Artillery Gunner's blue tunic : New South Wales Colonial Military Forces

Dark blue superfine tunic with scarlet stand collar edged with yellow worsted braid. The square yellow worsted shoulder straps are secured with single silver coloured metal buttons. The sleeve cuffs are decorated with yellow worsted braid in an Austrian knot. Above this, on the wearer's right sleeve, is a badge depicting crossed canons with crown above for the best shot in the battery, worked in flat silver and gold bullion thread. At the waist seam on the wearer's right side is a flat welt pocket lined with a brown coated cotton twill. The upper section of the tunic has been re-lined with a new white wool twill. On the inside left is a concealed pocket. The cotton sleeve linings appear original and are stamped with 'Y WD 2'. The centre front of the tunic has seven raised white metal buttons bearing a Queen Victoria crown and three canons. Two similar buttons are sewn to the back waist. On the reverse of the buttons is stamped 'EXTRA RICH'. Inside the unlined back skirt section, partially obscured by an iron-on repair patch across a tear, is the original British manufacturer's stamp. There are also the remnants of a NSW government contract label. There are brass belt hooks at each side of the waist.

In 1871, New South wales raised a permanent paid defence force, twelve months after the departure of British troops from the colony. Initially this consisted of an artillery battery and two infantry companies. Recruiting began in August 1871.

• Artillery Gunner's blue trousers : New South Wales Colonial Military Forces
• Ammunition pouch and shoulder belt : British and colonial forces