1904-1908 - Olympics - Team British South Africa

British South Africa at 1904 St Louis Summer Olympics

The South Africans who competed at the 1904 Olympics were part of the Boer War Exhibit at the St. Louis World’s Fair, 1904. Different portions of the concession featured a British Army encampment, several South African native villages (including Zulu, Bushmen, Swazi, and Ndebele) and a 15-acre (61,000 m2) arena in which soldiers paraded, sporting events and horse races were held and major battles from the Second Boer War were re-enacted twice a day. Battle recreations took 2–3 hours and included several Generals and 600 veteran soldiers from both sides of the war. At the conclusion of the show, the Boer General Christiaan de Wet would escape on horseback by leaping from a height of 35 feet (11 m) into a pool of water. ^{[1] [2]}

Athletics

Tug-Of-War

British South Africa at 1908 London Summer Olympics

At the IOC Session in The Hague on 23 May 1907 the British delegation proposed that “The four British Colonies, the Cape Province, Natal, the Orange River Colony and the Transvaal should be invited to take part in the Fourth Olympiad as South Africa”. The National Olympic Committee was formed on 3 January 1908.

Athletics

Cycling Track

Fencing

Tennis

Sources

1. ↑ https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/jonathan_silent_film/603/
2. ↑ https://www.angloboerwar.com/forum/13-miscellany/29933-the-st-louis-fair-1904