in Johannesburg city. Neither Andrew or Tottie ever returned to Australia, but they did keep in contact with their Victorian family.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Duncan Wallace, Edinburgh Scotland
Relationship to Ancestor: Great grandson.
