A Trip to Australia and New Zealand
Rotorua
Sprinkled through the grounds of Government Gardens at the Bathhouse were gazebos, flower gardens, and several statues. One of the statues was of a British King named George and another was of a King's Sergeant named Fred. Of the two, the king was the more important and the sergeant was the more interesting. As the nineteenth century turned into the twentieth, Fred W. Wylie was a Rifle Volunteer from Rotorua assigned to the Seventh New Zealand Contingent fighting in the Boer War in Africa. On May 26, 1901, brigade orders noted that "The death of King's Serg' F. Wylie is deeply regretted. A brave man and a good soldier." Captain Walker added that "He was brave as a lion." Like most wars, the Boer War was a horrid affair that chewed up people like Fred without much more than a note in orders and occasionally a painted cement statue with an inscription that few take the time to read. Fred was 25 years old when he was killed leading an attack in a place called Klipfontein.
