Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Alf was born on 6 Jan 1869 at Port Lincoln to Elias Cabot and Lydia Cabot (nee Ford).  He was the third eldest of 8 children in the family, 5 boys and 3 girls; his father was a farmer in the Kappawanta (SA) area (near Sheringa).

He, with his brothers, went to the Way school at Sheringa. As was normal for the time he worked on the family farm in his early years, before moving around the Sheringa area to work as a “shoeing smith”.

He enlisted in the 3rd South Australian Bushman’s Contingent on 6 Nov 1899. At this time he gave his occupation as “shoeing smith” (it is not known where he gained his training in the trade; it is thought that it was all “on the job training”) and his address as Sheringa, via Port Lincoln.

Like similar forces raised elsewhere in Australia, the cost of this Contingent was defrayed by public subscription; a public Committee was formed for administrative purposes, but the enrolment, training and organization was undertaken by the military. Men were required to be good riders, expert marksmen and to be familiar with living in the bush. The total force consisted of 6 officers and 93 other ranks

On 27 Feb 1900 he embarked at Adelaide aboard the SS “Maplemore” bound for Africa, disembarking at Beira, Mozambique on 1 Apr 1900. The Contingent crossed Rhodesia and then fought through the Transvaal; at a major battle at Ottoshoep on 12 Sep 1900, the unit suffered heavy casualties, including their Commanding Officer, killed in action. The Contingent reached Cape Town in early 1901 and then embarked aboard the SS “Morayshire” for return to Australia, arriving on 25 Jun 1901.

Unfortunately for Alf he had contracted Malaria, so it was off to hospital for him for a prolonged stay. On his release from hospital on 6 Jan 1902, he was then inducted into the 2nd Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse (as Federation had now occurred) as a “shoeing smith”. He must have been very good at his trade.

On 20 Feb 1902 he embarked at Port Adelaide on the SS “Manchester Merchant” for Africa, disembarking at Durban, South Africa on 14 Mar 1902. The unit then saw service at Newcastle (Natal), Botha’s Post, Volksrest, Devondale Siding and Klerksdorp ( all Transvaal).

The unit, after a successful conclusion to the Boer War, embarked on 5 Jul 1902 aboard the SS “Norfolk” for return to Australia, disembarking at Largs Bay (SA) on 30 Jul 1902. Alf took his discharge and returned to the Sheringa area.

However, it was only for a short stay; he returned to South Africa and married Grace Maud Evelyn Wilkins at Johannesburg (South Africa) on 26 Mar 1903. The couple returned to Australia in 1904 and moved to Yallunda Flat where they took up a block adjacent to Alf’s brother, William Phillip. They named the block “Maidstone”, after the town in which Grace was born. It was here that they raised their family of 2 children, a boy and a girl.

The family then purchased the Yallunda Flat General Store in 1910 and opened the first post office for Yallunda Flat in 1917, operating both as an adjunct to the property. They also had the contract to deliver mail to and from Yallunda Flat/Tumby Bay. In 1911 the contract was expanded to also include the delivery of mail and passengers to and from Stokes. In 1915 Alf purchased a car (Model T Ford) and employed Billy Ahang to drive the vehicle to deliver both the mail and passengers. He sold the mail contract in late 1915 and then sold the store and post office in the early 1920s, before resuming farming at Yallunda Flat (Sect 106, Hd of Koppio)

He was a very active member of the Yallunda Flat Show and was the Treasurer for many years

The family remained on the farm until 1937, when they sold it to Mr A.W. Gale and moved to a property at Mallala. The couple retired from farming and moved to Adelaide in the early 1940s; their son, Lance and his wife, remained on the farm at Mallala

Alf died on 16 Oct 1947 and Grace died on 19 Aug 1956. They are both buried in North Road Cemetery in Nailsworth (SA).