In February 1900 contingents from New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia gathered at the Fremantle oval before being shipped off to South Africa.
A banquet was organised by Archibald McKinnon, the then licensee of the Cleopatra Hotel, and the ladies of Fremantle to farewell the troops.
It was attended by His Excellency the Governor General, Sir Gerald Smith and Lady Smith, the then Mayor of Fremantle Elias Solomon and many other digniteries.
The veterans living in Fremantle were also asked to participate in the fete. Twenty-two of them were discovered, and most of them appeared on the Oval, decorated with their service medals, and ready with their stories for interested listeners.
The veterans who were invited were :-

Thomas CONOLLY, Naval Brigade.
- CONOLLY, 29th Foot.
John CRAIG, Scots' Guards.
John DOYLE, 55th Foot.
John FELTHAM, 65th Bengal ("Tigers.")
Michael FITZPATRICK, 103rd Foot
Edward GREEN, 18th Foot.
Owen GRIFFEN, 9th Foot.
P. HERRICKS, 73rd Foot.
Walter HODGES, 12th Lancers.
Joseph JARVIS, 2nd Fusiliers.
T. QUINN, Royal Artillery.
Peter RUBERY, Cape Mounted Rifles.
- RYAN, Second Queen's.
Benjamin SHEMELDS, 73rd Foot.
George SIMMS, Naval Brigade
- THACKER, 1st Foot.
Samuel TREW, 11th Foot.
- McGrath, 106th Foot.
Sergeant McCARTHY, 1st Royal Irish,
Henry McILWAINE, Royal Artillery.
John McMAHON, 47th Foot.