The Snider-Enfield Carbine and the Manly Sport of Shooting and Hunting

Authors: MARGARET ALLEN AND TONY pAGELS

In the smoking room at Martindale Hall there is a collection of seven nineteenth century guns, manufactured between the 1820s until the early 1880s. Together they tell the story of technological developments in firearms during this period. Chiefly there were changes in the ways the ‘powder was delivered and ignited, the loading of shot, and improvements in accuracy.’1

A particularly interesting piece is the Snider-Enfield artillery carbine (MH 472). It is possible to trace elements of its history from the various dates and markings on it. It was originally manufactured for the British War Department as ‘a percussion muzzle-loading Enfield artillery carbine made in 1863 at the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, UK. ’.2

However, breech-loading arms were being developed from the later 1860s and superseded muzzle loading guns. The British army possessed many of the Enfield muzzle-loading carbines and decided to convert them to breech-loading weapons. This was a cost-saving exercise, but also very much a stopgap. They were converted by adding the hinged-block breech loading mechanism, which had been developed in the United States by Jacob Snider Junior. ‘The development of self-contained centrefire cartridges ultimately made the Snider-Enfield one of the most successful weapons of the later nineteenth century’.3

a wall with a gun display and other objects
The Smoking Room at Martindale Hall looking at the west wall and the firearm collection on 10 November 2023 (Photograph by Tony Pagels).

‘The development of self-contained centrefire cartridges ultimately made the Snider-Enfield one of the most successful weapons of the later nineteenth century’.

It appears that the Snider-Enfield artillery carbine was de-commissioned by the War Office in the 1880s. These were then sold and many of the Australian colonies, but not South Australia, purchased Snider-Enfield firearms, in various lengths and configurations.4

Snider-Enfield artillery carbine (object MH 472), hanging on the wall of the Smoking Room, Martindale Hall.

It is possible that W. T. Mortlock (1858-1913) and/or his son J. A. T. Mortlock (1894-1950) purchased this gun, and the other nineteenth century guns on display, when travelling in Europe or possibly within Australia. When they purchased this decommissioned weapon, it was likely that the appropriate ammunition was unobtainable. One can speculate that they bought this essentially unusable gun because of its importance in the history of artillery weapons in the nineteenth century.5

While there are only seven guns currently on display in Martindale Hall, older photographs of the Smoking Room showing a larger collection of guns, hung on the western wall in an untidy manner, in contrast to the present neat array. None of the more modern shotguns and rifles, which Jack Mortlock would have used in his own hunting excursions, are in the Martindale Hall collection. When Jack Mortlock died in 1950, he left his guns to his Hawker relatives, ie Richard George. Hawker, of Bungaree station, and to his cousin David Hawker. Apparently, the older nineteenth century rifles discussed here were left behind at Martindale Hall.

Three generations of Mortlock men had an interest in shooting and firearms. W, R. Mortlock who took up land from Barngarla and Nauo peoples on the lower Eyre Peninsula, would have been very familiar with guns and rifles. In those early years of settlement on Eyre Peninsula, kangaroos, wallabies and possums were everywhere but were greatly reduced by shooting and replaced with foxes, rabbits and, of course, sheep. Frank Kent who worked at the Mortlock’s Coffin Bay station for years, said his largest daily bag there was 54 kangaroos, but that others would shoot more in a day.6

Wall of guns on display in the Smoking Room, Martindale Hall.
Clause in will of J. A. T. Mortlock, dated 2 March 1950 leaving his guns to members of the Hawker family.

To W. R. Mortlock’s son and heir, W. T. Mortlock is attributed the collection of older weapons. His sons, the third generation of Mortlock men in Australia, Jack Mortlock and Frederick Ranson Mortlock were very keen shooters. When in London in 1925, Ranson patronised James Purdey and Sons, leading gun and rifle manufacturers. He purchased three rifles during that year, ammunition and other accessories including leather gun covers.7 Perhaps one of these guns was the Purdey gun, much admired by Jack Mortlock’s sailing companions when he brought it out in January 1936. 8 However in 1948, the Pioneers’ Association visited Martindale Hall and reported seeing a ‘10 bore shotgun by Purdy that had once belonged to Sir Edward Stirling’.9

This 1936 photograph of the Smoking Room shows a rather untidy collection of guns hanging on the wall. Photographer, H. C. D. Collyer; B 46418, Mintaro Collection, SLSA. Reproduced courtesy of State Library of South Australia, Adelaide.
The Snider-Enfield lock plate marked left to right; “[crown]/VR”, “1863/ENFIELD”, [crown]/broad arrow” and “4” This lock plate shows the original arm was an Enfield percussion weapon manufactured at Enfield Small Arms Factory in 1863 for the War Department; it was later converted to a breech loading arm with the addition of the Snider breech block.10 Martindale weapons collection MH472. Photograph by Tony Pagels.

Jack Mortlock was a member of the South Australian Gun Club and part of a Veterans’ Team which won the club’s teams championship at the Gilles Plains grounds in 1939. He provided the Mortlock Cup for pigeon shooting competitions at the Gun Club, presenting it in October 1940 to Mr. W. Commons.11

It is interesting that the portrait of Jack Mortlock in the Hall, shows him holding a gun, indicating the importance of shooting to him. He shot a wide range of animals and birds and recorded in his diary his daily score and then would total these up for monthly and yearly scores.12 It is amazing to note that between 1934 and 1944, he shot 11,545 creatures, including 100 kangaroos, 50 foxes, 7663 rabbits, 2 eagles, 476 shags, 373 parrots, 44 water hen, 9 seals and a shark. He even shot 104 sparrows.

He was keen to shoot wherever he went. Thus, on a trip to New Zealand he shot three wild pigs in the swamps of Lake Te Anau near Otago, as well as many rabbits.13 In Queensland, when the weather was too inclement for fishing, he went pig shooting.

Jack Mortlock enjoyed spotlighting, ie night shooting. In 1938, his chauffeur, Jeff Thrum modified a new Ford utility, specifically for spotlighting. Extra lamps were added to the front as were positions for shooters to sit or stand comfortably in the back. Another position for a shooter to shoot under the raised front windscreen was created adjacent to the driver.14

It is difficult to see the shooting of sparrows, shags, and a shark as ‘gentlemanly’ sport.

While it is interesting to speculate that the ‘gentlemanly’ tradition of sports shooting influenced Jack Mortlock, it is difficult to see the shooting of sparrows, shags, and a shark as ‘gentlemanly’ sport. Unlike some other male members of the colonial gentry, Jack Mortlock, did not go in pursuit of big game in Africa and India. Richard McDonnell Hawker of nearby Bungaree station, Jack Mortlock’s uncle by marriage, hunted elephants and lions in Somaliland around the end of the nineteenth century.15 Walter Smith, ‘Tiger Smith’, of the Yalumba wine family went shooting in India and Africa, a number of times, displaying his sporting trophies, a lion’s head and tiger skins on the walls of his home.16

However, Mortlock did go on at least two hunting trips to far North Queensland, travelling with his chauffeur Jeff Thrum on a trip to Queensland in August 1937.

The dugong skull, mounted on the wall of the Smoking Room, is one trophy from this venture. Mortlock was an enthusiastic hunter, and he was keen to test his new ‘Norwegian harpoon gun’. The photograph of his Queensland tour notes that the large dugong he shot was ‘a female 10 1/2 feet long, and 9 feet in girth’.

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In 1937 Mortlock and his long time chauffer, Jeff Thrum went on a hunting trip in search of Dugong. Our project has digitised this object so you can experience it in 3D.

The modified 1938 Ford utility. Jack Mortlock is second from the left and Jeff Thrum stands on the running board behind the door. Jeff Thrum photograph albums, PRG 646/2 SLSA. Reproduced courtesy of State Library of South Australia, Adelaide.

Dugong was not protected in Australian waters, in this era. Later in 1937, Mortlock wrote an article for the Adelaide Chronicle, titled ‘Killing a Dugong with a Harpoon Rifle: South Australian Sportsmen in Tropical Queensland’, which celebrated his hunting expedition.17

Footnotes

  1. Anthony Pagels, ‘Object Biography’, unpublished report for Flinders University Archaeological Field School, Martindale Hall. 2023. Pagels, A., H. Burke, L. A. Wallis and B. Barker 2023, ‘Weapons of the frontier wars: Firearms and ammunition of the Native Mounted Police in Queensland’, Queensland Archaeological Research, 2023, 26: 188 ↩︎
  2. Pagels, ‘Object Biography’, 14 ↩︎
  3. Anthony Pagels, ‘Life from the Debris: Artefacts from the Native Mounted Police 1849 to Early 1900s.’ 2023, Unpublished M. Archaeology and Heritage Management thesis, Flinders University, Adelaide, 13) ↩︎
  4. Pagels, ‘Life from the Debris’, 13. ↩︎
  5. Pagels, ‘Object Biography’ ↩︎
  6. Vox, “Out among the people’. Advertiser, 23 January 1936, 19. ↩︎
  7. Scrapbooks 1934-1940, Mortlock family, PRG 717/12 SLSA. ↩︎
  8. Vox, “Out among the people’. Advertiser, 23 January 1936, 19. ↩︎
  9. ‘Visit to Martindale Hall, 2nd October 1948’, Adelaide, Pioneers’ Association 1948. ↩︎
  10. Skennerton, I.D. 1975 Australian Service Longarms, Margate: I.D. Skennerton, 1975, 97, I.D. Skennerton, .577 Snider-Enfield Rifles and Carbines: British Service Longarms 1866–c.1880, Labrador: Ian Skennerton, 2003, 197–204) ↩︎
  11. Scrapbooks 1934-1940, Mortlock family, PRG 717/12 SLSA. ↩︎
  12. Scrapbooks 1934-1940, Mortlock family, PRG 717/12 SLSA. ↩︎
  13. Vox, ‘Out among the people’. Advertiser, 1 March 1940, 23. ↩︎
  14. R. J. Thrum, ‘Recounting Some of My Experiences While Chauffeur to Mr. J. T. Mortlock, Pastoralist, PRG 646/1 ↩︎
  15. Richard McDonnell Hawker, George C. Hawker collection, PRG 847/15, SLSA. ↩︎
  16. ‘Wine and Big Game, Advertiser 13 October, 1928,14. Rob Linn, Yalumba and Its People, Angaston, Samuel Smith,1999, Margaret Allen, ‘Bertie’s Lion and the Glass Case’, 2022, unpublished paper ↩︎
  17. J. T. Mortlock, ‘Killing a Dugong with a Harpoon Rifle: South Australian Sportsmen in Tropical Queensland’, Adelaide Chronicle, 16 December 1937. ↩︎