SA Union: United South Africa, Koos de la Rey, |
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| Form: | Circular. Uniface.. | ||||||||
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| By: | ? | ||||||||
| Date: | 1908-1909 | ||||||||
| Ref: |
Laidlaw: 0602; |
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| Variations: |
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| Edge: |
Plain. |
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| Obverse: |
Within a beaded border, bareheaded bust of de la Rey, front with head turned slightly to the left. Legend above: “UNITED SOUTH AFRICA” and below: “DE LA REY”. |
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| Reverse: |
Blank. |
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| Notes: |
Jacobus Herculaas 'Koos' de la Rey (1847-1914) was a Boer general during Boer War. In 1907 de la Rey was elected to the new Transvaal Colony Parliament in which capacity he was one of the delegates to the National Convention of which this medal commemorates his participation. The National Convention met several times between 1908 and 1909 with the objective of agreeing a constitutional union between the five British Colonies of Southern Africa. There were 33 delegates in total representing the Cape Colony (12), the Colony of Natal (5), the Transvaal Colony (8), the Orange River Colony (5) and Rhodesia under the British South Africa Company (3). The draft constitution was established in May 1909. Rhodesia was excluded from the union but the door was left open for it to join at a later date. The final approval by the colonial governments happened between May and June 1909. Only the Natal government felt the need to seek the approval of its electorate by referendum which returned a vote of 75% in favour. The draft constitution led to the adoption of the South Africa Act by the British Parliament which became law when granted royal assent on 20 September 1909. The Union of South Africa came into being on 31 May 1910. The date was chosen symbolically to coincide with the 8th anniversary of the signing of the Peace of Vereeniging which ended the Boer War. de la Rey became a Senator and supported Louis Botha, the first Prime Minister of the Union. His loyalty was torn at the outset of the first World War when South Africa declared war against Germany. He believed that South Africa should have remained neutral. Whether he would have joined the Maritz Rebellion, a military uprising opposed to the war, is not known. He was shot and killed by mistake at a police road block while driving with General Beyers to a meeting with General Kemp to discuss his participation in the rebellion. Laidlaw 1397 is a similar medal for Louis Botha. Laidlaw 1417 is a similar medal for Christiaan de Wet. |
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