![]() On the central shrine of the Scottish National War Memorial, opened at Edinburgh Castle in 1927, are the words ‘The Outposts of Empire’, and the crests of each British dominion are displayed. Instances where the state was involved with Scottish cultural maintenance therefore complicate and nuance our understanding of how identity and culture was constructed and maintained among Scots in the diaspora. ![]() While many celebrations of Scottish culture were harmless and sensible in relation to Australian politics, culture, and society, the regiment’s maintenance of Scottish identity was often far more assertive. As organisations that operated under the auspices of the government, Scottish regiments competed with emerging Australian nationalism and therefore offer the chance for us to place Scottish identities in their early-twentieth century Australian cultural context. Through a case study of the Victorian Scottish Regiment, this article investigates the way in which imperial experiences influenced cultural identities, and explores Scotland’s military traditions and their relationship with Scottish culture in Australia. Citations have been removed for readability, and some images have been added courtesy of the Australian War Memorial. This post reproduces my 2014 article, ‘Warriors of Empire: popular imperialism and the Victorian Scottish Regiment, 1898-1938’, published in the Victorian Historical Journal, Vol. Many people come to this blog seeking information on the military service of their Scottish ancestors.
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