The Aliwal North concentration camp during the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 – glimpses from an anthology

Abstract

The experiences of women in concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) have been recorded and refl ected in various ways in the past in the form of diaries, books and documents. This article focuses on a lesser-known method, namely an anthology of poems, prose and rhymes that gives cultural expression to feelings of patriotism and other personal encounters. The anthology presents a view of the adversity experienced in the concentration camps of the Anglo-Boer War. This article focuses on an anthology that was kept by a Boer woman who was confi ned to the Aliwal North concentration camp for 14 months. Extracts from the anthology provide
valuable insight into how women had followed a cultural route of writing poetry, prose and rhymes to help them process their experiences. The anthology demonstrates the hardships the women in the camp experienced as the war drew to a bitter close.

Key words: Aliwal North refugee camp,  Anglo-Boer War, anthology, concentration camp, Gurtie Labuschagne